€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****AMERICAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH***** Galey FD Beasley VR Schaeffer D Davis LE Effect of an aqueous extract of black walnut (Juglans nigra) on isolated equine digital vessels. In: Am J Vet Res (1990 Jan) 51(1):83-8 ISSN: 0002-9645 An aqueous extract was made from black walnut (Juglans nigra) heartwood obtained in the fall of the year. Ten hours after nasogastric administration of 5 L of the extract, a 550-kg, 13-yr-old Quarter Horse gelding experienced Obel grade-3 laminitis. The effect of aqueous extract of black walnut on vascular contractility was then tested, using isolated equine digital arteries and veins. The vessels were maintained in Krebs bicarbonate buffer with 95% oxygen at 37 C. The extract did not induce a direct contractile effect. It did, however, reversibly enhance the vasoconstriction induced in the isolated vessels by administration of epinephrine potentiated with hydrocortisone. In contrast, aqueous extracts made, using the same techniques, from the shavings of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and pin oak (Quercus palustrus) had no effect on epinephrine-induced digital vessel contractions. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****DIABETOLOGIA***** Swanston-Flatt SK Day C Bailey CJ Flatt PR Traditional plant treatments for diabetes. Studies in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice. In: Diabetologia (1990 Aug) 33(8):462-4 ISSN: 0012-186X The effects on glucose homeostasis of eleven plants used as traditional treatments for diabetes mellitus were evaluated in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice. Dried leaves of agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), blackberry (Rubus fructicosus), celandine (Chelidonium majus), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), and lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis); seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum); dried berries of juniper (Juniperus communis); bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) and roots of liquorice (Glycyrhizza glabra) were studied. Each plant material was supplied in the diet (6.25% by weight) and some plants were additionally supplied as decoctions or infusions (1 g/400 ml) in place of drinking water to coincide with the traditional method of preparation. Food and fluid intake, body weight gain, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in normal mice were not altered by 12 days of treatment with any of the plants. After administration of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg i.p.) on day 12 the development of hyperphagia, polydipsia, body weight loss, hyperglycaemia and hypoinsulinaemia were not affected by blackberry, celandine, lady's mantle or lily of the valley. Garlic and liquorice reduced the hyperphagia and polydipsia but did not significantly alter the hyperglycaemia or hypoinsulinaemia. Treatment with agrimony, alfalfa, coriander, eucalyptus and juniper reduced the level of hyperglycaemia during the development of streptozotocin diabetes. This was associated with reduced polydipsia (except coriander) and a reduced rate of body weight loss (except agrimony). Alfalfa initially countered the hypoinsulinaemic effect of streptozotocin, but the other treatments did not affect the fall in plasma insulin. The results suggest that certain traditional plant treatments for diabetes, namely agrimony, alfalfa, coriander, eucalyptus and juniper, can retard the development of streptozotocin diabetes in mice. Registry Numbers: 11061-68-0 (Insulin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Tunon H Olavsdotter C Bohlin L Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of some Swedish medicinal plants. Inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis and PAF-induced exocytosis. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Oct) 48(2):61-76 ISSN: 0378-8741 Plants used in Swedish traditional medicine to treat inflammatory diseases and/or wounds were selected, based on literature data, for evaluation of inhibitory activity on prostaglandin biosynthesis and platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced exocytosis in vitro. Fifty- nine water extracts from 52 different plants in 28 families were tested. A number of plants, e.g. Calluna vulgaris, Corylus avellana, Geum urbanum, Juniperus communis, Polygonum aviculare, Potentilla erecta and Salix caprea were found to be active in both assays. The most potent cyclooxygenase inhibitors were extracts of Calluna vulgaris, Potentilla erecta and Salix caprea. None of the extracts inhibited just the prostaglandin biosynthesis. In the PAF-test, high inhibition was obtained by 19 extracts, the most potent of which were from Geum rivale, G. urbanum, Solanum dulcamara, Symphytum x uplandicum and Vaccinium vitis-idaea. The in vitro effects in relation to the traditional use, chemical contents and botanical classification, as well as the possibilities and the limitations of the methods are discussed. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Pages N Fournier G Chamorro G Salazar M Paris M Boudene C Teratological evaluation of Juniperus sabina essential oil in mice. In: Planta Med (1989 Apr) 55(2):144-6 ISSN: 0032-0943 Juniperus sabina essential oil was evaluated for its fetotoxic potential on mice. Pregnant dams were injected s.c. (15-45 or 135 mg essential oil/kg body weight) on days 6 to 15 of gestation. They were killed and the uterine contents were examined on day 19 of pregnancy. The fetuses were removed for examination. The dams of the two higher treated groups showed a significant weight loss as compared to controls. An hepatotoxicity was observed among females that resorbed their whole litter, thus indicating a greater susceptibility towards Juniperus sabina essential oil during pregnancy. The essential oil induced, in the three treated groups, an embryotoxicity as manifested by a statistically significant increase in the number of affected litters; but no fetotoxicity. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Teng CM Lin CH Kuo YH Lin YL Huang TF Antiplatelet and vasorelaxing actions of the acetoxy derivative of cedranediol isolated from Juniperus squamata. In: Planta Med (1994 Jun) 60(3):209-13 ISSN: 0032-0943 The antiplatelet and vasorelaxing actions of 14-acetoxycedrol, an acetyl derivative of the sesquiterpene 8,14-cedranediol isolated from Juniperus squamata Hayata, were investigated in washed rabbit platelets and rat aorta, respectively. 14-Acetoxycedrol inhibited the aggregation and ATP release of rabbit platelets induced by ADP, arachidonic acid, platelet-activating factor (PAF), collagen, and thrombin. Prolongation of the incubation time of 14-acetoxycedrol with platelets did not cause further inhibition and the aggregability of the treated platelets could be restored after washing of the platelets. It inhibited thromboxane B2 formation of washed platelets caused by arachidonic acid, collagen, and thrombin in a concentration- dependent manner. The formation of inositol phosphate caused by collagen and PAF was inhibited by 14-acetoxycedrol, while that caused by thrombin was not affected. 14-Acetoxycedrol markedly inhibited the intracellular calcium rise caused by PAF, and slightly inhibited that caused by thrombin in quin-2/AM-load platelets. In rat thoracic aortae, 14-acetoxycedrol inhibited the high K+ (60 mM) and Ca2+ (0.03- 3 mM) induced cumulative contractions in a concentration-dependent manner, while it did not affect the phasic and tonic contractions elicited by norepinephrine. The tonic contractions elicited by KCl (60 mM) and Bay K 8644 were also relaxed by 14-acetoxycedrol. It is concluded that the antiplatelet effect of 14-acetoxycedrol is due to the inhibition of thromboxane formation and phosphoinositides breakdown and the vasorelaxing action of 14-acetoxycedrol is due to inhibition of Ca2+ influx through the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel. Registry Numbers: 65557-98-4 (14-acetoxycedrol) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Sanchez de Medina F Gamez MJ Jimenez I Jimenez J Osuna JI Zarzuelo A Hypoglycemic activity of juniper "berries". In: Planta Med (1994 Jun) 60(3):197-200 ISSN: 0032-0943 This work studies the hypoglycemic activity of a decoction from juniper "berries" (Juniperus communis) both in normoglycemic and in streptozotocin-diabetic animals. Juniper decoction decreases glycemic levels in normoglycemic rats at a dose of 250 mg/kg. This effect can be achieved through: a) an increase of peripheral glucose consumption; b) a potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion. The administration of the decoction (125 mg total "berries"/kg) to streptozotocin-diabetic rats for 24 days results in a significant reduction both in blood glucose levels and in the mortality index, as well as the prevention of the loss of body weight. This effect seems to be mediated by the peripheral action of juniper. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ San Feliciano A Gordaliza M Miguel del Corral JM Castro MA Garcia-Gravalos MD Ruiz-Lazaro P Antineoplastic and antiviral activities of some cyclolignans. In: Planta Med (1993 Jun) 59(3):246-9 ISSN: 0032-0943 Nineteen cyclolignans of varied structures, most of them isolated from Juniperus sabina leaves, were evaluated for their antineoplastic and antiviral activities. They were subjected to screening against P- 388 murine leukemia, A-549 human lung carcinoma, and HT-29 colon carcinoma, while the antiviral assays were performed on herpes simplex virus type 1 infecting fibroblasts of monkey kidney (HSV-1/CV- 1) and on vesicular stomatitis virus infecting fibroblasts of hamster kidney (VSV/BHK). A number of substances were active in both types of assays at concentrations below 1 microgram/ml; deoxypodophyllotoxin and beta-peltatin A methyl ether being the most potent compounds in all cases, with IC50 values in the range 2.5-4 ng/ml for the three neoplastic systems. Registry Numbers: 9005-53-2 (Lignin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€