€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ARZNEIMITTEL-FORSCHUNG***** Aqeel A Khursheed AK Viqaruddin A Sabiha Q Antimicrobial activity of julifloricine isolated from Prosopis juliflora. In: Arzneimittelforschung (1989 Jun) 39(6):652-5 ISSN: 0004-4172 Antimicrobial activity of julifloricine, an alkaloid isolated from Prosopis juliflora, was studied in vitro against 40 microorganisms which included 31 bacteria, two Candida species, five dermatophytic fungi and two viruses. Significant inhibitory effect was noted against Gram positive bacteria. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, S. citreus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Sarcina lutea was 1 microgram/ml and against S. faecalis, S. pneumoniae, S. lactis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, C. hofmannii and Bacillus subtilis, 5 micrograms/ml. Its effect was compared with those of identical concentrations of benzyl penicillin, gentamicin and trimethoprim. The inhibitory effect of julifloricine on Gram negative bacteria such as the species of Salmonella, Shigella, Klebsiella, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Aeromonas and Vibrio was almost insignificant. Julifloricine as compared to micoanzole was found superior against C. tropicalis and responded equally to C. albicans. As compared to econazole, it was found less effective against both C. albicans and C. tropicalis. This alkaloid was found inactive against dermatophytic fungi (up to a dose of 10 micrograms/ml) and viruses which included Herpes simplex 1 and Newcastle disease virus. Julifloricine up to a doses of 1000 micrograms/25 g of mice was found nonlethal. Registry Numbers: 66771-80-0 (julifloricine) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BASIC LIFE SCIENCES***** Kumar R Prosopis cineraria leaf tannins: their inhibitory effect upon ruminal cellulase and the recovery of inhibition by polyethylene glycol-4000. In: Basic Life Sci (1992) 59:699-704 ISSN: 0090-5542 The condensed tannins from the Prosopis cineraria leaves were purified and fractionated in two groups (Kav 0.018 and 0.74) on a column of Sephadex LH-20 (2.5 x 27 cm) using 70 percent aqueous acetone as the eluent. The Kav for catechin was 0.946. Upon acid hydrolysis, both the condensed tannin fractions yielded three pigments including cyanidin-chloride, which was separated by column chromatography using polyvinylpyrrolidone absorbent and was identified by paper chromatography (Rf Forestal 0.476) and absorption maxima (lambda max 535 nm) in 1 percent HCl in methanol. The condensed tannin fraction Kav 0.74 at 0.01 percent and 0.02 percent in incubations with butanol-acetone powder of rumen liquor, inhibited cellulase activity by 65.9 +/- 2.1 and 78.99 +/- 4.5 percent, respectively. Inclusion of 0.5 percent of polyethylene glycol -4000 in the incubation mixture, reduced the inhibition to 41 and 46 percent, respectively. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Caceres A Menendez H Mendez E Cohobon E Samayoa BE Jauregui E Peralta E Carrillo G Antigonorrhoeal activity of plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Oct) 48(2):85-8 ISSN: 0378-8741 Plants popularly used in Guatemala for the treatment of gonorrhoea were macerated in 50% alcohol and the tincture tested for in vitro activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae using strains isolated from symptomatic patients and confirmed by standard bacteriological procedures. From 46 plants investigated, 13 (28.3%) showed evident inhibition zones (> 9 mm), seven (15.2%) showed small activity (6.1- 8.9 mm) and 26 (56.5%) showed no activity; nine of these plants inhibited five strains of N. gonorrhoea freshly isolated. The most active plants of American origin were: bark of Bixa orellana fruits of Parmentiera edulis, leaf of Diphysa robinioides, Eupatorium odoratum, Gliricidia sepium, Physalis angulata, Piper aduncum and Prosopis juliflora, root of Casimiroa edulis, and whole Clematis dioica. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ 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. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****REVISTA DE INVESTIGACION CLINICA***** Ponce-Macotela M Navarro-Alegria I Martinez-Gordillo MN Alvarez-Chacon R [In vitro effect against Giardia of 14 plant extracts] Efecto antigiardiasico in vitro de 14 extractos de plantas. In: Rev Invest Clin (1994 Sep-Oct) 46(5):343-7 ISSN: 0034-8376 (Published in Spanish) OBJECTIVE. To investigate antigiardiasic activity in plants used in Mexico as antidiarrheics and/or antiparasitics. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Fourteen species were evaluated. The antigiardiasic activity was measured in vitro in a blinded fashion using trophozoites of Giardia duodenalis incubated with plant extracts. The viability of trophozoites was ascertained using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-il]- 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) which is reduced to MTT-formazan by the activity of live trophozoites. The reduced MTT was extracted with an acidified alcohol (2-propanol with HCI 0.04 M) and measured in a spectrophotometer at 570 nm. Negative (trophozoites without extract) and positive controls (incubated with tinadazol) were included. RESULTS. The scientific and trivial names of the plants are given (trivials in Spanish marked by an asterisk). They had the following trophozoite mortality (mean +/- SD in percent): Justicia spicigera (muicle*) = 91 +/- 0.5; Lipia beriandieri (oregano) = 90 +/- 0.6; Psidium guajava (guava) = 87 +/- 1.0; positive control of tinidazol = 79 +/- 1.9; Punica granutus (granado*) = 78 +/- 1.3; Magnifera indica (mango) = 77 +/- 1.0; Plantago major (lante*) = 76 +/- 1.2; Cupressus semperbirens (cipres) = 73 +/- 1.2; Castella tormentosa (chaparro amargoso*) = 70 +/- 0.7; Hematoxilon campechanum (palo de Campeche*) = 67 +/- 1.2. Without or with a low mean activity were Prosopis juliflora (mesquite*) and Rizophora mangle (mangle*) with 0%, Oriza sativa (rice) with 5%, Capsicum annum (pimiento*) with 21% and Persea americana (avocado) with 23%. There were no associations of the antigiardiasic effect with concentration or osmolality of the extracts. CONCLUSIONS. A clear in vitro antigiardiasic effects was seen in nine species. Three of them were superior to tinidazol which is a drug of common use in the treatment of giardiasis. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€