€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN***** Sugimoto N Goto Y Akao N Kiuchi F Kondo K Tsuda Y Mobility inhibition and nematocidal activity of asarone and related phenylpropanoids on second-stage larvae of Toxocara canis. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1995 Apr) 18(4):605-9 ISSN: 0918-6158 The in vitro effect of asarone, the nematocidal principle of the rhizome of Acorus calamus, on second-stage larvae of Toxocara canis is composed of two independent actions: one is a fast acting inhibition of the larval mobility and the other is a slow acting larvicidal action. Mobility of the larvae was rapidly inhibited when they were incubated with asarone. Dye exclusion assay revealed that larvae were alive at this stage, and their mobility was restored after the first inhibition, suggesting that this effect was temporary and reversible. However, when the mobility decreased again during prolonged incubation, the cellular viability of larvae disappeared, showing that they were killed by the compound. The above two-stage effect of asarone was almost identical in two geometrical isomers ((E)- and (Z)-asarone). Di- and tri-methoxypropenyl or propylbenzenes carrying two methoxy groups at a vicinal position on a benzene ring showed, more or less, a two-stage effect of this type. These two actions were suggested to be separable by an appropriate modification of the structure. Registry Numbers: 494-40-6 (asarone) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Smriga M Saito H Nishiyama N Hoelen (Poria Cocos Wolf) and ginseng (Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer), the ingredients of a Chinese prescription DX-9386, individually promote hippocampal long-term potentiation in vivo. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1995 Apr) 18(4):518-22 ISSN: 0918-6158 DX-9386 is a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription consisting of ginseng (Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer), polygala (Polygala Tenuifolia Willdenew), acorus (Acorus Gramineus Soland) and hoelen (Poria Cocos Wolf). We recently found that oral administration of the prescription at a dose of 500 mg/kg intensified the formation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentoff gyrus of anesthetized rats. To evaluate the individual contribution of separate ingredients in DX- 9386 towards the observed biological activity, we investigated their direct influence upon LTP formation in vivo. A single oral administration of hoelen and ginseng (250 and 500 mg/kg) significantly increased the spike amplitude evoked by a subthreshold tetanic stimulation at time intervals up to 30 min after tetanus. Only minor effects of polygala (500 mg/kg) and no influence of acorus up to 500 mg/kg were observed. No drugs affected the basal spike amplitude induced by a test stimulus. In addition, we ascertained that DX-9386 was also active at a dose of 250 mg/kg. Taken together, these results indicate that hoelen and ginseng are the active components of DX-9386 with regard to the enhancement of hippocampal LTP. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Nishiyama N Zhou Y Saito H Beneficial effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese prescription, on memory disorder produced by lesioning the amygdala in mice. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Dec) 17(12):1679-81 ISSN: 0918-6158 The amygdala is one of the key areas of the brain involved in learning and memory. Bilateral lesions of the amygdala in 9-week-old mice induced impairment of memory acquisition and retention. DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription consisting of ginseng, polygala, acorus and hoelen, was orally administered to the lesioned mice after the operation until all the experiments were completed. From 15d after surgery, learning behavior in the step-down test was observed daily for 10 d. DX-9386 treatment ameliorated the memory acquisition deficit. The number of step-down events in the first testing trial was significantly decreased by administration of 250 mg/kg of the prescription to the lesioned group of mice. Choline acetyltransferase activity in the cerebral cortex of the lesioned mice was significantly decreased, while repeated administration of the prescription did not affect this biochemical parameter. These results indicate that the memory acquisition enhancing effect of DX- 9386 may not be achieved by direct activation of cholinergic transmission in the brain but by some other mechanism(s). Registry Numbers: EC 2.3.1.6 (Choline Acetyltransferase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Nishiyama N Zhou Y Saito H Ameliorative effects of chronic treatment using DX-9386, a traditional Chinese prescription, on learning performance and lipid peroxide content in senescence accelerated mouse. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Nov) 17(11):1481-4 ISSN: 0918-6158 DX-9386 is a traditional Chinese prescription consisting of ginseng, polygala, acorus and hoelen. The effect of chronic oral treatment with this preparation on learning behaviors and lipid peroxide concentration was studied in senescence accelerated mouse (SAM). SAM P8, a senescence prone of SAM, and SAM R1, a senescence resistant substrain of SAM, were started on a diet containing 1% of DX-9386 from the age of 2 months. All the experiments were performed at the age of 10 months. The prescription ameliorated the memory disorders of SAM P8, as evaluated in a step down test as well as a spatial memory test. The preparation, however, did not affect the learning behaviors in SAM R1. DX-9386 reduced the elevated levels of lipid peroxide in the serum and liver of SAM P8, while it did not alter that in SAM R1. These results suggested that DX-9386 slowed the aging process of SAM P8 in terms of learning behaviors and lipid peroxidation. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Nishiyama N Zhou Y Takashina K Saito H Effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese preparation, on passive and active avoidance performances in mice. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Nov) 17(11):1472-6 ISSN: 0918-6158 The acute effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation (ginseng, polygala, acorus and hoelen), were studied on learning and memory performances in passive and active avoidance tests in normal, as well as in learning-impaired, mice. A single oral administration of the prescription had no effect on memory registration, consolidation or retrieval or on motor activity in normal mice. DX-9386 reduced the ethanol-induced impairment of memory registration in the step-down test and also tended to ameliorate the scopolamine-induced memory registration deficit in the same test. The preparation reduced the number of spontaneous responses in the active avoidance test. The preparation also prolonged the disappearance of righting reflex induced by pentobarbital. These results suggest that DX-9386 ameliorates the impairment effect of ethanol on learning and memory processes and also exhibits a sedative effect. Registry Numbers: 51-34-3 (Scopolamine) 64-17-5 (Alcohol, Ethyl) 76-74-4 (Pentobarbital) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Zhang Y Saito H Nishiyama N Abe K Effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, on long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus in rats. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Oct) 17(10):1337-40 ISSN: 0918-6158 DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription consisting of ginseng, polygala, acorus and hoelen in the ratio of 1:1:25:50 (dry weight), was studied regarding the formation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized rats. Single oral administration of DX-9386 did not affect LTP formation evoked by suprathreshold tetanic stimulation; however, it significantly intensified the spike amplitude evoked by a subthreshold stimulation. LTP formation induced by suprathreshold tetanus was significantly inhibited by ethanol given either orally or intracerebroventricularly. DX-9386 significantly antagonized this inhibitory effect of ethanol. Basal spike amplitude was not influenced by DX-9386. These results indicate that DX-9386 potentiated LTP formation in the hippocampus and suggest that the ameliorative effect of this prescription on learning deficit model animals was, at least partly, due to its direct action on the hippocampus. Registry Numbers: 64-17-5 (Alcohol, Ethyl) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Zhang Y Saito H Nishiyama N Improving effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, on thymectomy-induced impairment of learning behaviors in mice. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Sep) 17(9):1199-205 ISSN: 0918-6158 The subject mice were thymectomized 4 weeks after birth. Ten months after the thymectomy, learning behaviors in passive and active avoidance performances and a spatial memory task, the contents of brain monoamines and brain choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, as well as the immune response were evaluated. DX-9386, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription consisting of ginseng, polygala, acorus and hoelen, was prepared in CE-2 mouse food (1%, w/w) and given to the thymectomized mice after the operation until all the experiments were finished. DX-9386 treatment significantly ameliorated the learning and memory ability impaired by thymectomy in passive avoidance performances and in a spatial memory task, and the mice tended to improve in the active avoidance performance of a lever press test. However, DX-9386 treatment did not improve the thymectomy- reduced immune response. The contents of hypothalamic norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, and hypothalamic ChAT activity were significantly increased in thymectomized mice, and DX-9386 restored them to the control levels. These results suggested that DX-9386 mainly affected the cognitive process of the central nervous system to ameliorate the learning and memory deficit induced by thymectomy. Registry Numbers: EC 3.1.1.7 (Acetylcholinesterase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Zhang Y Takashina K Saito H Nishiyama N Anti-aging effect of DX-9386 in senescence accelerated mouse. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Jun) 17(6):866-8 ISSN: 0918-6158 The effects of DX-9386, a traditional Chinese prescription (ginseng, acorus, polygala and hoelen) were studied on life span, the degree of senescence, motor activity and the antibody production response in senescence accelerated mouse (SAM). DX-9386-containing food was given to SAM for 13 consecutive months from 2 months of age. DX-9386 significantly prolonged the life span of SAM, prevented body weight decrease with aging and tended to improve the senile syndrome. The motor activity of SAMP8 was higher than that of SAMR1, and DX-9386 tended to increase the activity in SAMP8. The in vivo antibody production was markedly decreased in SAMP8 and DX-9386 showed no ameliorating effect on that. These results suggest that DX-9386 has anti-aging impact. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH***** Samudralwar DL Garg AN Minor and trace elemental determination in the Indian herbal and other medicinal preparations. In: Biol Trace Elem Res (1996 Aug) 54(2):113-21 ISSN: 0163-4984 Medicinal plants described in the Indian "Ayurvedic" literature viz. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Gulvel (Tinospora cardifolia), bitter Neem (Azadirachta indica), Kanher (Nerium Andicum), Vekhand (Acorus calamus), and Peacock's feather (ash) were analyzed for minor and trace elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The samples and the standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA and IAEA, Vienna were irradiated for 5 min, 1 h, 5 h, and 10 h with thermal neutrons at a flux of 10(12)-10(13) n cm-2 s-1 in APSARA and CIRUS reactor at BARC, Bombay. High resolution gamma ray spectrometry was performed using a 45 cm3 HPGe detector and a 4096 MCA system. Concentrations of 13 elements were determined. Zinc, manganese, and sodium were significantly higher in Tulsi leaves while zinc is higher in Neem leaves. Peacock's feathers were found to be rich in manganese, iron, copper, and zinc. A high concentration of mercury was also found in the peacock's feather ash. The therapeutic significance in restoring ionic balance is discussed. Registry Numbers: 7439-89-6 (Iron) 7439-96-5 (Manganese) 7439-97-6 (Mercury) 7440-09-7 (Potassium) 7440-23-5 (Sodium) 7440-43-9 (Cadmium) 7440-48-4 (Cobalt) 7440-50-8 (Copper) 7440-66-6 (Zinc) 7723-14-0 (Phosphorus) 7726-95-6 (Bromine) 7782-50-5 (Chlorine) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ **CHUNG-KUO CHUNG YAO TSA CHIH CHINA JOURNAL OF CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA* Li MX Jiang ZR [Variations of the essential oils in Acorua calamus L. and their major compositions] In: Chung Kuo Chung Yao Tsa Chih (1994 May) 19(5):274-6, 319 ISSN: 1001-5302 (Published in Chinese) The variations of the essential oils in Acorus calamus and their major compositions with seasons and producing areas were investigated by steam distillation and internal standard method. The result has shown that June is the best season for A. calamus cropping and that the major components of the volatile oil in the same part of the plant from different producing areas have the same chemical structure type. Registry Numbers: 494-40-6 (asarone) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****INDIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY***** Panchal GM Venkatakrishna-Bhatt H Doctor RB Vajpayee S Pharmacology of Acorus calamus L. In: Indian J Exp Biol (1989 Jun) 27(6):561-7 ISSN: 0019-5189 Water soluble dried powder of alcoholic extract of roots and rhizomes of A. calamus L. was used. The in vivo experiments involved strychnine convulsant activity in frogs, spontaneous motor activity and amphetamine hyperactivity in mice, pentobarbitone sleeping-time in rats and local anaesthetic activity in guinea pigs and rabbits. Frog skeletal muscle and heart preparations and rat phrenic nerve diaphragm constituted the in vitro experiments. Plant extracts at 10, 20 mg/kg ip did not afford protection to strychnine (1,5,2.5 mg/kg) induced convulsions and same effect was found on acetylcholine induced contractions of rectus muscle except that it inhibited caffeine citrate contractions in frog. At 1, 10 and 100 micrograms/ml doses, it caused negative iono- and chronotropic effects in frogs. Dosages of 10, 25, 50 mg/kg ip of herbal extract antagonize spontaneous motor activity and also amphetamine induced hyperactivity in mice. It was less potent than chloropromazine, though exerts sedative and tranquilizing action. Local anaesthetic activity was found to be absent at 0.5 and 1% dose levels. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Vohora SB Shah SA Dandiya PC Central nervous system studies on an ethanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1990 Feb) 28(1):53-62 ISSN: 0378-8741 An ethanol extract of Acorus calamus rhizomes was screened for CNS effects using a battery of 20 tests in rats and mice. The extract exhibited a large number of actions similar to alpha-asarone (an active principle of A. calamus) but differed from the latter in several other respects including the responses to electroshock, apomorphine- and isolation-induced aggressive behaviour, amphetamine toxicity in aggregated mice, behavioural despair syndrome in forced swimming, etc. These differences could be due to chemical substances yet to be isolated from the plant extract. Registry Numbers: 64-17-5 (Alcohol, Ethyl) 76-74-4 (Pentobarbital) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANT PHYSIOLOGY***** Bucher M Kuhlemeier C Long-term anoxia tolerance. Multi-level regulation of gene expression in the amphibious plant Acorus calamus L. In: Plant Physiol (1993 Oct) 103(2):441-8 ISSN: 0032-0889 Acorus calamus is a monocotyledonous wetland plant that can withstand extremely long periods of anoxia. We have investigated the expression of genes coding for pyruvate decarboxylase (Pdc), alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh), and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (Ald) during periods of anoxia ranging from 2 h to 2 months. Upon anoxic incubation, Pdc mRNA levels peak at 6 h, followed by Adh and Ald, which peak at 12 and 72 h, respectively. Subsequently, the mRNA levels of all three genes decline within days to low levels. In contrast, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) protein levels increase steadily for at least a week and then remain constant. Native gel electrophoresis demonstrates the presence of two sets of ADH isozymes, one present constitutively, the other enhanced during anoxia. Translation initiation factor 4A protein levels, used as a control, remain constant during 2 months of anoxia. The results suggest that A. calamus has developed a complex anaerobic response consisting of differential regulation of transcription, translation, and posttranslational processes. Registry Numbers: EC 1.1.1.1 (Alcohol Dehydrogenase) EC 4.1.1.1 (Pyruvate Decarboxylase) EC 4.1.2.13 (Fructosediphosphate Aldolase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****YAKUGAKU ZASSHI. JOURNAL OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN***** Wu LJ Sun LL Li M Yang H Jiang ZR Lu Y Tian Z Zheng Q Miyase T Ueno A [Studies on the constituents of the roots of Acorus calamus L.] In: Yakugaku Zasshi (1994 Mar) 114(3):182-5 ISSN: 0031-6903 (Published in Japanese) A new tricyclic sesquiterpene, named calamenone (1), and two known sesquiterpenes, calamendiol (2) and isocalamendiol (3), were isolated from the roots of Acorus calamus L. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of spectral and X-ray diffraction data.