Phytochemical Constituents, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Antimicrobial Activities of the Ethanolic Extract of Mexican Brown Propolis.

Propolis is a complex mixture of natural sticky and resinous components produced by honeybees from living plant exudates. Globally, research has been dedicated to studying the biological properties and chemical composition of propolis from various geographical and climatic regions. However, the chemical data and biological properties of Mexican brown propolis are scant.

Chemical Constituents with Leishmanicidal Activity from a Pink-Yellow Cultivar of var. (L.) Collected in Central Mexico.

(L.) is employed by several ethnical groups to treat numerous diseases. Although there are no ethnomedical reports on its use against leishmaniasis, organic extracts prepared from were shown to display leishmanicidal activity.

Antimycobacterial activity of an anthracycline produced by an endophyte isolated from Amphipterygium adstringens.

The search for new compounds effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is still a priority in medicine. The evaluation of microorganisms isolated from non-conventional locations offers an alternative to look for new compounds with antimicrobial activity. Endophytes have been successfully explored as source of bioactive compounds.

Effect of Pinocembrin Isolated from Mexican Brown Propolis on Diabetic Nephropathy.

Propolis is a resinous beehive product that has been used worldwide in traditional medicine to prevent and treat colds, wounds, rheumatism, heart disease and diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is the final stage of renal complications caused by diabetes and for its treatment there are few alternatives. The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition of three propolis samples collected in Chihuahua, Durango and Zacatecas and to evaluate the effect of pinocembrin in a model of diabetic nephropathy in vivo.

Leishmania mexicana cell death achieved by Cleoserrata serrata (Jacq.) Iltis: Learning from Maya healers.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aerial parts of Cleoserrata serrata (Jacq.) Iltis are widely used in South-Central Mexico to treat wounds and bacterial skin infections and in Panama by Kuna, Ngöbe-Buglé, and Teribe Indians for tropical warm baths and by Kunas in the form of "Ina kuamakalet" for snakebites.

Aims Of The Study: To evaluate the effect of Cleoserrata serrata extract on growth and viability of L.

antileishmanial activity of Mexican medicinal plants.

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the anti-leishmanial activity and cytotoxicity of aqueous and organic extracts of ten plants used in Mexican traditional medicine as anti-parasitics.

Materials And Methods: For the organic extracts, plant material was macerated in dichloromethane (CHCl) and dichloromethane/methanol (CHCl/MeOH) (1:1) during two weeks; the aqueous extracts were prepared by infusion. The extracts were tested against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of .

Flavonoids Affect the Light Reaction of Photosynthesis in Vitro and in Vivo as Well as the Growth of Plants.

Flavonoids retusin (5-hydroxy-3,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone) (1) and pachypodol (5,4'-dihydroxy-3,7,3'-trimethoxyflavone) (2) were isolated from Croton ciliatoglanduliferus Ort. Pachypodol acts as a Hill reaction inhibitor with its target on the water splitting enzyme located in PSII. In the search for new herbicides from natural compounds, flavonoids 1 and 2 and flavonoid analogues quercetin (3), apigenin (4), genistein (5), and eupatorin (6) were assessed for their effect in vitro on the photosynthetic electron transport chain and in vivo on the germination and growth of the plants Physalis ixocarpa, Trifolium alexandrinum and Lolium perenne.

Mexican propolis flavonoids affect photosynthesis and seedling growth.

As a continuous effort to find new natural products with potential herbicide activity, flavonoids acacetin (1), chrysin (2) and 4',7-dimethylnarangenin (3) were isolated from a propolis sample collected in the rural area of Mexico City and their effects on the photosynthesis light reactions and on the growth of Lolium perenne, Echinochloa crus-galli and Physalis ixocarpa seedlings were investigated. Acacetin (1) acted as an uncoupler by enhancing the electron transport under basal and phosphorylating conditions and the Mg(2+)-ATPase. Chrysin (2) at low concentrations behaved as an uncoupler and at concentrations up to 100 μM its behavior was as a Hill reaction inhibitor.

Analysis of volatile components from Melipona beecheii geopropolis from Southeast Mexico by headspace solid-phase microextraction.

A head space solid-phase microextraction method combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed and optimised to extract and analyse volatile compounds of Melipona beecheii geopropolis. Seventy-three constituents were identified using this technique in the sample of geopropolis collected. The main compounds detected include β-fenchene (14.

Aortic relaxant activity of Crataegus gracilior Phipps and identification of some of its chemical constituents.

This study focused on the assessment of the vasorelaxant activity of the organic and aqueous extracts obtained from leaves and fruits of a Mexican hawthorn (Crataegus gracilior) on isolated rat aorta, and on the purification and identification of some of their secondary metabolites by the use of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The results obtained showed that the methanol extract has a significantly more potent and effective vasorelaxant effect than the other tested extracts, with an EC50 = 8.69 ± 4.

Toxic rather than neuropharmacological effect of Ternstroemia sylvatica fruits and identification of 28-O-[β-l-6-rhamnopyranosyl]-R1-barrigenol as a new compound with toxic effects in mice.

Context: Fruits of Ternstroemia sylvatica Schltdl. and Cham. (Theaceae) are used in Mexican traditional medicine to alleviate anxiety, sleep disorders and seizures; however, the active principles have not been identified.

Antinociceptive effect and gastroprotective mechanisms of 3,5-diprenyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone from Ageratina pichinchensis.

The present study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive activity (in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models) and gastroprotective effect of the 3,5-diprenyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone (HYDP), isolated from Ageratina pichinchensis. The gastroprotective activity of this plant was previously reported by our workgroup, finding encesanescin to be one active compound. The present results show that HYDP reduced nociception in a dose-dependent manner in carrageenan and L5/L6 spinal nerve ligation, with efficacies of 72.

Ethnobotanical survey and antibacterial activity of plants used in the Altiplane region of Mexico for the treatment of oral cavity infections.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The ethnobotanical survey conducted in this study showed 47 plant species used in the Altiplane region of Mexico for the treatment of dental diseases such as toothache, dental caries, periodontal disease and gingivitis.

Materials And Methods: Information was collected by performing interviews. The following data were recorded: name of the patients or herbalists with their age, sex; date and place of gathering information; pathology of persons interviewed; name of the drug (vernacular name); parts used (leaves, bark, fruits, seeds, aerial parts), mode of preparation and administration, and possible combinations.

Ent-trachyloban-19-oic acid isolated from Iostephane heterophylla as a promising antibacterial agent against Streptococcus mutans biofilms.

From the roots of Iostephane heterophylla, six known compounds, namely, ent-trachyloban-19-oic acid (1), the mixture of ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (2) and ent-beyer-15-en-19-oic acid (3), xanthorrhizol (4), 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaurane (5) and 16α-hydroxy-ent-kaur-11-en-19-oic acid (6) were isolated using a bioassay-guided fractionation method. The known compounds (1-6) were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with reported values in the literature. In an attempt to increase the resultant antimicrobial activity of 1 and 4, a series of reactions was performed on ent-trachyloban-19-oic acid (1) and xanthorrhizol (4), to obtain derivatives 1a, 1b, and 4a-4d.

Isolation of the new anacardic acid 6-[16'Z-nonadecenyl]-salicylic acid and evaluation of its antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

A new anacardic acid, 6-[16'Z-nonadecenyl]-salicylic acid (1), along with seven known compounds, 6-[8'Z-pentadecenyl] salicylic acid (15:1 anacardic acid) (2), 6-nonadecenyl salicylic acid (anacardic acid 19:0) (3), 6-pentadecyl salicylic acid (anacardic acid 15:0) (4), masticadienonic acid (5), 3α-hydroxymasticadienonic acid (6), 3-epi-oleanolic acid (7) and β-sitosterol, were isolated from the bark of Amphipterygium adstringens using a bioassay-guided fractionation method. The structure of the new compound (1) was elucidated by spectroscopic data interpretation. The known compounds (2-7) were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with reported values in the literature.

Antimicrobial compounds isolated from Haematoxylon brasiletto.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The decoction of the bark of Haematoxylon brasiletto Karst. (Leguminosae), commonly known as "Palo Brasil", is used in the Mexican traditional medicine to treat mouth and kidney infections, hypertension, stomach upsets, gastric ulcers and diabetes.

Aim Of The Study: The present study was performed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of the methanolic extract of the bark of Haematoxylon brasiletto.

Cytotoxic constituents of the twigs of Simarouba glauca collected from a plot in Southern Florida.

Activity-guided fractionation of a chloroform-soluble extract of Simarouba glauca twigs collected from a plot in southern Florida, and monitored with a human epidermoid (KB) tumor cell line, afforded six canthin-6-one type alkaloid derivatives, canthin-6-one (1), 2-methoxycanthin-6-one (2), 9-methoxycanthin-6-one (3), 2-hydroxycanthin-6-one (4), 4,5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one (5) and 4,5-dihydroxycanthin-6-one (6), a limonoid, melianodiol (7), an acyclic squalene-type triterpenoid, 14-deacetyleurylene (8), two coumarins, scopoletin (9) and fraxidin (10), and two triglycerides, triolein (11) and trilinolein (12). Among these isolates, compounds 1-4, 7 and 8 exhibited cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines. 14-Deacetyleurylene (8) was selectively active against the Lu1 human lung cancer cell line, but was inactive in an in vivo hollow fiber assay using this same cell type.

Constituents of the leaves and twigs of Calyptranthes pallens collected from an experimental plot in Southern Florida.

Fractionation of the chloroform-soluble extract of the leaves and twigs of Calyptranthes pallens, collected from an experimental plot in a hardwood forest of southern Florida, using a hormone-dependent human prostate carcinoma (LNCaP) tumor cell line, led to the isolation of a phloroglucinol derivative with a novel carbon skeleton, pallenic acid (1), and a new triterpenoid, 3beta-hydroxy-18alpha,19alpha-urs-20-en-28-oic acid (2). The known compound methylene-bis-aspidinol (3) was selectively active against the human oral epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cell line. Several known compounds of the ellagic acid, lignan, phloroglucinol, sterol, and triterpene types were also obtained in the present investigation.

Cytotoxic constituents of the twigs and leaves of Aglaia rubiginosa.

Activity-guided fractionation of a CHCl(3)-soluble extract of the twigs of Aglaia rubiginosa, using human oral epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells as a monitor, led to the isolation of a new naturally occurring cyclopenta[b]benzofuran, 1-O-acetylrocaglaol (1), along with seven known compounds, methyl rocaglate (2), rocagloic acid (3), 1-O-acetylmethyl rocaglate (4), desyclamide, eryodictiol, 5-hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone, and naringenin. A CHCl(3) extract of the leaves of A. rubiginosa yielded the new compound (3S,4R,22R)-cholest-7,24-diene-3,4,22-triol (5), as well as 11 known compounds, including 2 and 4 and cabraleone, dammarelonic acid, (20S,23E)-20,25-dihydroxy-3,4-secodammara-4(28),23-dienoic acid, (20S,23E)-20,25-dihydroxy-3,4-secodammara-4(28),23-dienoic acid methyl ester, (3beta,4beta,22R)-ergosta-5,24(24')-diene-3,4,22-triol, ocotillone, shoreic acid, beta-sitosterol, and beta-sitosterol glycoside.

A new phytotoxic nonenolide from Phoma herbarum.

Reinvestigation of the fermentation broth and mycelium of the fungus Phoma herbarum led to the isolation of a new phytotoxic nonenolide, namely, (7R,9R)-7-hydroxy-9-propyl-5-nonen-9-olide, which was designated with the trivial name herbarumin III (3). The known compounds herbarumins I (1) and II (2) were also obtained. The structure of 3 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and molecular modeling.