€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Chen CP Lin CC Namba T Screening of Taiwanese crude drugs for antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1989 Dec) 27(3):285-95 ISSN: 0378-8741 Preliminary antibacterial screening of local crude drugs was carried out using the cariogenic bacterium, Streptococcus mutans. Of 79 aqueous extracts tested, 6 crude drugs were shown to have significant antibacterial activity with minimal inhibitory concentration equal to or lower than 7.8 mg/ml (expressed in terms of dry starting material). Of these effective crude drugs, Morus australis, Ludwigia octovalvis and Thuja orientalis were very effective in inhibiting the growth of serotypes c and d of S. mutans (MIC less than or equal to 2.0-7.8 mg/ml). Elephantopus scaber, Artemisia vulgaris, Mosla chinensis and Orthosiphon aristatus also exhibited considerable antibacterial activity (MIC = 7.8-23.4 mg/ml) against both serotypes. In the presence of 5% sucrose, the antibacterial potency of the majority of the extracts did not change for type c, while the potency decreased about one-half for type d. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Doan DD Nguyen NH Doan HK Nguyen TL Phan TS van Dau N Grabe M Johansson R Lindgren G Stjernstrom NE Studies on the individual and combined diuretic effects of four Vietnamese traditional herbal remedies (Zea mays, Imperata cylindrica, Plantago major and Orthosiphon stamineus). In: J Ethnopharmacol (1992 Jun) 36(3):225-31 ISSN: 0378-8741 Herbal remedies are widely used in Vietnam alongside modern drugs. We assessed the diuretic effect of four traditional Vietnamese herbal remedies from Zea mays, Imperata cylindrica, Plantago major and Orthosiphon stamineus, all claimed to produce an increase of diuresis. No influence was recorded for the 12- and 24-h urine output or on the sodium excretion for any of the drugs when tested under standardized conditions in a placebo controlled double-blind crossover model. The present study indicates the need for critical review of the present recommendations regarding therapy with plant materials in countries relying on empiric traditions. Registry Numbers: 7440-09-7 (Potassium) 7440-23-5 (Sodium) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND***** Nirdnoy M Muangman V Effects of Folia orthosiphonis on urinary stone promoters and inhibitors. In: J Med Assoc Thai (1991 Jun) 74(6):318-21 ISSN: 0125-2208 Yaa-Knuatmaeo or Folia orthosiphonis showed both favourable and non favourable effects of stone prevention. Uric acid and uric acid containing stone may be prevented by the increased alkalinity of the urine after drinking Orthosiphon tea. The unfavourable effect of orthosiphon being the excretion of oxalate in the urine may result in higher risk of stone formation. However, this study may or may not apply to the stone patients since it has been done only on healthy persons and all parameters were within normal limits. We feel that Orthosiphon tea may be beneficial in prevention of uric acid stone formation. This study was supported by a grant from the Medicinal Herbs Development Fund, Mahidol University. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PHARMACEUTICA ACTA HELVETIAE***** Casadebaig-Lafon J Jacob M Cassanas G Marion C Puech A [Adsorbed plant extracts, use of extracts of dried seeds of Orthosiphon stamineus benth] Elaboration d'extraits vegetaux adsorbes, realisation d'extraits secs d'Orthosiphon stamineus benth. In: Pharm Acta Helv (1989) 64(8):220-4 ISSN: 0031-6865 (Published in French) The work presented is related to the elaboration and the control of spray dried vegetable extracts of Orthosiphon Stamineus Benth. From these studies, it feasibility of the spray dried extracts. The best result concerning a pulverulent structure and the stability under moisture conditions is obtained using Aerosil 200. Pharmacological studies on rats have shown a diuretic activity under our experimental conditions with alcoholic and water extracts. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Englert J Harnischfeger G Diuretic action of aqueous Orthosiphon extract in rats. In: Planta Med (1992 Jun) 58(3):237-8 ISSN: 0032-0943 An aqueous extract of Orthosiphonis folium, given orally, enhances considerably ion excretion in rat to a level comparable to that obtained with furosemide. No aqueretic action is observed. The increased ion excretion is not due to the potassium content of the starting material. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PROSTAGLANDINS LEUKOTRIENES AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS***** Lyckander IM Malterud KE Lipophilic flavonoids from Orthosiphon spicatus prevent oxidative inactivation of 15-lipoxygenase. In: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids (1996 Apr) 54(4):239-46 ISSN: 0952-3278 15-Lipoxygenase from soybeans is inactivated by bubbling air through enzyme solutions. This inactivation is prevented by flavonoids from the East Asian medicinal plant Orthosiphon spicatus, previously found to be inhibitors of the enzyme. 5,7,4'-Trimethylapigenin, eupatorin and 5,7,3',4'-tetramethylluteolin show the strongest enzyme- stabilizing effects, decreasing loss of activity by 50% at concentrations of 2.0 +/- 0.04, 2.4 +/- 0.3 and 4.3 +/- 1.1 microM, respectively. There is no significant correlation between enzyme- inhibiting and enzyme-stabilizing effect. The Orthosiphon flavonoids show radical-scavenging activity towards the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical. This is correlated to their enzyme-stabilizing effect, but not to their inhibitory activity towards 15-lipoxygenase. When the enzyme is inactivated by air bubbling, a loss of sulfhydryl groups is observed. Sinensetin, a poor stabilizer of the enzyme, shows less efficiency in protecting sulfhydryl groups than tetramethylscutellarein, which stabilizes the enzyme more efficiently. Thus, oxidation of sulfhydryl groups may contribute to the observed air-induced inactivation of 15-lipoxygenase. Registry Numbers: EC 1.13.11.33 (Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase) 1898-66-4 (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) 5631-70-9 (5,7,4'-trimethylapigenin) 64706-54-3 (Bepridil) 855-96-9 (eupatorin) 855-97-0 (5,7,3',4'-tetramethylluteolin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€