€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY***** Medina JH Paladini AC Wolfman C Levi de Stein M Calvo D Diaz LE Pena C Chrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone), a naturally-occurring ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, with anticonvulsant properties. In: Biochem Pharmacol (1990 Nov 15) 40(10):2227-31 ISSN: 0006-2952 Chrysin (5,7-di-OH-flavone) was identified in Passiflora coerulea L., a plant used as a sedative in folkloric medicine. Chrysin was found to be a ligand for the benzodiazepine receptors, both central (Ki = 3 microM, competitive mechanism) and peripheral (Ki = 13 microM, mixed- type mechanism). Administered to mice by the intracerebroventricular route, chrysin was able to prevent the expression of tonic-clonic seizures induced by pentylenetertrazol. Ro 15-1788, a central benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, abolished this effect. In addition, all of the treated mice lose the normal righting reflex which suggests a myorelaxant action of the flavonoid. The presence in P. coerulea of benzodiazepine-like compounds was also confirmed. Registry Numbers: 1622-62-4 (Flunitrazepam) 480-40-0 (chrysin) 54-95-5 (Pentylenetetrazole) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CLINICA TERAPEUTICA***** Sopranzi N De Feo G Mazzanti G Tolu L [Biological and electroencephalographic parameters in rats in relation to Passiflora incarnata L.] Parametri biologici ed elettroencefalografici nel ratto correlati a Passiflora incarnata L. In: Clin Ter (1990 Mar 15) 132(5):329-33 ISSN: 0009-9074 (Published in Italian) In this paper we have studied the rat under chronic treatment with Passiflora oral. For a three week period we have recorded, once a week, weight, rectal temperature, tail flick, motor coordination and general activity in a one-arm radial maze. At the end of the third week surface (SEEG) and deep (DEEG) EEG were recorded from treated animals. The findings are: 1) no change was observed in weight, rectal temperature, tail-flick and motor coordination. 2) The treated rats, when in a one-arm radial maze showed a diminished general activity. 3) SEEG and DEEG recordings showed "normal" electric activity. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY***** Li QM van den Heuvel H Delorenzo O Corthout J Pieters LA Vlietinck AJ Claeys M Mass spectral characterization of C-glycosidic flavonoids isolated from a medicinal plant (Passiflora incarnata). In: J Chromatogr (1991 Jan 2) 562(1-2):435-46 ISSN: 0021-9673 The four major C-glycosidic flavonoids isolated from Passiflora incarnata were identified as schaftoside, isoschaftoside, isovetexin- 2''-O-glucopyranoside and isoorientin-2''-O-glucopyranoside on the basis of mass spectral and 13C NMR data. The daughter ion spectra of [M + H]+ ions of schaftoside and isoschaftoside showed differences for the [M + H - 104]+ ions, which could be rationalized by hydrogen bonding effects. In the negative-ion mode, pronounced differences were found for the [M - H - 90]- and [M - H - 120]- ions, formed by prevalent fragmentation in the C-6-linked sugar moiety. With respect to isovitexin-2''-O-beta-glucopyranoside and isoorientin-2''-O-beta- glucopyranoside, the daughter ion spectra of both the [M + H]+ and [M - H]- ions provided evidence for a 1----2 linkage in the diglucosidic moiety. Support for C-6 glucosylation was obtained by recording the daughter ion spectra of [M - H - 162]- ions, which were in good agreement with that obtained for [M - H]- ions of isovitexin. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Ramos Ruiz A De la Torre RA Alonso N Villaescusa A Betancourt J Vizoso A Screening of medicinal plants for induction of somatic segregation activity in Aspergillus nidulans. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1996 Jul 5) 52(3):123-7 ISSN: 0378-8741 Knowledge about mutagenic properties of plants commonly used in traditional medicine is limited. A screening for genotoxic activity was carried out in aqueous or alcoholic extracts prepared from 13 medicinal plants widely used as folk medicine in Cuba: Lepidium virginicum L. (Brassicaceae): Plantago major L. and Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae); Ortosiphon aristatus Blume, Mentha x piperita L., Melissa officinalis L. and Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. (Lamiaceae); Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf (Poaceae); Passiflora incarnata L. (Passifloraceae); Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae); Piper auritum HBK. (Piperaceae); Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardeaceae) and Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae). A plate incorporation assay with Aspergillus nidulans was employed, allowing detection of somatic segregation as a result of mitotic crossing-over, chromosome malsegregation or clastogenic effects. Aspergillus nidulans D-30, a well-marked strain carrying four recessive mutations for conidial color in heterozygosity, which permitted the direct visual detection of segregants, was used throughout this study. As a result, only in the aqueous extract of one of the plants screened (Momordica charantia) a statistical significant increase in the frequency of segregant sectors per colony was observed, and consequently, a genotoxic effect is postulated. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS***** Menghini A Mancini LA TLC determination of flavonoid accumulation in clonal populations of Passiflora incarnata L. In: Pharmacol Res Commun (1988 Dec) 20 Suppl 5:113-6 ISSN: 0031-6989 Flavonoid production and accumulation during the ontogenic cycle of Passiflora incarnata L. was studied. The highest concentration of isovitexin occurred between pre-flowering and flowering stages. The greatest accumulation of flavonoids took place in the leaves. Furthermore some pharmacodiagnostic characteristics of the drug of P. incarnata were specified using a Scanning Electron Microscope. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PHYTOCHEMISTRY***** Chassagne D Crouzet J Bayonove CL Brillouet JM Baumes RL 6-O-alpha-L-Arabinopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosides as aroma precursors from passion fruit. In: Phytochemistry (1996 Apr) 41(6):1497-500 ISSN: 0031-9422 The 6-O-alpha-L-Arabinopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosides of linalool, benzyl alcohol and 3-methyl-but-2-en-1-ol were isolated from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) by adsorption chromatography on XAD-2 resin, then further extracted on the same resin after partial enzymic hydrolysis and semi-preparative chromatography on RP-18 phase by HPLC. Their structures were identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectral analysis and by methylation analysis of the carbohydrate moieties. Registry Numbers: 100-51-6 (benzyl alcohol) 147-81-9 (Arabinose) 556-82-1 (prenol) 78-70-6 (linalool) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Jaroszewski JW Rasmussen AB Rasmussen HB Olsen CE Jorgensen LB Biosynthesis of cyanohydrin glucosides from unnatural nitriles in intact tissue of Passiflora morifolia and Turnera angustifolia. In: Phytochemistry (1996 Jun) 42(3):649-54 ISSN: 0031-9422 Passiflora morifolia, which under natural conditions contains cyanohydrin glucosides linamarin, lotaustralin and epilotaustralin, converted cyclopentanecarbonitrile, 2-cyclopentenecarbonitrile and 3- methylbutanenitrile into the corresponding cyanohydrin glucosides. Turnera angustifolia, which normally produces glucosides of cyclopentenone cyanohydrin, converted cyclopentanecarbonitrile, 2- methylpropanenitrile and 2-methylbutanenitrile, but not 3- methylbutanenitrile, into the corresponding cyanohydrin glucosides. Mixtures of epimers were produced when these glucosides contained chiral cyanohydrin carbon atoms. Feeding with cyclopentanecarbonitrile resulted in formation of 1-(beta-D- glucopyranosyloxy)cyclopentanecarbonitrile, a saturated analogue of deidaclin and tetraphyllin A. Neither plant utilized cyclopropanecarbonitrile as substrate. The experiments demonstrate broad substrate specificity of nitrile hydroxylases present in these plants. A novel glycoside, 2-[6-O-(beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-beta-D- glucopyranosyloxy]propane (isopropyl primeveroside), was isolated from P. morifolia. The compound represents a rare example of natural isopropyl glycoside; its characterization included assignment of all 1H and 13C NMR signals of the primeverosyl group using two- dimensional NMR methods. Biosynthesis of the isopropyl moiety of the primeveroside is unclear, but the formation of alcohols corresponding to natural cyanohydrins may be a previously unrecognized extension of the cyanohydrin biosynthesis pathway in higher plants. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Perry NB Albertson GD Blunt JW Cole AL Munro MH Walker JR 4-Hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone: an anti-Pseudomonas and cytotoxic component from Passiflora tetrandra. In: Planta Med (1991 Apr) 57(2):129-31 ISSN: 0032-0943 4-Hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone is responsible for the anti-bacterial activity of an extract of leaves from Passiflora tetrandra with minimum inhibitory doses (MID) of ca. 10 micrograms/disk against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 4- Hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone is also cytotoxic to P388 murine leukemia cells (IC50 of less than 1 microgram/ml). Registry Numbers: 59995-49-2 (4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenone) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€