Academic literature on the topic 'Acanthus Mollis'

The mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius and its relative, Acanthus mollis, have been previously proved to possess diverse pharmacological effects. Therefore, evaluating the differentially expressed proteins of these species under tidal flooding stress is essential to fully exploit and benefit from their medicinal values. The roots of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis were exposed to 6 h of flooding stress per day for 10 days. The dry weight, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, anatomical characteristics, carbon and energy levels, and two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS technology were used to reveal the divergent flooding resistant strategies. A. ilicifolius performed better under tidal flooding stress, which was reflected in the integrity of the morphological structure, more efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of up-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. A. mollis could not survive in flooding conditions for a long time, as revealed by disrupting cell structures of the roots, less efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of down-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. Energy provision and flux balance played a role in the flooding tolerance of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis.

Se estudia e ilustra la morfología del polen de las familias Acanthaceae, Vitaceae y Violaceae pertenecientes a la flora del Valle de México; la primera está representada por: Acanthus mollis L., Anisacanthus quadrifidus (Vahl) Standley, Dicliptera peduncularis Nees, Dyschoriste decumbens (Gray) O. Ktze., D. microphylla (Cav.) O. Ktze., Justicia furcata Jacq., Pseuderanthemum praecox (Benth.) Leonard, Ruellia bourgaei Hemsl., R. lactea Cav., R. speciosa (Nees) Lindau, Stenandrium dulce (Cav.) Nees y Tetramerium nervosum Nees.

The genus Acanthus (Acanthaceae) includes ~30 herbaceous, perennial species grown for their attractive foliage and flower spikes. Between June and December 2009 the CDFA Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab in Sacramento, CA received multiple leaf spot disease samples on Acanthus spinosus and A. mollis, commonly known as bear's breeches. Samples were collected four times from two nurseries in Santa Barbara County. Disease was observed in nearly 100% of the plants inspected. Leaf spots were brown, roundish to elliptical, and 1 to 4 mm in diameter. Older spots often developed grayish centers and often coalesced, leading to large necrotic areas. Conidiophores were fasciculate, amphigenous, light brown to olivaceous, multiseptate, geniculate, and had distinctive spore scars. Conidia were hyaline, straight to slightly curved with tapered tips and truncate bases. Conidia were solitary, multiseptate (1 to 10) and 48 to 160 × 2.5 to 5 μm (average 100 × 3.9 μm). Colonies obtained from single conidial isolates were established on acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA). Morphologically, the causal agent was identified as Cercospora diantherae Ellis and Kellerm (1), a species synonymous with C. apii sensu lato (2). The C. apii sensu lato complex includes three morphologically similar taxa, C. apii, C. beticola, and C. apiicola (3). Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region from the Acanthus isolate confirmed it belongs to the C. apii complex (GenBank HQ328503). Multiplex PCR to distinguish species within the complex was also performed on the isolate (3). A 176-bp fragment was only observed in the PCR reaction containing the C. beticola primers. To confirm pathogenicity, hyphal suspensions were used to inoculate healthy leaves of A. mollis plants potted in 3.7-liter containers. Hyphal suspensions were obtained by grinding 3-week-old colonies grown on APDA with distilled water using a mortar and pestle. Both sides of healthy leaves and petioles were sprayed with ~40 ml of the suspension. Five plants were inoculated with C. beticola and five plants were sprayed with sterile water. Plants were incubated in a dew chamber for 48 h and then transferred to a 25°C growth chamber with a 12-h photoperiod. The experiment was repeated. Five days after inoculation, small necrotic leaf spots developed on the leaves. After 14 days, the spots had enlarged and the leaves began to turn yellow. Over time, the spots coalesced leading to large necrotic areas, especially along the leaf margins. Petiole spots, not seen on field samples, were seen on laboratory inoculated plants. Sporulation of C. beticola occurred within most of the spots and the pathogen was successfully reisolated from all inoculated leaves. No foliar symptoms developed on any of the control plants. Worldwide, C. beticola is a destructive pathogen of sugar beet (4), and has also been reported on a number of other plant hosts (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. beticola causing a leaf spot disease on a host in the Acanthaceae family. This strain has been deposited into the culture collection at Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures. References: (1) C. Chupp. A Monograph of the Fungus Genus Cercospora. Ithaca, N.Y., 1953. (2) P. W. Crous and U. Braun. Mycosphaerella and Its Anamorphs 1: Names Published in Cercospora and Passalora. CBS, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 2003. (3) M. Groenwald et al. Mycologia 98:275, 2006. (4) W. W. Shane and P. S. Teng. Plant Dis. 76:812, 1992.

The phenomenon of today’s ageing population has increased interest in the search for new active substances that delay the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases. In this respect, the search for natural compounds, mainly phenolic compounds, with neuroprotective activity has become the focus of growing interest. Verbascoside is a phenylethanoid that has already presented several pharmacological activities. The purpose of this study is to isolate and identify verbascoside from Acanthus mollis leaves. Consequently, its neuroprotective ability through enzymatic inhibition and free radical scavenging ability has been analyzed both in vitro and in cell culture assays. The antioxidant capacity of verbascoside was evaluated in vitro through total antioxidant capacity, DPPH•, •OH, and O2•—scavenging activity assays. The effect of verbascoside on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of HepG2 and SH-SY5Y cell lines was studied in normal culture and under induced oxidative stress. The inhibitory ability of the phenylethanoid against several enzymes implied in neurodegenerative diseases (tyrosinase, MAO-A, and AChE) was analyzed in vitro. Verbascoside neuroprotective activity is at least in part related to its free radical scavenging ability. The effect of verbascoside on ROS production suggests its potential in the prevention of harmful cell redox changes and in boosting neuroprotection.

Dissertação de mestrado em Química Farmacêutica Industrial, apresentada à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Coimbra
O Acanthus mollis é uma planta nativa da região mediterrânica pertencente a uma extensa família (Acanthaceae) que compreende 4300 espécies distribuídas principalmente em regiões tropicais (Rezanka, Rezanka e Sigler, 2009), sendo tradicionalmente usada externamente como cicatrizante de feridas e queimaduras, analgésico e anti-inflamatório, e internamente como diurético, anti-inflamatório e calmante das mucosas do trato digestivo e urinário. Os estudos sobre a composição fitoquímica são escassos, assim como a comprovação científica da eficácia em patologias referidas na medicina popular. Em face do exposto e considerando o atual interesse na procura de novos produtos de origem natural com atividade terapêutica e destituídos de toxicidade, este trabalho aborda a caracterização fitoquímica e a avaliação do potencial terapêutico do Acanthus mollis, com base no estudo das propriedades biológicas que suportem algumas das suas utilizações tradicionais. Através da combinação de diversos processos extrativos foram obtidos diferentes extratos naturais a partir de folhas de Acanthus mollis. Assim, após secagem das folhas, por liofilização, efectuou-se uma extração sequencial, com éter petróleo, clorofórmio, etanol, etanol a 50% e água. Adicionalmente, foram preparados dois extratos aquosos, infusão e decocção. Os extratos obtidos foram analisados recorrendo a técnicas de cromatografia em camada fina para pesquisa de flavonóides, saponinas, triterpenos, alcalóides, taninos e benzoxazinóides. Estes mesmos extratos foram posteriormente analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta resolução com deteção de fotodíodos, permitindo detetar a existência de ácidos fenólicos, flavonóides e benzoxazinóides, em quase todos os extratos. A pesquisa de compostos com atividade captadora do radical DPPH nos extratos foi realizada pela técnica bio-autográfica. Os extratos de éter petróleo e etanol exibiram a presença de compostos mais reativos ao DPPH, justificando a avaliação da sua atividade antioxidante. De entre estes, o extrato etanólico foi o que apresentou maior atividade anti-radicalar (IC50 20,50 ± 0,47 μg/mL; TEAC de 6,90 ± 0,90 μg/mL). O potencial anti-inflamatório foi determinado para os 3 extratos aquosos, assim como para o extrato alcoólico e hidroalcoólico, usando macrófagos RAW 264.7 estimulados com LPS. O infuso e o extrato etanólico exibiram maior capacidade inibitória do mediador inflamatório NO, sem evidenciar citotoxicidade nas concentrações eficazes. A maior atividade antioxidante e anti-inflamatória do extrato etanólico, evidenciada nos estudos preliminares, orientou este trabalho para uma posterior identificação de fitoconstituintes eventualmente responsáveis por essas bioatividades. Consequentemente, procedeu-se ao fracionamento deste extrato por recurso à cromatografia líquida “Flash”, em fase reversa. As frações obtidas foram monitorizadas por HPLC-PDA tendo sido selecionada uma fração contendo benzoxazinóides para a determinação da atividade antioxidante e anti-inflamatória. Esta fração evidenciou uma atividade antioxidante (IC50 de 163,02 ± 3,04 μg/mL; TEAC de 79,33 ± 0,99) inferior à do extrato etanólico, tendo no entanto exibido uma elevada atividade anti-inflamatória em macrófagos RAW 264.7 estimulados pelo LPS (IC50 de 32,32 μg/mL), sem citotoxicidade. Estes resultados sugerem que estes fitoconstituintes podem ser em parte responsáveis pela atividade anti-inflamatória que tradicionalmente se atribui a A. mollis. Neste estudo o Acanthus mollis revelou ser uma boa fonte de compostos bioativos com potencial antioxidante e anti-inflamatório para a indústria farmacêutica. Nesta perpectiva procurou-se aplicar um processo extrativo que fosse industrialmente mais viável, utilizando-se a extração com etanol a 95%, diretamente da planta seca. Este método demonstrou ser eficiente na extração dos derivados benzoxazinóides (glicósidos do DIBOA) e de fenilpropanóides (verbascósido e seus derivados), identificados por TLC, HPLC-PDA e HPLC-PDA-MSn. O extrato evidenciou uma boa atividade captadora do radical DPPH (IC50 40,00 ± 1,59 μg/mL; TEAC 23,54 ± 1,10) e do anião superóxido (IC50 de 29,42 ± 1,99 μg/mL) e baixa atividade captadora para o radical hidroxilo. O extrato apresentou também atividade anti-inflamatória em culturas de macrófagos RAW 264.7 estimuladas pelo LPS, com um IC50 deste extrato de 28,01 μg/mL, superior à atividade do extrato etanólico resultante da extração sequenciada (IC50 48,31 μg/mL), sem evidenciar citotoxicidade apreciável. Dos resultados obtidos infere-se que um extrato alcoólico de Acanthus mollis pode constituir uma importante fonte de fitoconstituintes bioativos, com importante potencial na prevenção e/ou tratamento de patologias associadas a processos oxidativos e inflamatórios.
The Acanthus mollis is a plant native to the Mediterranean region that belongs to an extended family (Acanthaceae) comprising 4300 species distributed mainly in tropical regions, being traditionally used externally as healing of wounds and burns, analgesic and anti-inflammatory and internally as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and soothing mucosa of the digestive and urinary tract. Studies on the phytochemical composition are scarce, and the scientific evidence of efficacy in diseases mentioned in folk medicine. In view of the above and considering the current interest in the search for new natural products with therapeutic activity and devoid of toxicity, the proposed work aims to address the phytochemical characterization and evaluation of the therapeutic potential of Acanthus mollis, based on the study of biological properties that support traditional uses. By combining various extractive processes, different natural extracts were obtained from the leaves of Acanthus mollis. Thus, after drying the leaves by lyophilization, a sequential extraction was carried out with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, 50% ethanol and water. Additionally, two aqueous extracts, infusion and decoction were prepared. The extracts were analyzed using thin layer chromatography techniques for searching flavonoids, saponins, triterpenes, alkaloids, tannins and benzoxazinoids. The same extracts were subsequently analyzed using high resolution liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection, allowing to detect the existence of phenolic acids, flavonoids and benzoxazinoids in almost all the extracts. The search for compounds with DPPH scavenging activity in the extracts was performed by bio-autographic technique. The petroleum ether and ethanol extracts showed the presence of more reactive compounds to DPPH, justifying the posterior evaluation of their antioxidant activity. Among these, the ethanol extract showed the highest scavenging activity (IC50 20,50 ± 0.47 μg/mL; TEAC of 6,90 ± 0,90 μg/mL). The anti-inflammatory potential was determined for the three aqueous extracts, as well for the alcoholic and hydroalcoholic extracts, using RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. The infusion and ethanol extract exhibited higher inhibitory capacity of the inflammatory mediator NO, with no evidence of cytotoxicity in effective concentrations. The highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract, shown in preliminary studies, oriented this work for later identification of phytochemicals, possibly responsible for these bioactivities. Consequently, this extract was fractionated using reversed phase liquid "Flash"chromatography. The obtained fractions were monitored by HPLC-PDA having been selected a fraction containing benzoxazinoids to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. This fraction showed an antioxidant activity (IC50 of 163,02 ± 3,04 μg/mL; TEAC of 79,33 ± 0,99) lower than the ethanol extract, but nevertheless displayed a high antiinflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated by LPS (IC50 32,32 μg/mL) without cytotoxicity. These results suggest that these phytochemicals may be partly responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity that traditionally attributed to A. mollis. In this study the Acanthus mollis proved to be a good source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential for the pharmaceutical industry. In this perspective we tried to apply an extraction process that would be more industrially feasible, using extraction with 95% ethanol, directly from the dried plant. This method proved to be efficient extracting benzoxazinoid derivatives (DIBOA glycosides) and phenylpropanoids (verbascosid and its derivatives), identified by TLC, HPLC-PDA and HPLC-PDA-MSn. The extract showed a good scavenging activity for DPPH (IC50 40,00 ± 1.59 μg/ml; TEAC 23,54 ± 1,10) and superoxide anion (IC50 of 29,42 ± 1.99 μg/mL) and low activity for scavenging hydroxyl radical. The extract also showed anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophage cultures stimulated by LPS, with an IC50 of 28,01 μg/mL, greater than the activity of the ethanolic extract resulting from sequential extraction (IC50 48,31 μg/mL) without evidencing significant cytotoxicity. From the results obtained it appears that an alcoholic extract of Acanthus mollis could be an important source of bioactive phytochemicals, with significant potential in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases associated with oxidative and inflammatory processes.

A utilização de plantas medicinais para a prevenção o e tratamento de doenças é uma das mais antigas práticas medicinais do homem. A determinação dos constituintes bioativos de uma planta com potencial terapêutico, oferece variadíssimas oportunidades para a descoberta e desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. Neste contexto, o objetivo geral deste trabalho foi melhorar o conhecimento sobre as propriedades biológicas de extratos obtidos a partir do Acanthus mollis, L. (acanto), uma espécie sobre a qual são praticamente inexistentes estudos científicos, e a sua possível valorização como fonte de produtos naturais para uso terapêutico e/ou nutracêutico. Neste estudo avaliou-se o potencial antioxidante e citotóxico de extratos metanólicos e etanólicos de folhas e flores do acanto. Para alguns grupos de metabolitos secundários (fenóis, flavonoides e alcaloides) determinaram-se alguns dos compostos fitoquímicos, bem como, a influência do procedimento de extração, usando a extracção em Soxhlet e extração assistida por ultrassons, contemplando neste caso, o tamanho de partícula. O teor médio em fenóis totais foi avaliado pelo método do reagente de Folin-Ciocalteu; para quantificar os flavonoides totais recorreu-se ao método colorimétrico com cloreto de alumínio e o teor de alcaloides totais foi estimado pelo método do reagente de Dragendorff. A atividade antioxidante foi determinada pelo teste do 2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazil (DPPH). A avaliação da citotoxicidade foi feita pelo teste do brometo de 3-[4,5-dimetiltiazol-2-il]-2,5-difeniltetrazólio (MTT) para a viabilidade celular e a proliferação foi analisada através do doseamento de proteínas por ácido bicinconínico (BCA). A maioria dos extratos estudados apresentam um teor significativo de metabolitos secundários (fenóis, flavonoides e alcaloides), sendo o método de extração por ultrassons o que apresentou melhores resultados, nomeadamente para o menor tamanho de partícula. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o teor em fenóis totais, variou entre 57,4 ± 7,67 e 200,5 ± 2,86 miligramas de equivalentes de ácido gálico (mg EAG) por grama de matéria seca. Os flavonoides totais e ao alcaloides apresentam teores que variam entre 13,8 ± 1,03 e 57,2 ± 2,24 miligramas de equivalentes de quercetina (mg EQ) por grama de matéria seca, e 50,4 ± 0,004 e 746,0 ± 0,03 miligramas de equivalentes de nitrato de pilocarpina (mg ENP) por grama de matéria seca. Os resultados para o índice de atividade antioxidante variaram entre 0,90 ± 0,03 e 1,61± 0,31 para os extratos, mostrando que todos eles apresentaram uma atividade antioxidante significativa. Nos estudos de citotoxicidade todos os extratos provaram ser citóxicos para células do adenocarcinoma da mama humano (MCF-7) e o extrato metanólico das flores, obtido por Soxhlet, apresenta toxicidade seletiva para estas células relativamente aos fibroblastos dérmicos normais humanos (NHDF).
The use of medicinal plants for treatment, cure and prevention of diseases is one of the oldest medicinal practices of humanity. The evaluation of bioactive constituents on a plant with therapeutic potential, offers an extensive range of opportunities for the discovery and development of new drugs. In this context, the broad aim of this work was to improve the knowledge on the biological properties of extracts obtained from Acanthus mollis, L. (acanthus), a species about which there are hardly any scientific studies and its potential value as a source of natural products for therapeutic and/or nutraceutical use. This study evaluated the antioxidant and cytotoxic potential of methanol and ethanol extracts of leaves and acanthus flowers. For some groups of secondary metabolites (phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids) was determined some of phytochemical compounds, as well as the influence of the extraction procedure using the Soxhlet extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction, comprising in this case the particle size. The average of total phenolic content was estimated by the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method; flavonoids were determined by aluminum chloride colorimetric method and the total alkaloid content was estimated by the method of the Dragendorff reagent. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl radical method (DPPH). Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the 3- [4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, for cell viability and proliferation was analyzed using protein measurement using bicinchoninic acid (BCA). The majority of the studied extracts show a significant content of secondary metabolites (phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids), being the method of extraction by ultrasounds the one that presented the best results, particularly for smaller particle size. The results obtained showed that the total phenolic content varied between 57.4 ± 7.67 and 200.5 ± 2.86 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents (mg EGA) per gram of dry matter. The total flavonoids and alkaloids present content levels ranging from 13.8 ± 1.03 and 57.2 ± 2.24 milligrams of quercetin equivalents (mg EQ) per gram of dry matter and 50.4 ± 0.004 and 746.0 ± 0.03 milligrams of pilocarpine nitrate equivalents (mg EPN) per gram of dry matter. The results for the antioxidant activity index fluctuated between 0.90 ± 0.03 and 1.61 ± 0.31 for the extracts, showing that all of them presented a significant antioxidant activity. In the cytotoxicity studies all extracts proved to be citoxic to cells of the human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and the methanol extract from flowers by Soxhlet shows selective toxicity towards normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF).