Three Australian Lepidosperma Labill. Species as sources of prenylated and oxyprenylated derivatives of piceatannol, resveratrol and pinosylvin: Melatoninergic binding and inhibition of quinone reductase 2.

Prenylated and hydroxyprenylated piceatannol, resveratrol and pinosylvin derivatives were isolated from resin produced by three Australian Lepidosperma Labill. Species (Cyperaceae). From L.

Kangaroo Island propolis types originating from two Lepidosperma species and Dodonaea humilis.

The endemic Australian plants Lepidosperma sp. Flinders Chase (Cyperaceae), Lepidosperma viscidum (Cyperaceae) and Dodonaea humilis (Sapindaceae) were found to be the botanical origin of three propolis types found on Kangaroo Island identified by TLC and H NMR matching of propolis and plant resin analytical profiles. Resin samples extracted from the plant, Lepidosperma sp.

A sedge plant as the source of Kangaroo Island propolis rich in prenylated p-coumarate ester and stilbenes.

Propolis samples from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, were investigated for chemical constituents using high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectral profiling. A type of propolis was found containing a high proportion of prenylated hydroxystilbenes. Subsequently, the botanical origin of this type of propolis was identified using a beehive propolis depletion method and analysis of flora.

An Investigation of the Differential Effects of Ursane Triterpenoids from Centella asiatica, and Their Semisynthetic Analogues, on GABAA Receptors.

The ursane triterpenoids, asiatic acid 1 and madecassic acid 2, are the major pharmacological constituents of Centella asiatica, commonly known as Gotu Kola, which is used traditionally for the treatment of anxiety and for the improvement of cognition and memory. Using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique, these triterpenes, and some semisynthetic derivatives, were found to exhibit selective negative modulation of different subtypes of the GABAA receptor expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Despite differing by only one hydroxyl group, asiatic acid 1 was found to be a negative modulator of the GABA-induced current at α1 β2 γ2L, α2 β2 γ2L and α5 β3 γ2L GABAA receptors, while madecassic acid 2 was not.

The Differential Effects of Resveratrol and trans-ε-Viniferin on the GABA-Induced Current in GABAA Receptor Subtypes Expressed in Xenopus Laevis Oocytes.

Purpose: The natural products resveratrol and trans-ε-viniferin have been reported to have many beneficial effects, which include the enhancement of cognition and memory. There have been no studies which have reported the effects of these compounds on the different GABAA receptor subtypes and this study aimed to address this.

Methods: The effects of both resveratrol, and its dimer, trans-ε-viniferin, have been investigated on different GABAA receptor subtypes expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique.

Tetracyclic triterpenoids in herbal medicines and their activities in diabetes and its complications.

Tetracyclic triterpenoids, including the dammarane, cucurbitane, cycloartane, lanostane and protostane groups, is a class of triterpenoids widely distributed in various medicinal plants, particularly those commonly used for the treatment of diabetes and its complications, such as Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, Panax notoginseng, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Astragalus membranaceus, Momordica charantia, and Ganoderma lucidum. This review highlights recent findings on the chemistry and bioactivities of tetracyclic triterpenoids from these plants and other popular herbal medicines.

Anti-bacterial activity and brine shrimp lethality bioassay of methanolic extracts of fourteen different edible vegetables from Bangladesh.

Objective: To investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of fourteen different edible vegetables methanolic extract from Bangladesh.

Methods: The antibacterial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion assay method against 12 bacteria (both gram positive and gram negative). The plant extracts were also screened for cytotoxic activity using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay method and the lethal concentrations (LC50) were determined at 95% confidence intervals by analyzing the data on a computer loaded with "Finney Programme".

Studies of lipid profile, liver function and kidney function parameters of rat plasma after chronic administration of "Sulavajrini Vatika".

The successful use of Ayurvedic medicines is for many years but there is no guideline for studying the toxicity of these preparations through preclinical or clinical investigations. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of conventionally prepared Sulavajrini Vatika (SBB), an Ayurvedic formulation on various biochemical parameters of experimental animals after chronic administration. The animal used was albino rats (Rattus norvegicus: Sprague-Dawley strain) and SBB was administered orally at a single dose of 100 mg kg(-1) b.