€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY***** SUBIZA J SUBIZA JL HINOJOSA M GARCIA R JEREZ M VALDIVIESO R SUBIZA E ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION AFTER THE INGESTION OF CHAMOMILE TEA: A STUDY OF CROSS-REACTIVITY WITH OTHER COMPOSITE POLLENS. In: J Allergy Clin Immunol (1989 Sep) 84(3):353-8 ISSN: 0091-6749 We report a case of an 8-year-old atopic boy in whom ingestion of a chamomile-tea infusion precipitated a severe anaphylactic reaction. The patient suffers from hay fever and bronchial asthma caused by a variety of pollens (grass, olive, and mugwort). This severe reaction was developed after his first ingestion of chamomile tea. Studies revealed the presence of immediate skin test reactivity and a positive passive transfer test to chamomile-tea extract. Moreover, both specific antichamomile-tea extract and anti-Matricaria chamomilla-pollen extract IgE antibodies were detected by an ELISA technique. Cross-reactivity among chamomile-tea extract and the pollens of Matricaria chamomilla, Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed), and Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort), was demonstrated by an ELISA- inhibition study. These findings suggest a type I IgE-mediated immunologic mechanism as being responsible for the patient's anaphylactic symptoms and also suggest that the patient cross-reacted the pollens of Matricaria chamomilla contained in the chamomile tea because he was previously sensitized to Artemisia pollen. Registry Numbers: 37341-29-0 (IgE) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY***** BAGAROZZI DA JR PIKE R POTEMPA J TRAVIS J PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL ENDOPEPTIDASE IN RAGWEED (AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA) POLLEN. In: J Biol Chem (1996 Oct 18) 271(42):26227-32 ISSN: 0021-9258 Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), the major cause of late summer hay fever (allergic rhinitis) in the United States and Canada, is clinically the most important source of the seasonal aeroallergens. A novel endopeptidase was extracted from the pollen of this plant and purified by a series of column chromatographic steps. It has a molecular mass of 82 kDa according to gel filtration and SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a pH optimum near 9.0, and its activity is unaffected by chelating or reducing agents. A 17-amino acid amino-terminal sequence of this protein showed no similarity with any other proteases. The enzyme was inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, a general serine class inhibitor, and more specifically N-p-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone, a chymotrypsin-like proteinase inhibitor. Various synthetic substrates were efficiently cleaved with a strong preference for Phe in the P1 and P3 position and Pro in the P2 position. This specificity was confirmed through inhibition studies with both peptidyl chloromethyl ketone and organophosphate inhibitors. In addition to synthetic substrates, the neuropeptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide and substance P, which are required for normalized lung functions, were also rapidly hydrolyzed. Activity toward protein substrates was not detected with the exception of the inactivation of alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor, which occurred through cleavage within the reactive site loop. These results indicate that the purified enzyme is a novel endopeptidase, which may be involved in both the degradation of neuropeptides and the inactivation of protective proteinase inhibitors during pollen-initiated allergic reactions. Registry Numbers: EC 3.4.- (Peptide Peptidohydrolases) EC 3.4.99.- (serine endopeptidase) 2104-86-1 (Tosyllysine Chloromethyl Ketone) 402-71-1 (Tosylphenylalanyl Chloromethyl Ketone) 55-91-4 (Isoflurophate) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ACTA TROPICA***** BELOT J GEERTS S SARR S POLDERMAN AM FIELD TRIALS TO CONTROL SCHISTOSOME INTERMEDIATE HOSTS BY THE PLANT MOLLUSCICIDE AMBROSIA MARITIMA L. IN THE SENEGAL RIVER BASIN. In: Acta Trop (1993 Jan) 52(4):275-82 ISSN: 0001-706X Several field experiments were carried out in Senegal to evaluate the molluscicidal activity of Ambrosia maritima L. Applications of 400 mg L-1 of dry leaves of the plant in creeks of the Lampsar river did result in a reduction of Bulinus spp of 54-56% 2 weeks after treatment. Treatment of a closed irrigation canal caused a reduction of the density of Biomphalaria pfeifferi up to 77% 2 weeks after the application of 150 mg L-1 and 300 mg L-1. In both trials, however, a quick increase in the snail density was observed after treatment. It is concluded that the large amounts of crude plant material required to achieve snail reductions of less than 80% compromise the use of A. maritima in schistosomiasis control programmes. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CHUNG-HUA MIN KUO WEI SHENG WU CHI MIEN I HSUEH TSA CHIH CHINESE***** SU SN HARRIS J LAU GX HAN SH AQUEOUS-ORGANIC SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF WATER-INSOLUBLE PROTEIN FROM RAGWEED POLLEN. In: Chung Hua Min Kuo Wei Sheng Wu Chi Mien I Hsueh Tsa Chih (1987 May) 20(2):104-12 ISSN: 0253-2662 A water-insoluble material was obtained from either short ragweed (Ambrosia elatior) or false ragweed (Franseria acanthicarpa) pollen extracted by organic solvent (50% N,N-dimethylformamide). Further investigation of this water-insoluble material showed it contained at least five proteins. Two of them were isolated and shown to possess antigenicity as well as allergenicity. RFA2 contains carbohydrate and is a glycoprotein. RFB2 not only possesses antigenic determinants found in the water-soluble antigens AgE, AgK and Ra3, but also contains a separate and unique antigenic determinant. Immunodiffusion tests of RFB2, isolated from false ragweed and short ragweed, showed immunological identity. This communication further supports the suggestion that aqueous-organic solvent systems may be useful for the extraction of the biologically-active protein components from short ragweed pollen which can not be obtained with the currently used standard aqueous buffer system. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ **CHUNG-KUO CHUNG YAO TSA CHIH CHINA JOURNAL OF CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA* WANG PH XU J WU MY [CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF RAGWEED (AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA L.)] In: Chung Kuo Chung Yao Tsa Chih (1993 Mar) 18(3):164-6, 191 ISSN: 1001-5302 (Published in Chinese) Three sesquiterpene lactones isolated from the aerial parts of Ambrosia artemisiifolia were identified as psilostachyin, psilostachyin B and psilostachyin C. All of them have some molluscicidal activity against Oncomelania hupensis. *****DRUG AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY***** ALARD F STIEVENART C VANPARYS P THILEMANS L GEERTS S TOXICITY AND MUTAGENICITY OF THE MOLLUSCICIDAL PLANT AMBROSIA MARITIMA L. In: Drug Chem Toxicol (1991) 14(4):353-73 ISSN: 0148-0545 The acute and subchronic toxicity of the molluscicidal plant, Ambrosia maritima L., has been tested on rats. No toxic signs could be detected neither after oral administration of 5 g/kg of dried leaves of the plant as a powder or as a methanolic extract, nor after the incorporation of 50,000 ppm powdered leaves in the feed during 4 weeks. Using an aqueous extract of the plant material of A. maritima or using ambrosin, one of the active molluscicidal components of the plant, no mutagenic activity could be detected in the S. typhimurium strains TA97, TA 98, TA1538, TA100 and TA1535. Registry Numbers: 509-93-3 (ambrosin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY***** SLACANIN I VARGAS D MARSTON A HOSTETTMANN K DETERMINATION OF MOLLUSCICIDAL SESQUITERPENE LACTONES FROM AMBROSIA MARITIMA (COMPOSITAE). In: J Chromatogr (1988 Dec 21) 457:325-31 ISSN: 0021-9673 A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of sesquiterpene lactones in the molluscicidal plant Ambrosia maritima (Compositae). The four major constituent lactones were measured at 220 nm, using naphthalene as internal standard, and a comparison of different extraction procedures was carried out, with a view to investigating variations in sesquiterpene lactone content. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** ABADOME F GEERTS S KUMAR V EVALUATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF AMBROSIA MARITIMA L. AGAINST SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI INFECTION IN MICE. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1994 Dec) 44(3):195-8 ISSN: 0378-8741 Two groups of mice, showing a patent infection of Schistosoma mansoni, were orally treated with an alcoholic extract of Ambrosia maritima leaves. One group received a single dose, equivalent to 15 g leaves/kg body weight, whereas the other received 5 consecutive doses. The schistosomicidal activity of the plant extract was evaluated 1 week after treatment using 4 parameters: worm load, motility of the worms, oogram and the number of eggs in the liver and intestinal wall. In comparison to the control group no effect at all was observed in the mice who received one single dose of A. maritima. In the group receiving 5 consecutive daily doses, however, the percentage of immature eggs in the intestinal wall had slightly decreased as compared to the controls, but this was compensated by an increase in the number of eggs in the liver. Given the high doses of plant extract used, it is concluded that oral administration of A. maritima has a negligible effect on S. mansoni in mice. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ GEERTS S VAN BLERK K TRIEST L EFFECT OF AMBROSIA MARITIMA ON ANOPHELES STEPHENSI AND AEDES AEGYPTI. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1994 Mar) 42(1):7-11 ISSN: 0378-8741 The toxicity of the molluscicidal plant Ambrosia maritima L. was evaluated against Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. In the larvicidal assays a negligible mortality was observed in both species after application of the dried leaves in the water at concentrations up to 2000 mg/l. When the powdered leaves were applied at the surface of the water, however, up to 38% of the larvae of A. stephensi were killed at 2000 mg/l. Virtually no inhibitory effect on the larval growth of both species was noticed. It can be concluded that Ambrosia maritima has little or no effect on the larvae of A. stephensi or Ae. aegypti. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****TOXICON***** ALARD F GEERTS S TRIEST L [TOXICITY OF THE MOLLUSCICIDAL PLANT, AMBROSIA MARITIMA L., TO AQUATIC NON-TARGET ORGANISMS] Toxicite d'Ambrosia maritima L., plante molluscicide, sur les organismes aquatiques non-cibles. In: Toxicon (1991) 29(6):745-50 ISSN: 0041-0101 (Published in French) The toxicity of the molluscicidal plant, Ambrosia maritima L., has been evaluated in fish, crustacea and algae. The LC50 for fries of the guppy, Lebistes reticulatus, was respectively 650 and 450 mg/litre using a powder or an ether-methanol-hexane extract from the leaves of the plant. This concentration is much higher than the molluscicidal concentration (LC90) of 35 to 70 mg/litre, which is used in the field (irrigation canals in Egypt). Preliminary tests showed that juveniles of L. reticulatus and Tilapia aurea were as sensitive as the fries. Using the same extract of A. maritima the LC50 for Daphnia magna was 766 mg/litre and no toxic effects could be observed in algae Selenastrum capricornutum at 1 g/litre. It can be concluded that A. maritima has a very low toxicity to aquatic non- target organisms. It is not toxic when used at the molluscicidal concentration of 35 to 70 mg/litre. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€