Journal of natural medicines
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In the present study, siaresinolic acid (siaresinol, SA) was isolated from the leaves of Sabicea grisea and studied to evaluate its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity. The antinociceptive effect of SA was investigated in mice using different animal models to study pain. In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of SA (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 h before a pain stimulus significantly reduced the nociceptive response (by 42.3, 68.2, and 70.9 %, respectively). ⋯ In the pleurisy model, induced by carrageenan, treatment with SA inhibited important events involved in inflammatory responses, namely leukocyte influx, plasma leakage, and increased inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and chemokine CXCL1), in the pleural exudate. Additionally, SA itself was not cytotoxic when evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in macrophages cultured for 24 h at concentrations ranging from 1 to 200 μg/mL. These results suggest, for the first time, that SA attenuates nociceptive behavior through mechanisms involving receptors for ATP-dependent potassium channels, in addition to suppressing acute inflammatory responses.
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Jujube seed is a crude drug defined as the seed of Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. spinosa Hu ex H. F. Chou (Rhamnaceae) in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP). ⋯ To establish a purity test of Jujube Seed in the JP against Z. mauritiana, we fractionated the extract of Z. mauritiana seeds and identified frangufoline (2) and oleanolic acid (4) as the marker compounds specific to Z. mauritiana. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the latter compound was useful for testing by TLC analysis. The established TLC conditions were as follows: chromatographic support, silica gel; developing solvent, n-hexane:EtOAc:HCOOH = 10:5:1; developing length, 7 cm; visualization, diluted sulfuric acid; R f value, 0.43 (oleanolic acid).
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Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a natural organic phenolic compound that is found in many plants, fruits and vegetables. CGA has beneficial bioactivities and strong therapeutic effects in inflammatory processes. CGA-rich fractions have analgesic activity but CGA has not been tested previously in neuropathic pain, which results from tissue damage, inflammation or injury of the nervous system. ⋯ In addition, chronic administration of CGA (100 mg/kg/day; i.p. for 14 days) prevented the development of mechanical hyperalgesia and attenuated CCI-induced histopathological changes. On the other hand, CGA (200 mg/kg) did not affect falling latencies of rats in the rota rod test. Hence, CGA might represent a novel potential therapeutic option for the management of neuropathic pain.
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This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of Acorus calamus (AC) in tibial and sural nerve transection (TST)-induced neuropathic pain in rats. The hot plate, paw heat allodynia, acetone drop, and pinprick tests were performed to assess the degree of heat hyperalgesia, heat and cold allodynia, and mechanical hyperalgesia, respectively, at different time intervals, i.e., day 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21. The tissue superoxide anion and total calcium were measured as markers of oxidative stress. ⋯ Moreover significant histological changes were also observed. Oral administration of AC hydroalcoholic extract (100 and 200 mg/kg for 14 days) attenuated TST-induced behavioral, biochemical, and histological changes. Acorus calamus has ameliorative potential in TST-induced painful neuropathy, and this effect may be attributed to its multiple actions including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective actions.
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Boi and its original plant Sinomenium acutum from Japan were compared with Seifuto and its botanical origins from China in terms of their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and major chemical components. Boi, Seifuto, and their botanical origins overall showed seven variable sites in the ITS sequence and six genotypes. Japanese S. acutum and Boi had one nucleotide variation at position 593 to show two genotypes (J1 and J2) and their heterozygote (J3). ⋯ The main component in the rhizome of Seifuto was sinomenine, whereas magnoflorine was the main component in the rhizome and the climbing stem of Boi. The content of sinomenine in Seifuto was almost twice that in Boi. Although the individual content of alkaloids 1-4 differed between Boi and Seifuto, the total contents of these alkaloids were comparable between them both in the climbing stem and rhizome.