Kaempferol derivatives prevent oxidative stress-induced cell death in a DJ-1-dependent manner. (1/7)

DJ-1, a causative gene product of a familial form of Parkinson's disease (PD), PARK7, plays a role in anti-oxidative stress, and loss of its function is thought to result in the onset of PD. Superfluous oxidation of cysteine at amino acid 106 (C106) of DJ-1 renders DJ-1 inactive, and such oxidized DJ-1 was observed in patients with the sporadic form of PD. In this study, we examined the relationship between DJ-1 and compounds extracted from traditional Chinese medicines possessing anti-oxidant activity. Of the 12 compounds tested, 5 were found to specifically bind to the C106 region by using a quartz crystal microbalance. Although 4 compounds prevented rat PC12 and primary neuronal cells from undergoing H2O2-induced cell death, the protective activity of 2 compounds, kaempferol 3-O-beta-rutinoside and 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6-di-O-beta-D-glucoside, was diminished in cells transfected with siRNA targeting DJ-1, indicating DJ-1-dependent reaction of these compounds. Furthermore, these compounds reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and restored tyrosine hydroxylase activity that had been induced and compromised, respectively, by treatment of cells with H2O2. The results suggest that these compounds are useful lead compounds for PD therapy.  (+info)

Genetic characterization of a novel Phomopsis sp., a putative biocontrol agent for Carthamus lanatus. (2/7)

A large number of isolates of Phomopsis sp. have been collected from the weed Carthamus lanatus (saffron thistle) in Australia, and their potential as biological control agents for weeds of the Asteraceae has been demonstrated. An analysis of their genetic diversity and a multigene phylogenetic analysis were undertaken to ascertain whether these isolates were distinct from other species of Phomopsis that commonly attack crop species in Australia. Minimal variation was found between the Phomopsis spp. isolated from saffron thistle, except two isolates that appeared to share identity with Diaporthe helianthii and P. viticola. Analysis of the selected isolates from saffron thistle with the nucleotide sequence of the partial ITS and tefl-alpha regions demonstrated that the sequences were distinct from all other species of Phomopsis so far described from crops in Australia. These findings provide strong support for the recognition of these isolates as a separate species of Phomopsis. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to biological control of saffron thistle.  (+info)

Hydroxysafflor yellow A alleviates early inflammatory response of bleomycin-induced mice lung injury. (3/7)

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is an effective ingredient of Chinese herb Carthamus tinctorius L. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of HSYA on inflammatory phase of bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury in mice. Three doses of HSYA (26.7, 40, 60 mg/kg/d) were intraperitoneally injected to mice consecutively for 1 week after bleomycin administration. It was found that HSYA attenuated the loss in body weight, the increase of myeloperoxidase activity and pathologic changes of pulmonary inflammation caused by bleomycin. Treatment with HSYA also alleviated bleomycin-induced increase of mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 in lung homogenates. Moreover HSYA inhibited the increased activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in lung tissue. These findings demonstrated that HSYA had protective effect on bleomycin-induced lung inflammatory response.  (+info)

The central analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic extract of Carthamus oxycantha. (4/7)

The plant extract and fractions of Carthamus oxycantha (Compositae) were assessed for analgesic and antiinflammatory activities. Acetic acid and formalin-induced nociception, hot plate and carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema tests were employed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential of the plant extract. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the methanolic extract (25-30 mg/kg), hexane (10-50 mg/kg, i.p.) and ethylacetate (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p.) fractions produced significant inhibition (P<0.01) of the acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and suppressed formalin-induced licking response of animals in both phases of the test. In the hot plate assay the plant extract (100 mg/kg i.p.) increased pain threshold of mice. Pre-treatment of animals with naloxone (5 mg/kg i.p.) abolished the analgesic effect of the C. oxycantha in formalin and hot plate tests. C. oxycantha (50-200 mg/kg i.p.) produced marked anti-inflammatory effect in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay comparable to diclofenac. These findings suggest that C. oxycantha possesses central analgesic and peripheral anti-inflammatory properties, with analgesic effects associated with the opioid system.  (+info)

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of Cappra(R) for the treatment of mild or mild to moderate erectile dysfunction in Thai male. (5/7)

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the major health concerns affects the quality of life among Thai male. The treatment of ED by the first-line drugs is limited to a certain group of patients due to their side effects and costs. Alternative medicine can be beneficial for the treatment of ED. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of Cappra((R)), a traditional herbal medicine which was used in Thailand for decades, for the treatment of mild and mild to moderate ED in Thai patients. A total of 63 patients with mild or mild to moderate ED were randomized to receive Cappra((R)) or placebo for two weeks in the first period, followed by one week washout period. The patients were switched to the alternative treatment in the second period. The efficacy was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire and adverse events. Sixty one patients completed the study. There was an improvement of IIEF score for all domains in Cappra((R)) group compared with placebo group. The mean change of IIEF score from baseline for erectile function domain of Cappra((R)) was significantly higher than placebo (4.87 vs 3.44, p = 0.032). The most common adverse events were dizziness (13.3% Cappra((R)), 9.6% placebo), face numbness (1.6% Cappra((R)), 0% placebo), and tachycardia (1.6% Cappra((R)), 0% placebo). The results from this study demonstrated that Cappra((R)) is effective and well-tolerated and can be used as alternative therapy for mild and mild to moderate ED.  (+info)

Chemotherapeutic activities of Carthami Flos and its reversal effect on multidrug resistance in cancer cells. (6/7)

Multidrug-resistance (MDR) represents a major cause of failure in cancer chemotherapy. The need for a reduction in MDR by natural-product-based drugs of low toxicity led to the current investigation of applying medicinal herbs in future cancer adjuvant therapy. Carthami Flos (CF), the dried flower of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), is one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicinal herbs used to alleviate pain, increase circulation, and reduce blood-stasis syndrome. The drug resistance index of the total extract of CF in MDR KB-V1 cells and its synergistic effects with other chemotherapeutic agents were studied. SRB cell viability assays were used to quantify growth inhibition after exposure to single drug and in combinations with other chemotherapeutic agents using the median effect principle. The combination indexes were then calculated according to the classic isobologram equation. The results revealed that CF showed a drug resistance index of 0.096. In combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, it enhanced their chemo-sensitivities by 2.8 to 4.0 folds and gave a general synergism in cytotoxic effect. These results indicate that CF could be a potential alternative adjuvant antitumour herbal medicine representing a promising approach to the treatment of some malignant and MDR cancers in the future.  (+info)

Effect of honghua (Flos Carthami) on nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells and alpha-glucosidase activity. (7/7)

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of extracts from Honghua (Flos Carthami) on lipopolysaccharide induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells and the influence of the extracts on yeast a-glucosidase activity. The total flavonoid content of the extracts was also determined. METHODS: Cytotoxicity of the extracts to RAW 264.7 cells was evaluated by the ATPlite method. Inhibitory effects of the extracts on NO production were evaluated by Griess assay. Curcumin was used as a positive control. Screening of extracts for potential a-glucosidase inhibitors was done by a fluorometric assay. The assay was based on the hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl-a-D-glucopyranoside to form the fluorescent product, 4-methylumbelliferone. Acarbose was used as a positive control. The total flavonoid content was tested using kaempferol as the standard. RESULTS: There were significant inhibitory effects on NO production when the extracts were 25-100 microg/ mL (P < 0.05) and curcumin was 2-4 microg/mL (P < 0.001). The extracts showed an inhibitory effect on alpha-glucosidase activity at the concentrations of 15.6-125 microg/mL with a half maximal (50%) inhibitory concentration (IC50) of (32.8 +/- 5.7) microg/mL, compared with the IC50 of acarbose at (1.8 +/- 0.4) microg/mL. There was a significant difference between the two IC50 values (P < 0.001). The total content of flavonoids per gram of dried herb was 1.14 mg. CONCLUSION: Honghua (Flos Carthami) showed inhibitory effects on NO production in activated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and an inhibitory effect on yeast alpha-glucosidase. There might be a relationship between these pharmacological effects and its flavonoid content.  (+info)