€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ARCHIVES OF DERMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH***** Alonso Blasi N Fraginals R Lepoittevin JP Benezra C A murine in vitro model of allergic contact dermatitis to sesquiterpene alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactones. In: Arch Dermatol Res (1992) 284(5):297-302 ISSN: 0340-3696 The use of a lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) to provide evidence of allergic contact dermatitis was investigated. The haptens studied were alantolactone and isoalantolactone, two moderate allergens from Inula helenium L., a decorative and medicinal plant. Only alantolactone showed a significant response in vivo and in vitro in mice sensitized epicutaneously, without using Freund's complete adjuvant. Isoalantolactone did not show any sensitizing capacity in the murine model studied. The comparison of in vitro lymphocyte proliferation and in vivo allergenic capacity showed a good correlation and clearly demonstrates that, of the two sesquiterpene lactones, alantolactone is the better sensitizer. Registry Numbers: 470-17-7 (isoalantolactone) 546-43-0 (alantolactone) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BOLLETTINO - SOCIETA ITALIANA BIOLOGIA SPERIMENTALE***** Lauro L Rolih C [Observations and research on an extract of Inula viscosa Ait ] Osservazioni e indagini sulla concreta di Inula viscosa Ait. In: Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper (1990 Sep) 66(9):829-34 ISSN: 0037-8771 (Published in Italian) The folk medical tradition ascribes to Inula viscosa (a suffrutescent plant of Compositae widely spread along the Mediterranean basin) balsamic, antipyretic, antiphlogistic and antiseptic properties. Pharmacological test on rabbits, made hyperpyretic in laboratory, gave satisfactory antipyretic results. Gas chromatographical separation from a high-boiling fraction of seven azulenes, two of them identified as 1,4-dimethyl-azulene (about 50% and chamazulene (32%), confirmed the antiphlogistic action ascribed to the plant. By the present research (solvent extraction, thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography are described in detail) eucalyptol was identified in a fraction of essential oil obtained from fresh leaves of the plant. This datum supports the balsamic and antiseptic properties of Inula viscosa Ait. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ **CHUNG-KUO CHUNG YAO TSA CHIH CHINA JOURNAL OF CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA* Jiang B Liao X Jia X Ye X Ding J Yu X Wu Y [Studies and comparisons on chemical components of essential oils from Clematis hexapetala Pall. and Inula nervosa Wall.] In: Chung Kuo Chung Yao Tsa Chih (1990 Aug) 15(8):488-90, 512 ISSN: 1001-5302 (Published in Chinese) Chemical components of the essential oils from clematis hexapetala and Inula nervosa were analyzed by using GC-MS-DS. The result shows that the major components of the essential oil from Inula nervosa are thymol and thymol isobutyrate, while the major components of the essential oil from Clematis hexapetala are palmitic acid and 3- hydroxy-4-methoxyl benzaldehyde. Registry Numbers: 89-83-8 (Thymol) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****FARMAKOLOGIIA I TOKSIKOLOGIIA***** Belova LF Baginskaia AI Trumpe TE Sokolov SIa Rybalko KS [Pharmacological properties of inulicin, a sesquiterpene lactone from Japanese inula] Farmakologicheskie svoistva inulitsina--seskviterpenovogo laktona iz deviasila iaponskogo. In: Farmakol Toksikol (1981 Jul-Aug) 44(4):463-7 ISSN: 0014-8318 (Published in Russian) Inulicin is a sesquiterpene lactone obtained from Inula Japonica L. (Compositae) possesses a fairly wide spectrum of pharmacological action. In doses from 5 to 60 mg/kg it exerts a certain stimulant action on the central nervous system and smooth muscles of the intestine, displays an anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer activity on pathological models of different genesis, and has capillary- strengthening diuretic properties. When given in low doses, the drug did not affect cardiac activity, while in high doses it might inhibit it. Inulicin is relatively little toxic. The LD50 for mice is 476 mg/kg intraperitoneally and 1330 mg/kg per os. Registry Numbers: 33627-41-7 (inulicin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY***** Abdalla S Abu-Zarga M Afifi F Al-Khalil S Sabri S Effects of hispidulin, a flavone isolated from Inula viscosa, on isolated guinea-pig smooth muscle. In: Gen Pharmacol (1988) 19(4):559-63 ISSN: 0306-3623 1. In small concentrations (10(-7)-3 X 10(-6) M), hispidulin caused concentration-dependent contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum and only mild relaxation of guinea-pig tracheal rings. 2. Larger concentrations (up to 3 X 10(-4) M) caused concentration-dependent relaxation of the ileum and the trachea. All the effects on the ileum and the trachea are reversible upon removal of the compound. 3. In concentrations from 10(-7) to 3 X 10(-4) M, hispidulin had no effect on the tone of the epinephrine-contracted rings of the guinea-pig main pulmonary artery. 4. Hispidulin caused a shift to the right of the acetylcholine concentration-effect curves on ileum and trachea and significantly inhibited the maximum contractions induced by acetylcholine. 5. In Ca2+-free, depolarizing solution, hispidulin caused both a shift to the right, and an inhibition of the maximum contractions, of the CaCl2 concentration-effect curves on ileum, trachea and pulmonary artery. 6. In Ca2+-free, EGTA-containing solution, hispidulin caused concentration-dependent inhibition of the contractions induced in the pulmonary artery by epinephrine and in the ileum by histamine. 7. These observations suggest that hispidulin may interfere with Ca2+ binding to the Ca2+-receptor protein(s) in the smooth muscle cell and/or with the agonist-induced Ca2+-release from intracellular stores. Less likely, hispidulin may interfere with Ca2+ influx through smooth muscle cell membrane. Registry Numbers: 10043-52-4 (Calcium Chloride) 1447-88-7 (hispidulin) 68991-37-7 (inula) 7440-70-2 (Calcium) 9005-80-5 (Inulin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****INDIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY***** Tripathi YB Chaturvedi P Assessment of endocrine response of Inula racemosa in relation to glucose homeostasis in rats. In: Indian J Exp Biol (1995 Sep) 33(9):686-9 ISSN: 0019-5189 Alcoholic extract of the root of I. racemosa lowers blood glucose and enhances liver glycogen without increasing plasma insulin in rats. There is also no increase in degree of degranulation of the beta cells of pancreas. In similar conditions it does not show any effect on activity of adrenal gland. However, thyroid gland undergoes activation at the later stage (delayed response). It appears that hypoglycemic response of I. racemosa is not due to enhanced secretion/synthesis of insulin; the action may be at the peripheral level by potentiating the insulin sensitivity. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Tripathi YB Tripathi P Upadhyay BN Assessment of the adrenergic beta-blocking activity of Inula racemosa. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1988 May-Jun) 23(1):3-9 ISSN: 0378-8741 Inula racemosa root powder was investigated in patients with proven ischaemic heart disease. The powder prevented ST-segment depression and T-wave inversion as observed in the post-exercise electrocardiogram. The petroleum ether extract of roots lowered plasma insulin and glucose levels within 75 min of oral administration to albino rats and it significantly counteracted adrenaline-induced hyperglycaemia in rats. The extract further showed negative inotropic and negative chronotropic effects on frog heart. All these findings indicate that one of the constituents of Inula racemosa may have adrenergic beta-blocking activity. Registry Numbers: 11061-68-0 (Insulin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Yaniv Z Dafni A Friedman J Palevitch D Plants used for the treatment of diabetes in Israel. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1987 Mar-Apr) 19(2):145-51 ISSN: 0378-8741 In an extensive ethnobotanical survey (130 informants) of the medicinal plants of Israel, 16 species were found to be used for hypoglycaemic treatments. The list includes Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.-Bip, Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam, Atriplex halimus L., Capparis spinosa L., Ceratonia siliqua L., Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del., Eryngium creticum Lam., Inula viscosa (L.) Ait., Matricaria aurea (Loefl.) Sch.-Bip, Origanum syriaca L., Paronychia argentea Lam, Prosopis farcta (Banks et Sol.) Macbride, Salvia fruticosa Mill., Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Sp., and Teucrium polium L.; eight of them (marked with an asterisk) are first recorded here as used for this purpose. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE***** Zheng MS An experimental study of the anti-HSV-II action of 500 herbal drugs. In: J Tradit Chin Med (1989 Jun) 9(2):113-6 ISSN: 0254-6272 Experimental assessments were made on the anti-HSV-II action of 500 herbs by determinations of the virus inhibition logarithm (VIL). 13 highly effective herbs (VIL greater than or equal to 4.00) were screened cut, providing a rational basis for clinical therapy. Among these effective herbs, 10 were aqueous extracts of Artemisia anomala, Centella asiatica, Epimedium Sagittatum, Hibiscus mutabilis, Hosta plantaginea, Hypericum japonicum, Inula japonica, Mosla punctata, Rhododendron simsii, and Rhus chinenses, while 3 were alcohol extracts of Epimedium Sagittatum, Hypericum japonicum, and Mosla punctata. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Iijima K Kiyohara H Tanaka M Matsumoto T Cyong JC Yamada H Preventive effect of taraxasteryl acetate from Inula britannica subsp. japonica on experimental hepatitis in vivo. In: Planta Med (1995 Feb) 61(1):50-3 ISSN: 0032-0943 The survival rate for acute hepatic failure induced by Propionibacterium acnes and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was increased when a hot water extract from the flowers of Inula britannica L. subsp. japonica Kitam. was injected into the experimental hepatitis mice, and anti-hepatitis substances could be extracted with CHCl3. The CHCl3 extract from I.britannica was fractionated and anti- hepatitis fractions IB-3-2 and IB-3-3 were obtained. IB-3-3 had the most potent anti-hepatitis activity among the fractions but further purification of the active compound was not achieved because of the low yield. IB-3-2 contained only one substance which was identified to be taraxasteryl acetate by 1H- and 13C-NMR and MS. Taraxasteryl acetate showed potent preventive activity against acute hepatic failure induced by P.acnes and LPS in a dose-dependent manner, however deacetylation and modification of the olefinic bonds significantly decreased the anti-hepatitis activity of taraxasteryl acetate. Taraxasteryl acetate also inhibited the increment of plasma transaminase on acute hepatic failure induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or D-galactosamine. From a histological study it appeared that degeneration and necrosis, which were observed in the liver from CCl4 mice, were not found in the liver cells from taraxasteryl acetate treated mice. These results indicates that taraxasteryl acetate shows preventive effects on experimental hepatitis caused by either immunologically induced injuries or hepatotoxic chemicals. Registry Numbers: 56-23-5 (Carbon Tetrachloride) 6426-43-3 (taraxasteryl acetate) 7535-00-4 (Galactosamine) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Wang Q Zhou BN Zhang RW Lin YY Lin LZ Gil RR Cordell GA Cytotoxicity and NMR spectral assignments of ergolide and bigelovin. In: Planta Med (1996 Apr) 62(2):166-8 ISSN: 0032-0943 Two potent cytotoxic sesquiterpene lactones, ergolide (1) and bigelovin (2) were isolated from Inula hupehensis I. helianthus- aquatica and their structures and NMR data were assignment unambiguously by using a combination of one-and two-dimensional NMR techniques and computer modeling calculations. Registry Numbers: 3668-14-2 (bigelovin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€