In vitro: |
Molecules. 2013 Nov 14;18(11):14105-21. | Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Tánara ótó (Dracocephalum palmatum Stephan), a medicinal plant used by the North-Yakutian nomads.[Pubmed: 24241154 ] | Dracocephalum palmatum Stephan (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant used by the North-Yakutian nomads. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the crude ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of this plant, 23 compounds (phenylpropanoids, coumarins, flavonoids, and triterpenes) were isolated. Among these, eight compounds (salvianolic acid B, caftaric acid, cichoric acid, umbelliferone, aesculetin, apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside, Isorhoifolin, and luteolin-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside) were detected for the first time in the genus Dracocephalum. Their structures were elucidated based on chemical and spectral data. The levels of most of the compounds detected in the cultivated sample were close to that of the wild sample, indicating the reproducibility of the biologically active compounds of D. palmatum through cultivation.
CONCLUSIONS:
Investigation into the biological activity of D. palmatum under in vitro conditions demonstrated that its extracts have a strong antioxidant effect due to the presence of high concentrations of phenolic compounds. | J Pharm Pharmacol. 2013 Jun;65(6):928-36. | The positive inotropic effect of the ethyl acetate fraction from Erythrina velutina leaves on the mammalian myocardium: the role of adrenergic receptors.[Pubmed: 23647686 ] | We studied the effects of ethyl acetate fraction (EAcF) obtained from Erythrina velutina leaves on mammalian myocardium. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effect of EAcF on the contractility was studied using guinea-pig left atria mounted in a tissue bath (Tyrode's solution, 29°C, 95% CO2 , 5% O2 ) and electrically stimulated (1 Hz). Concentration-response curves of EAcF were obtained in the presence of propranolol (1 μm), nifedipine (1 μm) and in reserpinized animals (5 mg/kg). The involvement of l-type calcium current (ICa,L ) on the EAcF effect was observed in cardiomyocytes of mice assessed using patch-clamp technique. EAcF (550 μg/ml) had a positive inotropic effect, increasing the atrial force by 164% (EC50 = 157 ± 44 μg/ml, n = 6), but it was less potent than isoproterenol (EC50 = 0.0036 ± 0.0019 μg/ml, n = 8). The response evoked by EAcF was abolished by propranolol or nifedipine. Reserpine did not alter the inotropic response of EAcF. Furthermore, an enhancement of the ICa,L peak (31.2%) with EAcF was observed. Chemical analysis of EAcF revealed the presence of at least 10 different flavonoid glycoside derivatives. Two were identified as vicenin II and Isorhoifolin. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that EAcF increases the cardiac contractile force by increasing the l-type calcium current and activating the adrenergic receptor pathway. |
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