Recent herbal abstracts; [HOLGER: Note re Qing's Pill / Bone]

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Hi All,

 

See these recent herbal abstracts.

 

HOLGER, see #10 (Xiong et al. 2004) re Osteoblastic Proliferative

Activity of Extracts of Qing'e pill and its Disassembled Formulae

 

1. Febrifugine and Isofebrifugine (from Dichroa Febrifuga,

antimalarial crude drug)

 

2. Non-saponin fraction of red ginseng contains important

substances to improve learning and memory

 

3. Reliable phytoestrogen assay re traditional medicinal herbs in

chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, dementia, and

cardiovascular disease

 

4. Genistein, a phytoestrogen, may effectively modulate LH and

PRL secretion in OVX ewes by acting within the CNS.

 

5. Margosan-O, azadirachtin and possibly other neem extracts

decrease the numbers of invertebrate organisms that are important

in food web and nutrient cycling processes

 

6. Estrogen deficiency causes lymphoproliferative autoimmune

disease resembling Sjoegren's syndrome (SS) and phytoestrogens

may have clinical value in preventng or treating SS

 

7. Cannabis is a potential treatment for epilepsy, but may trigger

rare seizures in some recreational users.

 

8. Effects of activated T cells on osteoclastogenesis depend on

how they are Activated.

 

9. Andrographis (used to alleviate inflammatory disorders) has

much andrographolide (Andro), which has a unique

pharmacological mechanism against inflammation.

 

10. Qing’s Pill for bone diseases has Cx Eucommiae ulmoidis; Fr

Psoraleae corylifoliae; S Juglandis regiae & B Allii sativi. The 4

ingredients work synergistically, which is the basis for the success

of Qing'e pill in promoting osteroblastic proliferation

 

Best regards,

Phil

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

1. Ishih, Akira; Suzuki, Tohru; Watanabe, Machiko; Miyase,

Toshio; Terada, Mamoru (2004) | Combination Effects of

Chloroquine with the Febrifugine and Isofebrifugine Mixture against

a Blood-induced Infection with Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium

berghei NK65 in ICR Mice. | Phytother. Res.¨ 17 (10), 1234-1236 |

Dept of Parasitology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-

20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; E-mail:

aishih | The combination effects of chloroquine

with a mixture of febrifugine and Isofebrifugine (the main alkaloids of

an antimalarial crude drug, Dichroa Febrifuga) were evaluated

against a blood-induced infection with chloroquine-resistant P.

berghei NK65 in ICR mice. Mice in the untreated control showed a

progressively increasing parasitemia leading to mouse death A two-

day dosage of 20 mg base/kg of chloroquine alone showed little

effect against P. berghei NK65 infection, and all mice died from day

13 to 14 with an increasing parasitemia. A four-day dosage of 1

mg/kg of the febrifugine and isofebrifugine mixture alone showed a

little antimalarial activity, but all mice died from day 19 to 27 with

an increasing parasitemia. On the other hand, mice treated with

chloroquine plus alkaloids survived during the experiment. All mice

treated with chloroquine alone or the alkaloid mixture alone showed

low parasitemia levels during a drug administration and following a

few days, but then malaria parasites increased in the bloodstream

of the treated mice until death On the other hand, malaria parasites

in the mice given chloroquine plus alkaloids decreased on day 6

and then were not detected by a microscopic examination during

observation period.

 

2. Kurimoto, H.; Nishijo, H.; Uwano, T.; Yamaguchi, H.; Zhong, Y.-

M.; Kawanishi, K.; Ono, T. (2003) | Effects of non-saponin fraction

of red ginseng on learning deficits in aged Rats. | Physiol. Behav.¨

82 (2-3), 345-355. | System 'Emotional Science', Faculty of

Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University,

Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; E-mail: onotake@toyama-

mpu.ac.jp | Previously we reported that oral application of red

ginseng significantly ameliorated learning deficits in aged rats and

young rats with hippocampal lesions. In the present study, we

investigated the effects of the non-saponin fraction of red ginseng

on learning deficits in aged rats in behavioral studies and those on

long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA3 subfield in

young rats in electrophysiological studies. In the behavioral

studies, three groups of rats Ýaged rats with and without oral

administration of the non-saponin fraction of red ginseng and young

rats¨ were tested with the three types of spatial-learning task

distance movement task (DMT), random-reward place search task

(RRPST), and place-learning task (PLT)¨ in a circular open field.

The results in the DMT and RRPST indicated that motivational and

motor activity was not significantly different among the three groups

of rats. However, performance of the aged rats without non-saponin

was significantly impaired in the PLT when compared with the

young rats. Treatment with non-saponin significantly ameliorated

deficits in place-navigation learning in the aged rats in the PLT. In

the electrophysiological studies, effects of non-saponin on the LTP

in the CA3 subfield of the hippocampal slices were investigated in

vitro. Pretreatment with non-saponin significantly augmented the

increase in population spike amplitudes in the CA3 subfield after

LTP induction. These results suggest that the non-saponin fraction

of red ginseng contains important substances to improve learning

and memory in aged rats and that this amelioration by non-saponin

might be attributed partly to augmentation of LTP in the CA3

subfield.

 

3. Lee, S.H; Jung, B.H; Kim, S.Y; Chung, B.C (2004) |

Determination of phytoestrogens in traditional medicinal herbs

using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry | J of Nutr Bioc 15

(8), 452-460. | | Quantitative analytical methods for the 17

phytoestrogens containing isoflavonoids, lignans, and

mycoestrogens in herbs were developed, and the amount of

phytoestrogens was determined in 22 traditional medicinal herbs

The focus of this study was to simplify the purification procedure for

removing many kinds of interferences in herbs, and to select

adequate derivatization reagent for getting desirable selectivity and

sensitivity in the quantitative determination of phytoestrogens To

satisfy these goals, we performed a solid-phase extraction with

Oasis HLB cartridges following enzymatic and acidic hydrolysis,

and we used the mixture of MSTFA/NH4I/DTE (1000:4:5, v/w/w) to

form TMS derivatives of phytoestrogens Overall recovery was more

than 84% in all of the phytoestrogens, and the limit of quantification

for phytoestrogens in herbs were set at 0.2 microgram/g.

Coefficient of variation percentages were in the range of 0.18-

15.68% (within-day) and 0.23-16.61% (day-to-day), respectively.

Most of the isoflavonoids and lignans were found in all of the herbs,

but mycoestrogens were not detected at all. The Leguminosae

family proved to be the richest source of isoflavonoids. Lignans

such as enterodiol and enterolactone were detected at low

concentration in most of the herbs These results indicate that this

assay is accurate and reliable for the determination of

phytoestrogens in herbs Also, information regarding the

phytoestrogen contents in traditional medicinal herbs is useful in

the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer,

osteoporosis, dementia, and cardiovascular disease.

 

4. Romanowicz, K.; Misztal, T.; Barcikowski, B. (2004) | Genistein,

a Phytoestrogen, Effectively Modulates Luteinizing Hormone and

Prolactin Secretion in Ovariectomized Ewes during Seasonal

Anestrus. | Neuroendocrinology 79 (2), 73-81. | | Through binding

with estrogen receptors, phytoestrogens, plant-derived estrogen-

like compounds, affect numerous reproductive functions. It is not

known whether these compounds are capable of evoking effective

changes in luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion

in ewes by acting directly within the central nervous system (CNS).

The hypothesis studied was that genistein, infused for several

hours into the third ventricle, could immediately affect LH and PRL

secretion in ovariectomized (OVX) ewes during seasonal anestrus.

Two doses of genistein, 1 <mu>g/100 <mu>1/h (total 4 <mu>g, n

= 7) and 10 <mu>g/100 <mu>1/h (total 40 <mu>g, n = 7), were

infused intracerebroventricularly from 12.00 to 16.00 h and blood

samples were collected from 8.00 to 20.00 h at 10-min intervals.

Randomly selected ewes were infused with a vehicle (control, n =

5). The mean plasma LH concentration in control ewes was

significantly (p < 0.01) higher during infusion of the vehicle than

before the infusion. It remained on an insignificantly changed level

after the infusion. The frequency of LH pulses in control ewes did

not differ significantly before, during, or after vehicle infusion. In

ewes infused with a lower dose of genistein, plasma LH

concentrations decreased significantly (p < 0.001) after the

infusion, as compared with the values noted before and during

genistein infusion. Only a tendency towards a decrease in LH

pulse frequency occurred after infusion of a lower dose of genistein.

In ewes infused with a higher dose of genistein, the plasma LH

concentration decreased significantly (p < 0.01) after

phytoestrogen administration as compared with the values noted

before and during infusion. The frequency of LH pulses was also

significantly (p < 0.01) lower after genistein administration.

Because the changes in PRL secretion were more dynamic in

response to genistein infusion, the statistical analysis included 2-

hour periods. The mean plasma PRL concentration in control

animals was significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) only during the first

2-hour period of sampling. After that it decreased and remained on

an unchanged level up to the end of sampling. Similar changes in

PRL secretion were observed in both experimental groups before

genistein infusion. In contrast, significant (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001)

increases in PRL concentration were noted regularly during and

shortly after the genistein infusion in either low-dose or high-dose

genistein-infused ewes, compared with the concentrations noted

before genistein treatment Plasma PRL concentrations during and

after genistein infusion in both experimental groups were also

significantly higher than the control (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). The

presented data demonstrate that genistein, a phytoestrogen, may

effectively modulate LH and PRL secretion in OVX ewes by acting

within the CNS.

 

5. Scott, I. M.; Kaushik, N. K. (2000) | The Toxicity of a Neem

Insecticide to Populations of Culicidae and Other Aquatic

Invertebrates as Assessed in In Situ Microcosms. | Arch. Environ.

Contam. Toxicol.¨ 39 (3), 329-336. | Dept of Biology, University of

Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada | Microcosm trials were

conducted with the botanical insecticide Margosan-O registered to

assess the potential hazards of the product to aquatic organisms.

Lab chronic bioassays with water from the treated microcosms

were conducted to provide an estimate of the residual effect of

Margosan-O. Results from chronic tests showed Margosan-O

toxicity to be greater in the Lab exposures than in situ with

Culicidae larvae exposed to the same concentrations. Residue

analyses of the active ingredient, azadirachtin, determined that it

had a half-life of 36 to 48 h in water exposed to natural sunlight.

Two applications of Margosan-O at the recommended application

rate for pests did not harm aquatic invertebrates that are

categorized as planktonic and filter feeding (Culex sp. and Daphnia

sp.). However, the benthic invertebrate (Chironomus riparius) was

affected by multiple applications of neem. These results show that

the use of Margosan-O and possibly other neem extracts in or near

aquatic environments could lead to disturbances in benthic

populations and may cause decreases in numbers of organisms

that are important in food web and nutrient cycling processes.

 

6. Shim, Gil-Jin; Warner, Margaret; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Andersson,

Sandra; Liu, Lining; Ekman, Jenny; Imamov, Otabek; Jones,

Margaret E.; Simpson, Evan R.; Gustafsson, Jan-Aake (2004) |

Aromatase-deficient mice spontaneously develop a

lymphoproliferative autoimmune disease resembling Sjoegren's

syndrome | Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA¨ 101 (34), 12628-12633. |

Dept of Biosciences, Karolinska Institute, Novum Research Park,

S-141 57 Huddinge, Sweden | Sjoegren's syndrome (SS) is an

incurable, autoimmune exocrinopathy that predominantly affects

females and whose pathogenesis remains unknown. Like

rheumatoid arthritis, its severity increases after menopause, and

estrogen deficiency has been implicated. We have reported that

estrogen receptor-alpha and - beta -knockout mice develop

autoimmune nephritis and myeloid leukemia, respectively, but

neither develops SS. One model of estrogen deficiency in rodents

is the aromatase-knockout (ArKO) mouse. In these animals, there

is elevated B lymphopoiesis in bone marrow. We now report that

ArKO mice develop severe autoimmune exocrinopathy resembling

SS. By 1 year of age, there is B cell hyperplasia in the bone

marrow, spleen, and blood of ArKO mice and spontaneous

autoimmune manifestations such as proteinuria and severe

leukocyte infiltration in the salivary glands and kidney. Also, as is

typically found in human SS, there were proteolytic fragments of

alpha-fodrin in the salivary glands and anti-alpha-fodrin antibodies in

the serum of both female and male ArKO mice. When mice were

raised on a phytoestrogen-free diet, there was a mild but significant

incidence of infiltration of B lymphocytes in WT mice and severe

destructive autoimmune lesions in ArKO mice. In age-matched WT

mice fed a diet containing normal levels of phytoestrogen, there

were no autoimmune lesions. These results reveal that estrogen

deficiency results in a lymphoproliferative autoimmune disease

resembling SS and suggest that estrogen might have clinical value

in the prevention or treatment of this disease.

 

7. Whalley, B. J.; Wilkinson, J. D.; Williamson, E. M.; Constanti,

A.* (2004) | A novel component of cannabis extract potentiates

excitatory synaptic transmission in rat olfactory cortex in vitro. |

Neurosci. Lett.¨ 365 (1), 58-63. | Dept of Pharmacology, The

School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29/39 Brunswick

Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK | Cannabis is a potential treatment

for epilepsy, although the few human studies supporting this use

were inconclusive. Previously, we showed that a standardized

cannabis extract (SCE), isolated Delta super(9)-

tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta super(9)-THC), and even Delta super(9)-

THC-free SCE inhibited muscarinic agonist-induced epileptiform

bursting in rat olfactory cortical brain slices, acting via CB1

receptors. The present work demonstrates that although Delta

super(9)-THC (1 mu M) significantly depressed evoked depolarizing

postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in rat olfactory cortex neurones,

both SCE and Delta super(9)-THC-free SCE significantly

potentiated evoked PSPs (all results were fully reversed by the

CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A, 1 mu M); interestingly, the

potentiation by Delta super(9)-THC-free SCE was greater than that

produced by SCE. On comparing the effects of Delta super(9)-THC-

free SCE upon evoked PSPs and artificial PSPs (aPSPs; evoked

electrotonically following brief intracellular current injection), PSPs

were enhanced, whereas aPSPs were unaffected, suggesting that

the effect was not due to changes in background input resistance.

Similar recordings made using CB1 receptor-deficient knockout

mice (CB1 super(-/-)) and wild-type littermate controls revealed

cannabinoid or extract-induced changes in membrane resistance,

cell excitability and synaptic transmission in wild-type mice that

were similar to those seen in rat neurones, but no effect on these

properties were seen in CB1 super(-/-) cells. It appears that the

unknown extract constituent(s) effects over-rode the suppressive

effects of Delta super(9)-THC on excitatory neurotransmitter

release, which may explain some patients' preference for herbal

cannabis rather than isolated Delta super(9)-THC (due to

attenuation of some of the central Delta super(9)-THC side effects )

and possibly account for the rare incidence of seizures in some

individuals taking cannabis recreationally.

 

8. Wyzga, N.; Varghese, S.; Wikel, S.; Canalis, E.; Sylvester, F.

A.* (2004) | Effects of activated T cells on osteoclastogenesis

depend on how they are Activated. | Bone 35 (3), 614-620. |

Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT, USA; E-mail:

fsylves | Intro: Activated T cells are important

regulators of osteoclast function in inflammatory diseases. Both

pro- and anti-resorptive properties have been described. We

reasoned that this reported variability of the effects of T cells on

osteoclast formation depends on how T cells are activated in vitro.

Methods: We harvested T lymphocytes from 5-week-old C57BL/6

mouse spleens. Activation was performed with anti-CD3 epsilon

and -CD28 Ab (Abs), concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin

(PHA), or the superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA).

Osteoclastogenesis was induced by receptor activator of NF-

Kappa B ligand (RANKL) in the mouse macrophage cell line RAW

264.7 cells, or primary macrophage CD11b super(+) cells from

mouse spleen. Cells were cultured with T cells or with their

conditioned medium. Results: Co-culture of activated T

lymphocytes with RAW 264.7 cells inhibited osteoclastogenesis

but only when activated by Abs. This effect was CD4 super(+)-

dependent. Conditioned medium from activated T lymphocytes with

Abs consistently blocked osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 and

CD11b super(+) cells. T cells activated with SEA, Con A, and PHA

had inconsistent effects on osteoclastogenesis. We then tested

the role of interferon (IFN)- gamma, a known inhibitor of

osteoclastogenesis, in the effects of T cells on osteoclast

formation. IFN- gamma neutralizing antibody blocked the inhibitory

effect of T-cell conditioned medium on osteoclastogenesis.

Osteoclast precursors from IFN- gamma receptor-null mice treated

with 0.1% medium from activated T cells formed osteoclasts.

However, higher doses of medium inhibited osteoclastogenesis, so

that we cannot exclude that other factors besides IFN- gamma

may be involved. Conclusions: Available methods to activate T

lymphocytes result in variable effects on osteoclastogenesis. IFN-

gamma is the main factor responsible for the inhibitory effects of

activated T cells on osteoclast formation.

 

9. Xia, Yi-Feng; Ye, Bu-Qing; Li, Yi-Dan; Wang, Jian-Guo; He,

Xiang-Jiu; Lin, Xianfeng; Yao, Xinsheng; Ma, Dawei; Slungaard,

Arne; Hebbel, Robert P.; Key, Nigel S.; Geng, Jian-Guo (2004) |

Andrographolide Attenuates Inflammation by Inhibition of NF-

Kappa B Activation through Covalent Modification of Reduced

Cysteine 62 of p50. | J. Immunol 173 (6), 4207-4217. | Lab of

Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology,

Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Shanghai, China | NF- Kappa B is a central transcriptional factor

and a pleiotropic regulator of many genes involved in immunological

responses. During the screening of a plant extract library of TCM

herbal medicines, we found that NF- Kappa B activity was potently

inhibited by andrographolide (Andro), an abundant component of

Andrographis that has been commonly used as a folk remedy to

alleviate inflammatory disorders in Asia for millennia.

Mechanistically, it formed a covalent adduct with reduced cysteine

(62) of p50, thus blocking the binding of NF- Kappa B

oligonucleotide to nuclear proteins. Andro suppressed the

activation of NF- Kappa B in stimulated endothelial cells, which

reduced the expression of cell adhesion molecule E-selectin and

prevented E-selectin-mediated leukocyte adhesion under flow. It

also abrogated the cytokine- and endotoxin-induced peritoneal

deposition of neutrophils, attenuated septic shock, and prevented

allergic lung inflammation in vivo. Notably, it had no suppressive

effect on I Kappa B alpha degradation, p50 and p65 nuclear

translocation, or cell growth rates. Our results thus reveal a unique

pharmacological mechanism of Andro's protective antiinflammatory

actions.

 

10. Xiong, Z.; Guo, X.; Meng, F.; Li, F.* (2004) | Osteoblastic

Proliferative Activity of Extracts of Qing'e pill and its Disassembled

Formulae | Pharm. Biol.¨ 41 (6), 434-438. | School of Pharmacy,

PO BOX 44, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua

Road, Shenyang, China, 110016; E-mail: fameili | Qing'e

pill is a famous TCM compound prescription to treat bone

diseases. It contains 4 herbs (Cx Eucommiae ulmoidis; Fr

Psoraleae corylifoliae; S Juglandis regiae & B Allii sativi). In this

study, osteoblastic proliferation activity of extracts from Qing'e pill

and its disassembled formulae was investigated with the osteoblast-

like UMR106 cell line as a model. The extract of Qing'e pill, both

alcohol and aqueous, stimulated cell proliferation in a dose-

responsive manner. The proliferative activity of alcohol extract was

more potent than that of the aqueous one with a maximal growth

stimulation ratio (GSR) of 58.5% versus 38.8%. Cx Eucommiae

and Fr Psoraleae produced a maximum proliferative promotion of

38.7% and 34.0%, respectively, when co-cultured with UMR106

cells. Neither S Juglandis nor B Allii showed a significant effect on

osteoblastic proliferation. When Cx Eucommiae and Fr Psoraleae

were combined, the stimulating action (GSR = 47.2%) became

stronger than that of either individual drug. The enhancement effect

was more marked when S Juglandis or both S Juglandis and B Allii

were added. These results demonstrated the synergy of the four

botanical drugs and the rationality of Qing'e pill prescription in a

modern scientific way. This is the first time to study the stimulating

osteroblastic proliferation effect of a TCM compound prescription on

the basis of disassembled formulae.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Best regards,

 

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