€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BRITISH JOURNAL OF UROLOGY***** Carbin BE Larsson B Lindahl O Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with phytosterols. In: Br J Urol (1990 Dec) 66(6):639-41 ISSN: 0007-1331 In a randomised, double-blind study, the preparation Curbicin, obtained from pumpkin seeds and dwarf palm plants (Cucurbita pepo L. and Sabal serrulata), was compared with a placebo in the treatment of symptoms caused by prostatic hyperplasia; 53 patients took part in the study, which was carried out over a 3-month period. Urinary flow, micturition time, residual urine, frequency of micturition and a subjective assessment of the effect of treatment were all significantly improved in the treatment group. No untoward side effects were noted. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL RESEARCH***** Roman Ramos R Lara Lemus A Alarcon Aguilar F Flores Saenz JL Hypoglycemic activity of some antidiabetic plants. In: Arch Med Res (1992 Autumn) 23(3):105-9 ISSN: 0188-0128 To assess the hypoglycemic activity mechanism of some plants used empirically by the Mexican population as antidiabetics, traditional preparations of Cucurbita ficifolia, Guaiacum coulteri, Lepechinia caulescens, and Psacalium peltatum, water, tolbutamide, and Regular Insulin were administered to three groups of rabbits each: 1. Healthy rabbits with temporary hyperglycemia induced by the subcutaneous administration of glucose. 2. Rabbits with moderate diabetes (fasting glycemia 150-300 mg/dl), induced with alloxan. 3. Rabbits with severe diabetes (fasting glycemia higher than 400 mg/dl), induced with alloxan. The plant preparations had a hypoglycemic effect similar to tolbutamide in healthy and mild diabetic rabbits and had no effect in severely diabetic rabbits. These results suggest that some pancreatic function or the presence of insulin is required for the hypoglycemic activity of these plants. Registry Numbers: 64-77-7 (Tolbutamide) 7732-18-5 (Water) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY HOPPE-SEYLER***** Rozycki J Kupryszewski G Rolka K Ragnarsson U Zbyryt T Krokoszynska I Wilusz T Analogues of Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III (CMTI-III) with elastase inhibitory activity. In: Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler (1994 Apr) 375(4):289-91 ISSN: 0177-3593 Three new CMTI-III analogues containing the Val residue in the reactive site (position 5) were synthesized by the solid-phase method. The analogues displayed an elastase inhibitory activity. It is shown that the removal of the N-terminal Arg residue and the introduction of the Gly-Pro-Gln tripeptide in the region 23-25 decreases the antielastase activity by two orders of magnitude. The removal of the disulfide bridge in positions 16-28 and the substitution of Ala for Cys16 and Gly for Cys28 decreases the activity (measured as Ka with HLE) by five orders of magnitude as compared with [Val5]CMTI-III. Registry Numbers: EC 3.4.21.36 (Pancreatopeptidase) 79044-57-8 (Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Roman-Ramos R Flores-Saenz JL Alarcon-Aguilar FJ Anti-hyperglycemic effect of some edible plants. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Aug 11) 48(1):25-32 ISSN: 0378-8741 The anti-hyperglycemic effect of 12 edible plants was studied on 27 healthy rabbits, submitted weekly to subcutaneous glucose tolerance tests after gastric administration of water, tolbutamide or a traditional preparation of the plant. Tolbutamide, Cucurbita ficifolia, Phaseolus vulgaris, Opuntia streptacantha, Spinacea oleracea, Cucumis sativus and Cuminum cyminum decrease significantly the area under the glucose tolerance curve and the hyperglycemic peak. Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, Allium cepa and Allium sativum only decrease the hyperglycemic peak. The glycemic decreases caused by Psidium guajava, Brassica oleracea and Lactuca sativa var. romana were not significant (P > .05). The integration of a menu that includes the edible plants with hypoglycemic activity for the control and prevention of diabetes mellitus may be possible and recommendable. Registry Numbers: 64-77-7 (Tolbutamide) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Wong CM Yeung HW Ng TB Screening of Trichosanthes kirilowii, Momordica charantia and Cucurbita maxima (family Cucurbitaceae) for compounds with antilipolytic activity. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1985 Jul) 13(3):313-21 ISSN: 0378-8741 Saline extracts of Trichosanthes kirilowii root tubers and Momordica charantia seeds were subjected to differential acetone fractionation. The fraction that precipitated after addition of 0.8 vol. acetone was designated API, the fraction that precipitated after addition of another 1.2 vol. acetone was designated APII, and the fraction that precipitated after addition of another volume acetone was designated APIII. API, APII and APIII are fractions enriched with lectins, abortifacient proteins and saponins, respectively. T. kirilowii API and APII, and the purified lectin and abortifacient protein (alpha- trichosanthin), were devoid of any significant antilipolytic activity. M. charantia seed API and APIII inhibited hormone-induced lipolysis; the purified lectin and saponin similarly possessed antilipolytic activity. M. charantia seed APII and abortifacient proteins (alpha- and beta- momorcharins), however, lacked such activity. The acid acetone powder of M. charantia seeds and the acetone powder of M. charantia fruits also exhibited antilipolytic activity. However, the acetone powder of Cucurbita maxima fruits and seeds possessed neither antilipolytic nor lipogenic activity. The results indicated that M. charantia fruits and seeds contained components that resembled insulin in inhibiting hormone-induced lipolysis, and that compounds with antilipolytic activity were probably absent from T. kirilowii root tubers and C. maxima fruits and seeds. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ***** Amorim CZ Marques AD Cordeiro RS Screening of the antimalarial activity of plants of the Cucurbitaceae family. In: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz (1991) 86 Suppl 2:177-80 ISSN: 0074-0276 Crude ethanolic extracts (CEEs) from two species of Cucurbitaceae, Cucurbita maxima and Momordica charantia (commonly called "abobora moranga" and "mel~ao de S~ao Caetano", respectively) were assayed for antimalarial activity by the 4-d suppressive test. The CEE of dry C. maxima seeds showed strong antimalarial activity following oral administration (250 and 500 mg/kg), reducing by 50% the levels of parasitemia in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Treatment of normal animals with 500 mg/kg of the extract three days before intravenous injection of P. berghei caused a significant 30% reduction in parasitemic levels. No effect was observed when the animals were treated with the CEE only on the day of inoculation. Oral administration of the CEE of dry M. charantia leaves administered orally was ineffective up to 500 mg/kg in lowering the parasitemic levels of malarious mice. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****MUTATION RESEARCH***** Villasenor IM Lemon P Palileo A Bremner JB Antigenotoxic spinasterol from Cucurbita maxima flowers. In: Mutat Res (1996 Jun 10) 360(2):89-93 ISSN: 0027-5107 The antigenotoxic constituent of squash flowers was isolated by solvent partitioning and repeated vacuum liquid chromatography. The micronucleus test, an in vivo method, was used to monitor the antigenotoxicity of the various fractions during the isolation process. Isolate SQFwB2D from the chloroform extract of squash flowers is the most antigenotoxic isolate. It decreased the mutagenicity of tetracycline by 64.7% at a dosage of 100 mg/kg mouse. Statistical analysis using Kruskall Wallis one-way analysis of variance by Ranks showed that SQFw2D is different from the control group (tetracycline + corn oil) at alpha = 0.001. GC-MSD of isolate SQFwB2D shows 2 peaks at Rt = 19.860 (SQFwB2D-1) and 20.242 min (SQFwB2D-2) with relative peak heights of 16:1, respectively. Spectral analyses show that SQFwB2D-1 is 24 alpha-ethyl-5 alpha- cholesta-7,trans-22-dien-3 beta-ol or spinasterol. Registry Numbers: 481-18-5 (spinasterol) 83-48-7 (Stigmasterol) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€