Kudzu root : traditional uses and potential medicinal benefits in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Triterpenoid and steroidal glycosides, referred to collectively as saponins, are bioactive compounds present naturally in many plants. They have considerable potential as pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical agents in natural or synthetic form. Saponins, from a variety of sources, have been shown to have hypocholesterolemic, anti-coagulant, anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. This paper reviews saponin research of the last decade, focussing on developments in understanding their mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships. Virtually all of this work has used animal and in vitro models. To date there are very few human data.

The bioactivity of saponins: triterpenoid and steroidal glycosides.

Ethnomedical uses of Zingiberaceous plants of Northeast India

Protective activity of andrographolide and arabinogalactan proteins from Andrographis paniculata Nees. against ethanol-induced toxicity in mice.

The decapeptide CMS001 enhances swimming endurance in mice.

Kakkalide, one of the major isoflavonoid components of Puerariae flos, has been investigated for its effect on ethanol-induced intoxication and on hepatic injury, including hyperglycaemia, in mice.



Kakkalide reduced mortality associated with administration of ethanol. At doses of 100 and 200 mg kg− the effect of kakkalide was significant. The same dose of kakkalide prevented increased serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity. At a dose of 200 mg kg− it also counteracted ethanol-induced elevation of glucose levels.



These results suggest that kakkalide might be useful for counteracting the effects of alcohol and might be effective for treating hepatic injury.

Pharmacological Studies on Puerariae flos III: Protective Effects of Kakkalide on Ethanol‐induced Lethality and Acute Hepatic Injury in Mice

In order to confirm the constitution of hepatoprotective oleanene glucuronide (OG), HPLC profile analyses of the total OG fractions of both Puerariae Thomsonii Flos (the flowers of Pueraria thomsonii) and Puerariae Lobatae Flos (the flowers of P. lobata) were performed. No remarkable difference in the HPLC profiles with respect to OGs in the flowers was shown, in contrast to those of the roots. By repeated chromatography of the total OG fraction of Puerariae Thomsonii Flos, soyasaponin I (1), kaikasaponin III (2) and kakkasaponin I (3), which had been already isolated from Puerariae Lobatae Flos, were obtained. The hepatoprotective activity of 2 towards immunologically induced liver injury was significantly more effective than that of 1. This information supported previously obtained structure-hepatoprotective relationship data which was measured on another model. The structure-activity relationship information which suggested that the hydroxymethyl group of the galactosyl unit would enhance the hepatoprotective activity was also substantiated.

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HPLC profile analysis of hepatoprotective oleanene-glucuronides in Puerariae Flos.

Evaluation of the pharmacological activity of extracts from Amomi Semen on the gastrointestinal tracts

The present research was an attempt to determine the pharmacological actions as for anti-fatigue, anti-obesity and hypoglycemia of small peptide isolated from soybean in mice. Small peptide administration prevented the decrease in sporting movement induced by concussion stress for 3 h in mice. In addition, it should be noted that the recovery rate of fatigue in 60 min after small peptide administration was over one hundred percentage in comparison with that after pretreatment, while the equivalent dose administration of amino acid mixture with the same small peptide amino acid composition did not prevent the decrease in sporting movement. In gold-thioglucose (500 mg/kg (i.p.))-induced obese mouse body weight gain, liver weight and body lipid level around uterine were significantly reduced by the chronic oral administration of small peptide (200, 1000 mg/kg). Administration in 1000 mg per kg of small peptide significantly lowered hyperglycemia in 30 and 120 min after glucose (3 g/kg (p.o.)) administration, whereas the equivalent amino acid mixture showed no effect. In conclusion, it suggested that small peptide isolated from soybean might have some pharmacological effects of anti-fatigue, anti-obesity, and hypoglycemia.

[Pharmacological studies on small peptide fraction derived from soybean. The effects of small peptide fraction derived from soybean on fatigue, obesity and glycemia in mice].

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an inhibitor against the constriction of vascular smooth muscle, having excellent activities for inhibiting the constriction of the vascular smooth muscle, safe and capable of being administered for a long period, and useful as a vasodilator, an antihypertensive agent or the like by including a methanol extract of Myristica fragrans as an active ingredient. SOLUTION: This inhibitor against the constriction of vascular smooth muscle contains a methanol extract of Myristica fragrans, preferably in an amount of 0.001-30 wt.% as an active ingredient. The extract is obtained, for example, by dipping seeds of the Myristica fragrans in a treating liquid such as cream of lime, drying the dipped seeds of the Myristica fragrans, finely pulverizing the dried seeds of the Myristica fragrans to form a powdery material, adding 10-20 L methanol to 1 kg pulverized powdery material and extracting the powdery material at a room temperature or at 30-70 deg.C. The medicine can be formed into various dosage forms such as a tablet and a capsule, or also can be formed into a form of a food.

Tatsuo Kurashige

Papers

Pharmacological Studies on Puerariae flos III: Protective Effects of Kakkalide on Ethanol‐induced Lethality and Acute Hepatic Injury in Mice

HPLC profile analysis of hepatoprotective oleanene-glucuronides in Puerariae Flos.

Evaluation of the pharmacological activity of extracts from Amomi Semen on the gastrointestinal tracts

[Pharmacological studies on small peptide fraction derived from soybean. The effects of small peptide fraction derived from soybean on fatigue, obesity and glycemia in mice].

Inhibitor against constriction of vascular smooth muscle