Review on some plants of Indian traditional medicine with antioxidant activity.

http://siba.unipv.it/farmacia/art/Marrubini/Nat%20Prod%20Rep%202001.pdf

Tannins: Classification and Definition

The plants of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) are widely distributed in most tropical and subtropical countries, and have long been used in folk medicine to treat kidney and urinary bladder disturbances, intestinal infections, diabetes, and hepatitis B. In recent years, the interest in the plants has increased considerably. Substantial progress on their chemistal and pharmacological properties, as well as a few clinical studies of some Phyllanthus species have been made. This review discusses the current knowledge of their chemistry, the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological, biochemical, and clinical studies carried out on the extracts, and the main active constituents isolated from different species of plants of the genus Phyllanthus. These studies carried out with the extracts and purified compounds from these plants support most of their reported uses in folk medicine as an antiviral, in the treatment of genitourinary disorders, and as antinociceptive agents. However, well-controlled, double-binding clinical trials are lacking. Several compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, lignans, phenols, and terpenes were isolated from these plants and some of them interact with most key enzymes. Together this data strongly supports the view that the plants belonging to the genus Phyllanthus have potential beneficial therapeutic actions in the management of hepatitis B, nefrolitiase, and in painful disorders.

A review of the plants of the genus Phyllanthus: their chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential.

Pharmacognostic and pharmacological profile of Humulus Lupulus L.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Bail. is often referred to as an example of a medicinal plant with use in modern Chinese medicine. However, Schisandra chinensis first gained recognition as an adaptogen in the official medicine of the USSR in the early 1960s, principally as a result of the large number of pharmacological and clinical studies carried out by Russian scientists in the preceding two decades. Schizandra has now secured an established position within the medicine of Russia/USSR as evidenced by the inclusion of the drug in recent editions of the National Pharmacopoeia of the USSR and in the State Register of Drugs. Pharmacological studies on animals have shown that Schizandra increases physical working capacity and affords a stress-protective effect against a broad spectrum of harmful factors including heat shock, skin burn, cooling, frostbite, immobilisation, swimming under load in an atmosphere with decreased air pressure, aseptic inflammation, irradiation, and heavy metal intoxication. The phytoadaptogen exerts an effect on the central nervous, sympathetic, endocrine, immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal systems, on the development of experimental atherosclerosis, on blood sugar and acid-base balance, and on uterus myotonic activity. Studies on isolated organs, tissues, cells and enzymes have revealed that Schizandra preparations exhibit strong antioxidant activities and affect smooth muscles, arachidonic acid release, biosynthesis of leukotriene B(4) in leukocytes, platelet activating factor activity, carbohydrate-phosphorus metabolism, the formation of heat shock protein and polyamines, tissue respiration and oxygen consumption, and the tolerance of an organism to oxygen intoxication. In healthy subjects, Schizandra increases endurance and accuracy of movement, mental performance and working capacity, and generates alterations in the basal levels of nitric oxide and cortisol in blood and saliva with subsequent effects on the blood cells, vessels and CNS. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the efficiency of Schizandra in asthenia, neuralgic and psychiatric (neurosis, psychogenic depression, astheno-depressive states, schizophrenia and alcoholism) disorders, in impaired visual function, hypotension and cardiotonic disorders, in epidemic waves of influenza, in chronic sinusitis, otitis, neuritis and otosclerosis, in pneumonia, radioprotection of the fetoplacental system of pregnant women, allergic dermatitis, acute gastrointestinal diseases, gastric hyper- and hypo-secretion, chronic gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, wound healing and trophic ulcers. This review describes the considerable diversity of pharmacological effects of Schisandra chinensis reported in numerous studies carried out in the former USSR and which have been confirmed over more than 40 years of use of the plant as an official medicinal remedy. Such knowledge can be applied in the expansion of the use of Schizandra in the pharmacotherapy of European and other countries as well as for the further discovery of new drugs based on the lignans that constitute the main secondary metabolites of this plant.

Pharmacology of Schisandra chinensis Bail an overview of Russian research and uses in medicine

An active oxygen eliminator derived from a natural substance, which comprises water, an organic solvent and an emulsifier and also comprises, as essential active components, p-coumarinic acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-prenylcinnamic acid and 3,5,7-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavonol, a food comprising the active oxygen eliminator and a cosmetic comprising the active oxygen eliminator.

Active oxygen eliminator originating in natural material and use of the same

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an Arctium lappa extract highly containing arctigenin and a method for producing the same and to treat pancreatic cancer.SOLUTION: Arctium is enzymatically transformed to arctigenin with β-glucosidase being an enzyme present in Arctium lappa, extracted with ethanol, concentrated and then freeze-dried or spray-dried to give an Arctium lappa extract containing arctigenin in a high concentration.

Arctium lappa extract highly containing arctigenin and method for producing the same

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a natural product-derived active oxygen scavenger having high ability to scavenge active oxygen and free radicals and being safe for the human body and useful for various uses and its use. SOLUTION: Water, an organic solvent, an emulsifier, p-coumaric acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, AA , 4 -Oxygen-3-prenylcinnamic acid and 3,5,7-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavonol-derived active oxygen scavenger derived from natural products, and foods and cosmetics containing the active oxygen scavenger It is. [Selection figure] None

Active oxygen scavenger derived from natural product and application thereof

PURPOSE:To obtain a novel compound which is contained in Blechni Rhizoma and is useful as an antiviral agent. CONSTITUTION:Methyl 3-O-beta-D-glycopyranosylprotocatechuate of the formula. This compound is obtained by subjecting rootstocks of dried Woodwardia orientalis, a plant included in Blechni Rhizoma to hot water extraction with deionized water, concentrating the extract under reduced pressure, freeze-drying the residue to give a powdery essence, then dispersing the essence in water and extracting the dispersion with ethyl acetate and subjecting the ethyl acetate extract to silica-gel column chromatography.

Shigetoshi Kadota

Papers

Active oxygen eliminator originating in natural material and use of the same

Arctium lappa extract highly containing arctigenin and method for producing the same

Active oxygen scavenger derived from natural product and application thereof

Protocatechuic acid derivative and antiviral agent containing the same as active ingredient

Study of Dracaena angustifolia : I - New spirostanol sapogenins from roots and rhizomes