Hypoglycaemic activity of Mathurameha, a Thai traditional herbal formula aqueous extract, and its effect on biochemical profiles of streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats.

Background: The Thai traditional herbal formula-Mathurameha, consisting of 26 medicinal plants, has been used as an alternative and complementary medicine for diabetes treatment in Wangnamyen Hospital, Thailand. To provide scientific evidences on the efficacy and safety of this herbal formula, in vivo hypoglycaemic activity, effect on serum biochemical profiles and acute toxicity were investigated.

Methods: Experimental type 2 diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of nicotinamide 15 min prior to intravenous injection of streptozotocin.

In vitro propagation of Stemona hutanguriana W.Chuakul, an endangered medicinal plant.

In vitro propagation of Stemona hutanguriana W.Chuakul, an endangered species of Stemonaceae, was established. Nodal and internodal explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) alone or in combination with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA).

Purification and characterization of anti-HIV-1 protein from Canna indica L. leaves.

A novel 10 kDa protein with anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitory activity was isolated from leaves of Canna indica L. using a combination of native-PAGE and ammonium sulfate precipitation. HIV-1 and RT inhibitory activity was measured using a syncytium forming (deltaTat/Rev) MC99 virus in Tat/Rev transfected 1A2 cell line and ELISA technique, respectively.

Antimalarial activity of biflavonoids from Ochna integerrima.

During the screening of antimalarial substances, the 80% EtOH extract from the outer bark of Ochna integerrima Merr. (Ochnaceae) was shown to have a good anti-malarial activity (IC50 value: 6.5 microg/mL) whereas extracts from the inner barks of O.

A new cytotoxic daphnane diterpenoid, rediocide G, from Trigonostemon reidioides.

Rediocide G (7), a new daphnane diterpenoid, was isolated from the roots of Trigonostemon reidioides (Euphorbiaceae), together with two congeners, rediocide A and rediocide B, (+)-syringaresinol, scopoletin, tomentin and stigmasterol. The structure of the new natural product was elucidated by comparison of its NMR and mass spectral data with those of previously known rediocides and confirmed by extensive 2D NMR spectral analysis. Rediocide G (7) was found to be cytotoxic to various cancer cell lines.

Iminosugar-producing Thai medicinal plants.

Alpha-1-C-hydroxymethylfagomine (7), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-DMDP (12), and 2,5-dideoxy-2,5-imino-D-glucitol (13) were isolated from the Thai traditional crude drug "Non tai yak" (Stemona tuberosa), which also contains a high concentration level of alpha-homonojirimycin (0.1% dry weight). "Thopthaep" (Connarus ferrugineus) and "Cha em thai" (Albizia myriophylla) contained 1-deoxymannojirimycin (DMJ) (10) at levels of 0.

Acaricidal daphnane diterpenoids from Trigonostemon reidioides (KURZ) CRAIB roots.

A new daphnane diterpenoid, rediocide F (1), was isolated together with three known compounds, rediocides A (2), C (3) and E (4), from the hexane extract of Trigonostemon reidioides roots by bioassay-guided fractionation for acaricidal activity on Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Thai common house dust mite. The structure of rediocide F (1) was established as the demethyl analog of rediocide C (3) on the basis of spectral analysis. Compounds 1-4 exhibited potent activity against D.