Isolation, purification and partial characterization of a glycoside from the Jamaican ball moss plant (<i>Tillandsia recurvata</i>L.)

Initial isolation and characterization screens have been carried out on the Jamaican ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata L.) plant producing a novel complex gly-cosidic compound. This complex glycoside may be responsible for the promising anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of this ball moss plant. A combination of supercritical fluid processing and chromatographic purification was used to produce the isolate. LC-MS analysis showed the presence of a compound with a molecular weight of ~800 and mass spectral (MS-MS and MS-MS-MS) data indicate that this compound may be a glycoside with a molecular mass of 1601.1 Da (negative ionization mode) and possibly contain up to two sialic acids, based on the doubly-charged state of the molecule at neutral pH conditions. 2D-TOCSY NMR spectrum lends evidence to the presence of at least one likely amide to aliphatic proton correlation, indicating the presence of a sialic acid moiety. The main structure of this therapeutic compound appears similar to a soyasaponin.

Curculigo recurvata W.T.Aiton exhibits anti-nociceptive and anti-diarrheal effects in Albino mice and an in silico model

Background: Curculigo recurvata(C. recurvata) is an enthnomedicinally important herb reported to have significant medicinal values. The present study aimed to explore the in vivo and in silico anti-nociceptive and anti-diarrheal effects of a C. recurvate rhizome methanol extract(Me-RCR).Methods: The analgesic effects of Me-RCR were assessed using acetic acid-induced writhing and the formalin-induced flicking test. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally(IP) at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight(bw). Anti-diarrheal activity was evaluated by assessing intestinal motility, hypersecretion, and fecal score in mice at oral doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg·bw. Computer facilitated analyses for anti-nociceptive and anti-diarrheal activities of three isolated compounds from C. recurvata were undertaken to identify the best-fit phytoconstituents.Results: The Me-RCR showed significant(P <.05) peripheral anti-nociception at the highest dose. The extract inhibited both early and late phases of nociception in the formalin-induced writhing test. In the castor oil-induced diarrhoea model, the extract significantly(P <.05) prolonged the onset time of diarrhoea, inhibited percentage of diarrhoea, and decreased both the volume and weight of intestinal contents. Rates of intestinal fluid accumulation inhibition were(33.61 ± 1.00)% and(46.44 ± 0.89)% at Me-RCR doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg·bw, respectively. Moreover, a significant(P <.05) reduction in gastrointestinal motility was observed. An absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and/or toxicity(ADME/T) test showed that the selected compounds yielded promising results, satisfying Lipinski's rule of five for predicting drug-like potential. Notably, of the three phytoconstituents curculigine and isocurculigine possessed the highest affinity for the COX-1 and COX-2. Isocurculigine was also identified as the most effective anti-diarrheal compound in the computer-facilitated model.Conclusion: An extract of the plant C. recurvata showed potential analgesic and antidiarrheal activity due to the presence of one or more active secondary metabolite(s).

酒瓶兰的组培快繁技术试验

以酒瓶兰的茎尖、茎段作为外植体组织培养,试验结果表明:适宜的起始培养基是MS+6-BA3.0mg·L^(-1)+NAA0.5mg·L^(-1);增殖培养基是MS+6-BA2.0mg·L^(-1)+NAA0.05mg·L^(-1);生根培养基是1/2MS+NAA1.0mg·L^(-1)。

Comparative study of hypoglycemic and antibacterial activity of organic extracts of four Bangladeshi plants

Objective:To examine hypoglycemic and antibacterial activity against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of organic extracts of four Bangladeshi plants.Methods:An in vivo hypoglycemic effect on mice model was used to check the hypoglycemic effect of four Bangladeshi herbal organic extracts viz.,roots of Curculigo recurvata W.T.Aiton(Satipata)(C.recurvata),leaf of Amorphophallus bulbifer Roxb.(Olkachu)(A.bulbifer),whole plant of Thunbergia grandiflora Roxb.(Nillata)(T.grandiflora)and leaf of Steudnera colocasiifolia K.Koch(Yunnan)(S.colocasiifolia)using glibenclamide as a positive control and water as a negative control.They were also tested for antibacterial activity on three Grampositive and four Gram-negative bacteria by disk diffusion method.C.recurvata,A.bulbifer and T.grandiflora were extracted with methanol and S.colocasiifolia was extracted with ethanol.Results:Among all the plant extract,only ethanol extract of S.colocasiifolia leaves at 800 mg/kg dose significantly(P<0.01)reduced fasting glucose level in normal mice as compared to standard drug glibenclamide(5 mg/kg).Ethanol extract of S.colocasiifolia leaves at 800 mg/kg dose decreased 20.28%of blood glucose level after 2 h of administration in normal mice,where glibenclamide decreased 39.63%.Methanol extract of T.grandiflora didn’t show any zone of inhibition against the tested bacteria,but other three extracts showed a wide range of zone of inhibition.However,none of the extract showed antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria.Methanol extract of C.recurvata showed maximum zone of inhibition against Bacillus cereus[(10.50±0.50)mm],Salmonella typhi[(16.20±1.26)mm],Escherichia coli[(13.00±1.00)mm]and ethanol extract of S.colocasiifolia showed maximum zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus[(11.20±1.26)mm],Bacillus subtilis[(12.00±0.50)mm],Salmonella paratyphi[(10.80±0.29)mm].Only methanol extract of A.bulbifer showed(8.50±0.50)mm and(7.20±0.76)mm zone of inhibition against Pseudomomas aeruginosa at 1000 and 800μg/disk dose respectively.Conclusions:Through our study,it was found that S.colocasiifolia could be considered as very promising and beneficial hypoglycemic agent.Although C.recurvata and S.colocasiifolia showed comparable high antibacterial activity,further studies should be needed to develop new antibacterial agent from them.S.colocasiifolia may be a potential source for the development of new oral hypoglycemic agent.