€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ACTA BIOCHIMICA POLONICA***** Swiezewska E Chojnacki T The occurrence of unique, long-chain polyprenols in the leaves of Potentilla species. In: Acta Biochim Pol (1989) 36(2):143-58 ISSN: 0001-527X Polyprenols are accumulated in the leaves of Potentilla anserina at concentration up to 0.3% fresh weight. They constitute a mixture of poly-cis fully unsaturated analogues of up to 29 isoprene units long. In this and other species of Potentilla the polyprenol mixture is composed of two families, one grouping the medium chain-length polyprenols (built up of about 20 isoprene units), and the second one, composed mainly of very long prenolgues from 24 to approx. 28 isoprene units. This is a first report on the occurrence of polyprenyl alcohols of this chain length in plant material and the first one on the presence of multiple polyprenol mixture in angiosperms. A useful modification of polyprenols preparation from plant material, based on solid phase extraction with hydrophobic gel Lipidex-5000 is described. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY***** Swiezewska E Chojnacki T Jankowski WJ Singh AK Olsson J The occurrence of long chain polyprenols in leaves of plants of Rosaceae family and their isolation by time-extended liquid chromatography. In: Biochem Cell Biol (1992 Jun) 70(6):448-54 ISSN: 0829-8211 The long chain polyprenols composed of 30 and more isoprene units from leaves of plants belonging to the genera Potentilla and Rosa have been described. They occur in the form of fatty acid esters. The composition of polyprenol mixture was species dependent and its content reached ca. 0.5% wet weight. Large scale preparation of individual polyprenols from a natural polyprenol mixture was performed using time-extended liquid chromatography on the hydrophobic gel Lipidex-5000. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN***** Bos MA Vennat B Meunier MT Pouget MP Pourrat A Fialip J Procyanidins from tormentil: antioxidant properties towards lipoperoxidation and anti-elastase activity. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1996 Jan) 19(1):146-8 ISSN: 0918-6158 Procyanidins extracted from the rhizomes of Potentilla tormentilla were fractionated according to their degree of polymerization by chromatography on Sephadex LH20. Dimers and trimers displayed the highest anti-radical activity towards lipoperoxidation. Pentamers and hexamers possessed the most marked anti-elastase properties. Registry Numbers: EC 3.4.21.36 (Pancreatopeptidase) 154-23-4 (Catechin) 4852-22-6 (procyanidin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Vennat B Bos MA Pourrat A Bastide P Procyanidins from tormentil: fractionation and study of the anti- radical activity towards superoxide anion. In: Biol Pharm Bull (1994 Dec) 17(12):1613-5 ISSN: 0918-6158 A standardised water-soluble extract was prepared from rhizomes of Potentilla tormentilla. The procyanidins in the extract were fractionated according to their degree of polymerisation by chromatography on Sephadex LH20. The anti-radical activities of the different fractions towards superoxide anion were compared when pentamers and hexamers were found to be the most active. Registry Numbers: 11062-77-4 (Superoxides) 154-23-4 (Catechin) 4852-22-6 (procyanidin) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CHEMICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN***** Terashima S Shimizu M Nakayama H Ishikura M Ueda Y Imai K Suzui A Morita N Studies on aldose reductase inhibitors from medicinal plant of "sinfito," Potentilla candicans, and further synthesis of their related compounds. In: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) (1990 Oct) 38(10):2733-6 ISSN: 0009-2363 For several years we have screened natural products having aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory activity. 3,3',4-Tri-O-methylellagic acid 4'-sulfate potassium salt (2) was isolated from a Mexican herb "Sinfito" (Potentilla candicans) as a potent AR inhibitory active constituent. 2 was more potent (IC50 = 8.0 x 10(-8)M) than ellagic acid, which is one of the natural inhibitors of AR. So we examined the synthesis of ellagic acid derivatives and found that the sulfate group is one of the important function. Registry Numbers: EC 1.1.1.21 (Aldehyde Reductase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** McCutcheon AR Roberts TE Gibbons E Ellis SM Babiuk LA Hancock RE Towers GH Antiviral screening of British Columbian medicinal plants. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Dec 1) 49(2):101-10 ISSN: 0378-8741 One hundred methanolic plant extracts were screened for antiviral activity against seven viruses. Twelve extracts were found to have antiviral activity at the non-cytotoxic concentrations tested. The extracts of Rosa nutkana and Amelanchier alnifolia, both members of the Rosaceae, were very active against an enteric coronavirus. A root extract of another member of the Rosaceae, Potentilla arguta, completely inhibited respiratory syncytial virus. A Sambucus racemosa branch tip extract was also very active against respiratory syncytial virus while the inner bark extract of Oplopanax horridus partially inhibited this virus. An extract of Ipomopsis aggregata demonstrated very good activity against parainfluenza virus type 3. A Lomatium dissectum root extract completely inhibited the cytopathic effects of rotavirus. In addition to these, extracts prepared from the following plants exhibited antiviral activity against herpesvirus type 1: Cardamine angulata, Conocephalum conicum, Lysichiton americanum, Polypodium glycyrrhiza and Verbascum thapsus. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ 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. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Linares E Bye RA Jr A study of four medicinal plant complexes of Mexico and adjacent United States. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1987 Mar-Apr) 19(2):153-83 ISSN: 0378-8741 A survey of medicinal herbs in markets of central and northern Mexico and southwestern United States revealed the existence of plant complexes of different species sharing common names, morphological and aromatic characteristics, and uses. Four complexes (with the "label" species listed first) discussed include: "cachani" with Roldana sessilifolia, Iostephane madrensis, Liatris punctata, Psacalium sp., and Potentilla sp.; "chuchupate" with Ligusticum porteri and Myroxylon balsamum; "hierba anis" with Tagetes lucida, T. filifolia, T. micrantha, Artemisia dracunculus, Pimpinella anisum, and Illicium verum; and "matarique" with Psacalium decompositum, P. peltatum, P. sinuatum, P. sp., and Acourtia thurberi. The distribution analysis of utilization and natural occurrence of plants in each complex indicated the presence of a dominant or "label" plant whose use extended beyond its natural range and which had substitutes derived from local plants that were not registered far beyond their respective natural ranges. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****VOJNOSANITETSKI PREGLED***** Gazikalovic E Bodiroga M Ognjanovic J [Determination of tannins in the rhizomes of Potentilla tormentilla] Odredivanje tanina u rizomu srcenjaka. In: Vojnosanit Pregl (1992 Jul-Aug) 49(4):339-42 ISSN: 0042-8450 (Published in Serbo-Croatian, Roman) A modified permanganometric method for determination of tannin in tormentile rhizome is proposed. The results compared with values obtained by the regulations of Ph Yug II, Ph Yug III, Ph Yug IV and DAB 9 are reproducible and the method is fast and simple. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€