herbal extract

Red American Ginseng: Ginsenoside Constituents and Antiproliferative Activities of Heat-Processed Panax quinquefolius Roots.: Planta Med. 2007 May 31;
Wang CZ, Aung HH, Ni M, Wu JA, Tong R, Wicks S, He TC, Yuan CS

Red Asian ginseng ( PANAX GINSENG C. A. Meyer, Araliaceae) is used in many Oriental countries. In this study, the saponin constituents and anticancer activities of steamed American ginseng ( PANAX QUINQUEFOLIUS L.) roots were evaluated. The contents of 12 ginsenosides in the roots were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After the steaming treatment (100 - 120 degrees C for 1 h and 120 degrees C for 0.5 - 4 h), the quantity of 7 ginsenosides decreased and that of 5 others increased. The content of ginsenoside Rg3, a previously recognized anticancer compound, increased significantly when the root was steamed at 120 degrees C for 0.5 - 3 h. The antiproliferative effects of unsteamed and steamed (120 degrees C for 1 h and 2 h) American ginseng root extracts were assayed by the modified trichrome stain (MTS) method using three cancer cell lines (SW-480, HT-29, NSCLC). Heat-processing increased the antiproliferative effect of American ginseng significantly, and the activity of the extract from roots steamed for 2 h was greater than that of roots steamed for 1 h. Chemical constituents and antiproliferative activities of white and red Asian ginseng have also been evaluated. Five representative ginsenosides, Rb1, Rd, Re, Rg2 and Rg3, were studied. Ginsenoside Rg3 had the most potent effect. The antiproliferative activities of red American ginseng are augmented when ginsenoside Rg3 is increased.

Antioxidant capacity of 55 medicinal herbs traditionally used to treat the urinary system: a comparison using a sequential three-solvent extraction process.: J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan;13(1):103-10 Authors: Wojcikowski K, Stevenson L, Leach D, Wohlmuth H, Gobe G

Background: The prevalence of chronic renal disease exceeds 10% in industrialized societies. Oxidative damage is thought to be one of the main mechanisms involved in nearly all chronic renal pathologies. Objective: We aimed to use the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method and a sequential multisolvent extraction process to compare the in vitro antioxidant capacity of 55 medicinal herbs and prioritize them for in vivo studies investigating the value of herbal therapies in the treatment of renal disorders. Methods: The herbs were chosen on the basis of their traditional use in kidney or urinary system disorders, or because they have attracted the attention of recent investigations into renal pathologies. The three solvents used for extraction were ethyl acetate, methanol, and 50% aqueous methanol. Silybum marianum (milk thistle) seed and Camellia sinensis (tea) leaf, both known to possess high antioxidant capacity, were included for comparison. Results: Twelve of the 55 herbs were comparable to or exceeded ORAC levels of milk thistle seed or tea leaf. The highest radical-scavenging activity was found in Olea europaea (olive leaf), Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh), Rheum palmatum (rhubarb), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), and Scutellaria lateriflora (Virginia skullcap). Conclusions: The antioxidant capacity of many of the herbs studied may, at least in part, be responsible for their reputation as being protective of organs of the urinary system. Overall, the combined ORAC values for the methanol and aqueous methanol extracts comprised 84% of the total ORAC value. Sequential extraction with solvents of different polarities may be necessary to fully extract the antioxidant principles from medicinal plants.

The Design and Evaluation of Placebo Material for Crude Herbals: Artemisia afra Herb as a Model.: Phytother Res. 2007 Jan 30; Authors: Dube A, Manthata LN, Syce JA

Herbal materials are known to present significant challenges with regard to designing credible placebos. This study intended to demonstrate the possibility of designing placebo material for crude herbals and used Artemisia afra, a popular traditional herbal medicine in South Africa, as a model. To produce the placebo, step-wise solvent extractions were conducted on the plant leaves and the process was monitored spectrophotometrically and using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection. The odour and taste between the placebo and A. afra was matched by inclusion of linalool and sodium saccharin, respectively. The muscle relaxant activity of the placebo was evaluated using an isolated guinea-pig tracheal muscle preparation. The UV absorbance of the extracts and the HPLC chromatograms, showed that most of the phytochemical constituents had been removed and the placebo closely resembled the A. afra leaves. The EC(50) of the placebo and the leaves were 4846.00 and 68.49 mg/mL, respectively, which showed that not only did the A. afra leaves possess muscle relaxant activity, but that the placebo did not possess any significant activity compared with the A. afra leaves (p value 0.0001). These results demonstrated that it is possible to design credible, pharmacologically inert placebo material for crude herbals. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hepatoprotective herbal drug, silymarin from experimental pharmacology to clinical medicine.: Indian J Med Res. 2006 Nov; 124(5): 491-504. Authors: Pradhan SC, Girish C

Silymarin, a flavonolignan from 'milk thistle' (Silybum marianum) plant is used almost exclusively for hepatoprotection and amounts to 180 million US dollars business in Germany alone. In this review we discuss about its safety, efficacy and future uses in liver diseases. The use of silymarin may replace the polyherbal formulations and will avoid the major problems of standardization, quality control and contamination with heavy metals or bacterial toxins. Silymarin consists of four flavonolignan isomers namely- silybin, isosilybin, silydianin and silychristin. Among them, silybin being the most active and commonly used. Silymarin is orally absorbed and is excreted mainly through bile as sulphates and conjugates. Silymarin offers good protection in various toxic models of experimental liver diseases in laboratory animals. It acts by antioxidative, anti-lipid peroxidative, antifibrotic, anti-inflammatory, membrane stabilizing, immunomodulatory and liver regenerating mechanisms. Silymarin has clinical applications in alcoholic liver diseases, liver cirrhosis, Amanita mushroom poisoning, viral hepatitis, toxic and drug induced liver diseases and in diabetic patients. Though silymarin does not have antiviral properties against hepatitis virus, it promotes protein synthesis, helps in regenerating liver tissue, controls inflammation, enhances glucuronidation and protects against glutathione depletion. Silymarin may prove to be a useful drug for hepatoprotection in hepatobiliary diseases and in hepatotoxicity due to drugs. The non traditional use of silymarin may make a breakthrough as a new approach to protect other organs in addition to liver. As it is having a good safety profile, better patient tolerability and an effective drug at an affordable price, in near future new derivatives or new combinations of this drug may prove to be useful.

The Induction of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 by Six Trade Herbal Products in Cultured Primary Human Hepatocytes.: Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007 Jan; 100(1): 23-30 Authors: Hellum BH, Hu Z, Nilsen OG

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro inductive potential of six commonly used trade herbal products on CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 metabolic activities. Herbal components were extracted from the trade products in a way that ensured a composition equal to that present in the original product. Primary human hepatocytes and specific CYP substrates were used. Classic inducers were used as positive controls and herbal extracts were added in in vivo-relevant concentrations. Metabolites were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). St. John's wort and common valerian were the strongest inducing herbs. In addition to induction of CYP3A4 by St. John's wort, common valerian and Ginkgo biloba increased the activity of CYP3A4 and 2D6 and CYP1A2 and 2D6, respectively. A general inhibitory potential was observed for horse chestnut, Echinacea purpurea and common sage. St. John's wort inhibited CYP3A4 metabolism at the highest applied concentration. Horse chestnut might be a herb with high inhibition potentials in vivo and should be explored further at lower concentrations. We show for the first time that G. biloba may exert opposite and biphasic effects on CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 metabolism. Induction of CYP1A2 and inhibition of CYP2D6 were found at low concentrations; the opposite was observed at high concentrations. CYP2D6 activity, regarded generally as non-inducible, was increased by exposure to common valerian (linear to dose) and G. biloba (highest concentration). An allosteric activation is suggested. From the data obtained, G. biloba, common valerian and St. John's wort are suggested as candidates for clinically significant CYP interactions in vivo.

Year-and-a-half old, dried Echinacea roots retain cytokine-modulating capabilities in an in vitro human older adult model of influenza vaccination.: Planta Med. 2006 Oct;72(13):1207-15 Authors: Senchina DS, Wu L, Flinn GN, Konopka del N, McCoy JA, Widrelechner MP, Wurtele ES, Kohut ML

Alcohol tinctures prepared from aged Echinacea roots are typically taken for preventing or treating upper respiratory infections, as they are purported to stimulate immunity in this context. The effects of long-term (> 1 year) dry storage on the capabilities of Echinacea spp. roots from mature individuals to modulate cytokine production are unknown. Using an older human adult model of influenza vaccination, we collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells from subjects 6 months post-vaccination and stimulated them in vitro with the two Type A influenza viruses contained in the trivalent 2004-2005 vaccine with a 50 % alcohol tincture prepared from the roots of one of seven Echinacea species: E. angustifolia, E. pallida, E. paradoxa, E. purpurea, E. sanguinea, E. simulata, and E. tennesseensis. Before being processed into extracts, all roots had been stored under dry conditions for sixteen months. Cells were cultured for 48 hours; following incubation, supernatants were collected and assayed for interleukin-2, interleukin-10, and interferon-gamma production, cytokines important in the immune response to viral infection. Four species ( E. angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. simulata, E. tennesseensis) augmented IL-10 production, diminished IL-2 production, and had no effect on IFN-gamma production. Echinacea pallida suppressed production of all cytokines; E. paradoxa and E. sanguinea behaved similarly, although to a lesser extent. The results from these in vitro bioactivity assays indicate that dried Echinacea roots stored for sixteen months maintain cytokine-modulating capacities. Our data support and extend previous research and indicate that tinctures from different Echinacea species have different patterns of immune modulation; further, they indicate that certain species may be efficacious in the immune response to viral infection.

An approach to the inheritance of the sesquiterpene chemotypes within Petasites hybridus.: Planta Med. 2006 Oct;72(13):1254-6 Authors: Chizzola R, Langer T, Franz C

Sesquiterpene esters are the active principle in the medicinal plant Petasites hybridus. Two chemotypes, the petasin chemotype and the furanopetasin chemotype, are known, but only the first one is suitable for pharmaceutical purposes. Experimental crossings were performed within and between plants of both chemotypes to study the genetic basis of the occurrence of these sesquiterpenes. The chemotype was determined by TLC in extracts of a small piece of rhizome in the parent plants and the progenies. A model including the combined action of two genes is proposed to explain the inheritance of the chemotypes where the furanopetasin chemotype is under recessive genetic control.

Immunoactive polysaccharide-rich fractions from Panax notoginseng.: Planta Med. 2006 Oct;72(13):1193-9 Authors: Zhu Y, Pettolino F, Mau SL, Shen YC, Chen CF, Kuo YC, Bacic A

Panax notoginseng is a commonly used medicinal plant in south-western China. In a previous study, a sequential solubilisation of P. notoginseng high-molecular-weight (HMW) polymers using phenol-acetic acid-water, hot water, weak and strong alkali was performed to determine the structure of the component polysaccharides and proteins. The effects of these extracted HMW fractions on the human complement system, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are reported here. Fr (1MKOH), which was extracted with 1 M KOH, showed the strongest complement-fixing activity and priming of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by PMNs, as well as a mitogenic effect. Fr (1MKOH) was further fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography followed by gel-permeation chromatography. 1MD3-G2, the fraction most strongly bound to the DEAE anion-exchange column with a molecular weight of 1140 kDa, showed the highest complement-fixing activity. It is composed of acidic polysaccharides [including glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX), homogalacturonan (HGA), rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I)], neutral polysaccharides (4-galactan and arabinan), and some protein.

Authentication is fundamental for standardization of Chinese medicines.: Planta Med. 2006 Aug;72(10):865-7 Authors: Zhao Z, Hu Y, Liang Z, Yuen JP, Jiang Z, Leung KS

Chinese medicines (CMs) are being used more and more widely throughout the world. Since there are many poisoning incidents caused by misuse or confusion of CMs, their safe use has become a critical issue internationally. In this paper, based on the investigation of the current market of CMs, reasons for various confusions of Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) are analyzed and clarified, such as herbs with multiple sources, regional custom-herbs, confusion in nomenclature, similarity in appearance, and complexity of processed products. Authentication of plant material is critical to the safe and effective use of CMM. In this paper, several authentication methods, such as taxonomy, morphology, microscopy, physical and chemical authentication, DNA molecular biology and their advanced applications in this area, are introduced. Furthermore, it is proposed that an authority on the authentication of CMM be established, as a physical institution and/or as an electronic database.

Overview on the analytical tools for quality control of natural product-based supplements: a case study of ginseng.Assay Drug Dev Technol. 2005 Dec;3(6):683-99 Authors: Yap KY, Chan SY, Weng Chan Y, Sing Lim C

The quality of pharmaceutical products like ginseng is important for ensuring consumer safety and efficacy. Many ginseng products sold today are in various formulations such as powder, capsules, tablets, soft-gels, liquid extracts, and tea. This renders ginseng less identifiable by smell, taste, or physical appearance. Furthermore, as ginseng is expensive, adulteration with other cheaper products occurs. Hence quality assurance of ginseng is needed. This paper reviews the major techniques for ascertaining the level of ginsenosides, the primary active ingredients for ginseng, and covers high-performance liquid, gas, and thin-layer chromatographies, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, enzyme immunoassays, and other molecular methods. Supporting techniques such as ultraviolet, fluorescence, diode array and evaporative light scattering detections, and mass spectrometry will also be touched upon. This review also discusses the principles and applications of biosensors-in particular fiber optic-based sensors-and their feasibility in ginseng analysis based on preliminary studies. Despite their potential, there is currently no or limited commercial exploitation of fiber optic-based sensors to perform ginseng quality analysis. The opportunity for biosensors to be used for the rapid quality surveillance of ginseng is appealing, but several key issues still need to be addressed before they find widespread applications in the traditional Chinese medicine industry.