Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and mutagenic investigation of the South African tree aloe (Aloe barberae).

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jun 5; Ndhlala AR, Amoo SO, Stafford GI, Finnie JF, Van Staden JETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: In recent times, many products ranging from aloe drinks to aloe gels, powders, capsules, and creams have appeared on the commercial market prepared from different aloe species including Aloe barberae. These products are used in ethomedicine to treat various conditions including gastrointestinal disorders, insect bites, skin burns and other skin injuries by traditional communities. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was aimed at evaluating the antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities as well as genotoxic effects of different extracts of Aloe barberae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Organic and water extracts of the upper stem, young bark, mature bark, leaves and roots of the South African tree aloe (Aloe barberae) were evaluated for their antimicrobial [Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria as well as the fungus Candida albicans], anti-inflammatory (COX-1 and COX-2) and mutagenic properties (Ames test). Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to compare the phytochemical profiles of different extracts of Aloe barberae. RESULTS: The petroleum ether (PE) and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of the mature bark, leaves and roots exhibited good activity against all the bacteria and fungus Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.195 to 1.56mg/ml. All the PE extracts evaluated showed a high activity (> 70%) in both COX-1 and COX-2 assays. Apart from the organic extracts of the root with consistently good activity (> 70%), all the remaining extracts showed moderate activity (40-69%). The PE extracts also showed a dose dependent increase in activity. Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the leaves and root EtOH extracts indicated the presence of compounds that could absorb UV light (wavelength: 190nm to 820). None of the extracts had a mutagenic effect in the Salmonella/microsome assay against a tester strain TA98. CONCLUSION: Activity observed in the bark, leaves and roots of Aloe barberae validates its use in commercial herbal products, ethnobotany and ethnoveterinary medicine by South African communities and small scale farmers to treat various conditions.

Evaluation of the hepatotoxic and hepatoprotective effect of Rwandese herbal drugs on in vivo (guinea pigs barbiturate-induced sleeping time) and in vitro (rat precision-cut liver slices, PCLS) models

Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2009 Jun 1; Mukazayire MJ, Allaeys V, Buc Calderon P, Stévigny C, Bigendako MJ, Duez PPrecision-cut liver slices (PCLS) preserve the tissular organization of the organ and represent an in vitro model closer to in vivo conditions than hepatocytes cultures. As this may be an interesting tool not only for the investigation of hepatotoxic and protective effects but also for bioguided fractionations schemes, the usefulness of PCLS was compared with an in vivo test of liver function. Crude extracts derived from five herbs used in Rwanda for hepatoprotective activity were tested on CCl(4)-treated guinea pigs by the method of barbiturate-induced sleep modification. Aqueous extracts of Ocimum lamiifolium, Crassocephalum vitellinum, Guizotia scabra and Vernonia lasiopus leaves allowed animals to recover barbiturate sleep duration in proportions of 88%, 78%, 61% and 34%, respectively and Microglossa pyrifolia was found inactive. Dried methanolic extracts of the 5 plants were then tested in vitro on rat PCLS for protection against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. In this model, G. scabra, M. pyrifolia and V. lasiopus were found hepatotoxic by themselves and unable to prevent acetaminophen toxicity. The most active extract, obtained from O. lamiifolium, was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation by chromatography on Si-C(18) to yield two quite active fractions. From a single animal, at least 50 PCLS explants can be prepared, which allows testing large amounts of samples, strengthening ethnopharmacological data on hepatoprotective medicinal plants and investigating hepatotoxic effects.

Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Phytother Res. 2009 Jun 5; Matkovic Z, Zivkovic V, Korica M, Plavec D, Pecanic S, Tudoric NThe study was designed to investigate efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). AM is an active component in the herbal and mineral complex (HMC) registered in Croatia as a food supplement Lectranal((R)). The study was designed as a 6-weeks, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and conducted in 48 adult patients with a moderate to severe SAR. The treatment efficacy was evaluated by the mean change in the symptom score (TSS), quality of life (QoL), specific serum IgE and IgG, nasal eosinophils, and physicians' and patients' global evaluation. Compared to placebo, HMC significantly decreased the intensity of rhinorrhea while for other primary efficacy variables the treatment groups did not differ. In contrast, investigators and patients equally judged the treatment with HMC as more efficacious. In addition, the analysis of changes from baseline inside the groups for TSS, QoL, and 4 main symptoms of SAR were strikingly in favor of the active treatment. In patients with SAR due to weed pollen allergy HMC significantly improved primary variables, reflective TSS and QoL. The study revealed a significant number of positive signals indicating the therapeutic effectiveness of the HMC in patients with SAR which should be further tested in larger, multicentre trials with more patients. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males.

Fertil Steril. 2009 Jun 5; Ahmad MK, Mahdi AA, Shukla KK, Islam N, Rajender S, Madhukar D, Shankhwar SN, Ahmad SOBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of Withania somnifera roots on semen profile, oxidative biomarkers, and reproductive hormone levels of infertile men. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, India. PATIENT(S): Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (control subjects) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening. INTERVENTION(S): High-performance liquid chromatography assay procedure for quantization of vitamin A and E in seminal plasma. Biochemical parameters in seminal plasma were estimated by standard spectrophotometric procedures. Estimation of T, LH, FSH, and PRL in blood serum by RIA methods. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES(S): Before and after the treatment, seminal plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, and serum T, LH, FSH, and PRL levels were measured. RESULT(S): Withania somnifera inhibited lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and improved sperm count and motility. Treatment of infertile men recovered the seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes and vitamins A, C, and E and corrected fructose. Moreover, treatment also significantly increased serum T and LH and reduced the levels of FSH and PRL. CONCLUSION(S): The treatment with W. somnifera effectively reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants and improved level of diverse antioxidants. Moreover, the levels of T, LH, FSH and PRL, good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation.