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Dried alcoholic extract of fresh Lantana camara leaves (LE), on oral administration to albino rats of both sexes, induced photodermatitis during exposure to clear sunlight for 1 hr. Its severity was related to the dose of LE and was maximal in rats exposed to sunlight from 4 to 14 hr after feeding LE and gradually declined over 40 hr. Wavelengths of light about 540 to 570 mu only were effective. In control study, the alcoholic extract of edible spinach leaves was only 1/3 in potency and its effect lasted for less than 20 hr. LE did not raise serum bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT or cause liver injury as assessed by light microscopy. However, like CCL4 but unlike spinach extract, LE impaired excretion of BSP by liver, proportionate to the dose and also maximal at 5.5 hr declining thereafter over 40 hr.

A study on the antibacterial properties of alkaloidal fractions of Vallesia antillana Wood, a Cuban plant belonging to the Apocynaceae family, is performed for the first time. Four partial fractions from bark of stems were prepared according to a classical extraction of total alkaloids and a partial fractionation of these, with the use of tartaric acid and ethyl ether and by a pH gradient with values of 2.5, 5.0, 7.0 and alkaline one. Data from thin layer chromatography on the alkaloidal content of different fractions are added and an assessment of antibacterial activity was made; for this, a method of sections in agar medium with bacterial species of human clinical interest was used; inhibitory halos found within 24 hours of incubation at 37 degrees C are reported in millimeters.

The use of the resin of Virola elongata as an arrow poison was investigated. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of the dried bark were not observed to have toxic effects when administered intraperitoneally to mice. In an attempt to determine if the hallucinogenic indole alkaloid constituents of the bark, which form the basis for the alternate use of this material as a ceremonial snuff, could also be responsible for its use as an arrow poison, alkaloidal and non-alkaloidal extracts were compared with respect to their behavioral effects on mice. The non-alkaloidal extract was more effective in producing an observable alteration in behavior. This consisted of a marked reduction in spontaneous locomotor activity. The extract was fractionated and 13 of the major constituents assayed for their ability to reduce spontaneous locomotor activity. Most of this biological activity of the extract was attributable to the presence of the bis-tetrahydrofuran lignans, epi-sesartemin, sesartemin, epi-yangambin and yangambin. Each of these compounds was also observed to reduce isolation induced aggression when administered to mice.

Sprague-Dawley rats were given gastric intubation of cycad extract (group 1), rectal infusion of cycasin (group 2), or rectal indusion of cycad extract after external colostomy at 1/3 proximal portion of the large intestine (group 3). In group 1, intestinal tumors developed in any portion of the intestinal tract ranging from the duodenum to the rectum. In group 2, tumors developed in mucosa of the large intestine. In group 3, however, tumors arose from both sites of intestinal mucosa which were in contact and not in contact directly with the cycad extract infused. Possible hypothesis for intestinal tumor development by cycad extract and cycasin was presented.

A technique was developed for estimating the toxicity for rats of an alcoholic extraction product from larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi Huth). The dried residue from alcohol extraction was reconstituted in buffered saline solution and subcutaneously injected into rats. Toxicity was expressed as miligrams of dry plant per gram of body weight. Samples from D barbeyi collected during prebloom and early flower bud stages of growth produced median lethal doses ranging from 5.0 to 6.7 mg/g of body weight. Difference in toxicity of the extract due to age of rats was not significant.

A review is given on plants and plant constituents which can cause dermal hurts. There is distinguished between contact dermatitis, phytophoto dermatitis, and contact allergy. The active principles are biogenic amines, lactones, diterpenic esters, furocoumarins, quinones, longchain phenols, and acetylenes frequently.

The lethality of Poa huecu, a plant toxic to cattle and sheep, was followed by injection of chromatographic fractions in mice. The lethal aqueous extract was administered i.p. to Rockland mice of either sex and produced motor incoordination, transient ataxia, rough hair coat, tremors and muscle contractions and, occasionally, blindness. Doses greater than 1.5 g/kg mouse were always lethal. Fractionation of this lethal extract included dialysis, column chromatography on Sephadex G-25 and fractional precipitation with ethanol. Precipitates obtained with 70% and 85% ethanol were further purified on a DEAE-cellulose column. Eight fractions were obtained, each was injected into mice. Only fractions 3-6 were toxic. Fraction 3 produced slight hepatosis and hyperemia in the liver and gliosis in the brain. None of the other tissues exhibited histological lesions. Fractions 4 and 5 caused death of all animals within 30 min to 4 hr after injection. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and acid hydrolysis showed that fractions 4 and 5 contained a glycoprotein of nearly the same mol. wt (67,000-94,000). Microscopic pathology in the mice treated with the lethal glycoprotein of fraction 4 included hyperemia in the kidneys, megakaryocytes in the spleen, slight hepatosis and focal coagulative necrosis with nuclear pyknosis and karyonexis in the liver, gliosis, intracellular brain edema with axon degeneration and swollen astrocytes in the brain. These brain injuries may relate to the motor incoordination of cattle that causes a delayed righting reflex. The major monosaccharides of the lethal glycoprotein are glucose and mannose, while rhamnose, arabinose, xylose and galactose are present in low percentages. Proline and the acidic amino acids (glutamic and aspartic acids) are the most abundant in the peptidic residue.

Pachygone ovata (Menispermaceae), indigenous to the sandy seashores of southern India, is a woody climber whose fruits have been used as a rodenticide and fish poison. Chromatography of the extract of the roots resulted in the reisolation of the alkaloids liriodenine, coclaurine, trilobine (1), and magnoflorine and the isolation of stepholidine, coreximine, isoboldine, norjuziphine, and nortrilobine (2). Nortrilobine (2) is a new dibenzo-p-dioxin bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid whose structure was established by a consideration of spectral data and conversion to isotrilobine (3).

An aqueous extract of the sapodilla seed (Achras sapota L.) was acutely toxic to mice and rats (i.p. LD50 = 190 and 250 mg/kg, respectively) with symptoms of dyspnoea, apnoea and convulsions. Soxhlet extraction and chromatographic separation of the seed constituents yielded a brown amorphous solid containing saponin. This was heat-stable and toxic by the i.p. route (LD50 = 30-50 mg/kg) but non-toxic by the oral route in mice and rats. It is proposed that the toxicity of the sapodilla seed is due mainly to the saponin content.

The efficacy, tolerance, and safety of CPH 82 (semisynthetic lignan glycosides) (Conpharm AB) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were assessed in a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled study. Thirteen patients out of 15 in the CPH 82 group and 10 out of 15 in the placebo group completed the study. No improvement was seen in placebo treated patients. Patients treated with CPH 82 showed a statistically significant improvement in most clinical and immunological variables. Some patients treated with CPH 82 reported gastrointestinal discomfort (diarrhoea and abdominal pain).