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In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effects of the hexane (HCP), ethyl acetate (ECP) and methanol (MCP) extracts of the roots of Casimiroa pubescens Ramírez (Rutaceae) using the forced swim test (FST). In an initial experiment, each extract was orally administered to mice only once 60 min before to the FST. In a second experiment, doses were administered 24, 7 and 1 h before testing. Our results showed that the triple administration of the extracts provided a stronger effect than single administration. However, the combination of HCP at 7.5 mg/kg and imipramine (IMI) at 12.5 mg/kg showed the greatest effect. The coumarins 3-(1',1', dimethyl allyl)-herniarin, auraptene, 8-geranyl-oxy psoralen, isopimpinellin and the flavonoid zapotin were isolated from the extracts. The hexane extract of C . pubescens showed an antidepressant-like activity, which may inspire further studies on developing new antidepressant agents.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Agastache mexicana subspecies mexicana (Amm) and xolocotziana (Amx) are used in Mexican traditional medicine to relief cultural affiliation syndromes known as "susto" or "espanto", for "nervous" condition, and as a sleep aid. Despite its intensive use, neuropharmacological studies are scarce, and the chemical composition of the aqueous extracts has not been described. Aims of the study are: (1) To analyze the chemical composition of aqueous extracts from aerial parts of Amm and Amx. (2) To evaluate the anxiolytic-like, sedative, antidepressant-like effects. (3) Analyze the general toxic effects of different doses., Materials and Methods: Anxiolytic-like and sedative effects were measured in the avoidance exploratory behavior, burying behavior and the hole-board tests. The antidepressant-like actions were studied in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests. Finally, general activity and motor coordination disturbances were evaluated in the open field, inverted screen and rota-rod tests. The acute toxicity of Amm and Amx was determined by calculating their LD50 (mean lethal dose). The chemical analyses were performed employing chromatographic, photometric and HPLC-ESI-MS techniques., Results: Low doses of Amm and Amx (0.1σ1.0mg/kg) induced anxiolytic-like actions; while higher doses (over 10mg/kg) induced sedation and reduced the locomotor activity, exerting a general inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS)., Conclusions: Results support the use of Amm and Amx in traditional medicine as tranquilizers and sleep inducers. Additionally, this paper contributes to the knowledge of the chemical composition of the aqueous extracts of these plants., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: Casimiroa spp. are Mexican plants traditionally used for treatment of hypertension. To study their antihypertensive action, we determined the arterial dilatation induced by extracts from leaves and seeds of Casimiroa calderoniae F. Chiang & Medrano, Casimiroa edulis Llave et Lex, and Casimiroa pubescens Ramirez., Materials and Methods: The vascular effects of Casimiroa spp. extracts were investigated on rat caudal and aortic arteries. In addition, the extracts were characterized by HPLC using heraclenol, isopimpinellin, heraclenin and phellopterin as external standards. The methanolic extract of Casimiroa pubescens seeds (Cp12) was also studied by H-NMR and LC-MS (ESI-TOF) for the determination of casimiroin and zapotin., Results: The hexanic and methanolic extracts of Casimiroa spp. (20 μg/ml) showed vasorelaxation in arterial tissues precontracted by phenylephrine (0.5 μM); the extracts from seeds always caused a greater relaxation in comparison to those from leaves. The most active were the methanolic seed extracts of Casimiroa edulis (Ce8) and Casimiroa pubescens (Cp12). To study the pharmacological mechanisms of vasodilatation we used various inhibitors selective to different receptor subtypes or intracellular enzymes. The vasorelaxant effect of Ce8 (20 μg/ml) remained unaffected by the pretreatment with pyrilamine (10 μM), an antagonist of histamine H(1) receptors, but was inhibited by atropine (0.1 μM), a muscarinic receptor antagonist. Therefore, to determine muscarinic receptor subtypes, we used pirenzepine (1 μM), a selective inhibitor of M(1) receptor, and 4-diphenylacetoxyl-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (DAMP, 0.01 μM), a selective inhibitor of M(3) receptor. Only the latter reduced the vasodilatation by Ce8 and Cp12. To investigate the role of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS), we used N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, 10 μM), a selective NOS inhibitor, which decreased the dilatation induced by Ce8 and Cp12. Finally, we studied the action of (1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one) (ODQ, 3 μM), a selective guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, which inhibited the dilatation by Casimiroa extracts., Conclusion: The data show that methanolic seed extracts of Casimiroa edulis (Ce8) and Casimiroa pubescens (Cp12) induce vasorelaxation by M(3) receptor through the activation of cGMP-dependent NO signaling. These results support the traditional use of Casimiroa decoctions for antihypertensive treatments in the Mexican ethnomedicine., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluated possible CNS effects of a hexane extract of leaves from Rollinia mucosa (Jacq.) Baill. (Annonaceae). This plant extract induced anxiolytic-like actions similar to those induced by diazepam in the avoidance exploratory behavior paradigm. Its significant activity was shown at doses from 1.62 to 6.25 mg/kg. It also enhanced pentobarbital-induced hypnosis time, and at high doses produced motor coordination impairment. The benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptor binding, evaluated by in vitro autoradiography following a single administration of R. mucosa, revealed that this plant extract reduced BDZ binding in the hippocampus (29%), amygdala (26%), and temporal cortex of mice (36%). In conclusion, the present findings support the proposal that R. mucosa may induce central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects, presumably through an interaction with the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex.

Argentatins A and B are abundant triterpenes present in Parthenium argentatum. Both compounds have shown cytotoxic properties on K562, MCF-7, PC-3, HCT-15 and U251 human cancer cell lines. Furthermore the cytotoxic, cytostatic and genotoxic effects of the argentatins on proliferating lymphocytes were evaluated using cytokinesis-block micronucleus test. Argentatin A had no cytostatic properties, but it was cytotoxic for proliferating lymphocytes at a concentration of 25 microM (P < 0.005). On the other hand, argentatin B showed significant cytostatic effects (P < 0.001) at concentrations of 5 to 25 microM and it did not show cytotoxic effects at the same concentrations. Neither argentatin showed genotoxic effects in terms of micronucleus frequency in human lymphocytes. According to these results the argentatins are not able to cause injury on DNA by clastogenic or aneugenic mechanisms.

Hypercholesterolemia is a metabolic disorder characterized by a high concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Eryngium carlinae is a medicinal plant used to treat lipid diseases. The goal of this work was to evaluate, in a model of hypercholesterolemia in mice, the hypocholesterolemic effect of a hydroalcoholic extract of E. carlinae and its main metabolite, D-mannitol. Biochemical analyses of serum lipids and hepatic enzymes were performed by photocolorimetry. We performed histopathological studies of the liver and the expression of the intestinal cholesterol transporters Abcg5 and Abcg8 was determined by standard western blot method. Our results showed that hydroalcoholic extract at doses of 100 mg/kg and D-mannitol at doses of 10 mg/kg reduced the concentration of both total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, without altering the concentration of HDL cholesterol and without damage to hepatocytes. Treatment with the extract increased Abcg8 intestinal transporter expression, while D-mannitol decreased the expression of the two Abcg5/Abcg8 transporters, compared with the hypercholesterolemic group. Considering that Abcg5/Abcg8 transporters perform cholesterol efflux, our results demonstrate that the lipid-lowering effect of the hydroalcoholic extract may be associated with the increase of Abcg8 expression, but the hypocholesterolemic effect of D-mannitol is independent of overexpression of these intestinal transporters and probably they have another mechanism of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed oils from oleaginous plants are rich in fatty acids (FAs) that play important roles in the health of the consumers. Recent studies indicate that FA also can play an important role in communication and regulation of virulence in bacteria. Nevertheless, evidence demonstrating protection against bacterial infections mediated by their quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) activity is scarce. In this study, sunflower, chia, and amaranth oils, were assayed for their QSI capacity by inhibiting violacein production and alkaline exoprotease activity of Chromobacterium violaceum. In vitro assays revealed that the oils exhibited QSI activities, whereas in vivo they delayed death of mice inoculated intraperitoneally with the bacterium. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis of the oils indicated the presence of saturated FA (SAFA) and unsaturated FA as main components. Through a structure–activity relationship study of free FAs, bactericidal effect was identified mainly for polyunsaturated FAs, whereas QSI activity was restricted to SAFA of chains 12–18 carbon atoms in length. These data correlate with a possible interaction suggested by molecular docking analysis of lauric, myristic, and stearic acids with the CviR protein. Our study highlights the antiquorum sensing potential of SAFA, which may be future antivirulence therapeutic agents for the treatment of bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]