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Several medicinal plants, including the endemic herb Cirsum ehrenbergii (Asteraceae), have been documented in manuscripts, medical and botanical books written in Mexico since the XVI century until the present. This unique circumstance is a real window in the time that allows to investigate historical and contemporary ethnopharmacological knowledge. To examine the persistence, disappearance, and transformation of ethnomedicinal knowledge of C. ehrenbergii along time. Also, to investigate the chemistry and pharmacology of this species in relation to its historical and present day main ethnomedical applications related to Central Nervous System and inflammation. A thorough review was performed of written sources of medicinal plants from XVI and onwards. For the pharmacological studies, the organic extracts were tested in mice models to assess its antidepressant and anti-inflammatory properties. The active extracts were studied chemically. The isolated compounds were identified by 1H, 13C NMR, or characterized by GC-MS. Cirsum ehrenbergii was illustrated for the first time (1552) in the Libellus de Medicinalibus Indorum Herbis (Booklet of Medicinal Plants of the Indians) and named in the Nahuatl native language as huitzquilitl (edible thistle). It was there recommended as nigris sanguinis remedium (remedy for black blood), and for the treatment of illnesses with an inflammatory component. Nigris sanguinis was well known in the European medicine of that time and currently it has been interpreted as "depression". At the present time, peasants and native population in Mexico mainly name C. ehrenbergii in Spanish as cardo Santo (holy thistle). Its original Nahuatl name has been almost forgotten. However, these communities use this species, among other maladies, to heal "nervios" (anxiety and/or depression) and for anti-inflammatory purposes. These ailments and treatments resemble those recorded in the Libellus and in several medicinal plant books along centuries. The ethanol extract of C. ehrenbergii roots showed antidepressant-like activity in mice administered at 300 mg/kg, as indicated by the forced swim test (FST). The glycosylated flavonoid linarin was identified as antidepressant principle and was active at the doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg in the FST. Regarding to anti-inflammatory activity, the most active was the methylene chloride extract of the aerial parts, which contains taraxasterol, pseudotaraxasterol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Cirsium ehrenbergii extracts possess antidepressant-like (roots, EtOH) and anti-inflammatory (aerial parts, CH 2 Cl 2) properties, containing active compounds. Our results sustain historical and present day ethnomedical applications of this species documented along five centuries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extracts of 14 Julianaceae and 5 Clusiaceae species growing in Mexico were tested in vitro (50 µg/mL) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and HIV reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT). The Julianaceae bark and leaf extracts inhibited M. tuberculosis (>84.67%) and HIV-RT (<49.89%). The Clusiaceae leaves extracts also inhibited both targets (>58.3% and >67.6%), respectively. The IC50 values for six selected extracts and their cytotoxicity (50 µg/mL) to human macrophages were then determined. Amphipterygiumglaucum, A. molle, and A. simplicifolium fairly inhibited M. tuberculosis with IC50 of 1.87-2.35 µg/mL; but their IC50 against HIV-RT was 59.25-9783 µg/mL. Calophyllum brasiliense, Vismia baccifera, and Vismia mexicana effect on M. tuberculosis was noteworthy (IC50 3.02-3.64 µg/mL) and also inhibited RT-HIV (IC50 26.24-35.17 µg/mL). These 6 extracts (50 µg/mL) presented low toxicity to macrophages (<23.8%). The HPLC profiles of A. glaucum, A. molle, and A. simplicifolium indicated that their antimycobacterial activity cannot be related to masticadienonic, 3α, or 3β-hydromasticadienonic acids, suggesting that other compounds may be responsible for the observed activity or this might be a synergy result. The anti-HIV-RT and antimycobacterial activities induced by C. brasiliense can be attributed to the content of calanolides A, B, as well as soulatrolide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Medicinal plants are commonly used in Latin American folk medicine for the treatment of gastric problems. In order to understand the properties of some of their chemical constituents, four natural xanthones, an acetylated derivative, two coumarins (mammea A/BA and mammea C/OA) isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess and two flavonoids (minimiflorin and mundulin) isolated from Lonchocarpus oaxacensis Pittier, and the chalcone lonchocarpin isolated from Lonchocarpus guatemalensis Benth were tested for their activities on gastric H+,K+-ATPase isolated from dog stomach. All the compounds tested inhibited H+,K+-ATPase activity with varied potency. The xanthones inhibited the H+,K+-ATPase with IC50 values ranging from 47μM to 1.6mM. Coumarins inhibited H+,K+-ATPase with IC50 values of 110 and 638μM. IC50 values for the flavonoids ranged from 9.6 to 510μM among which minimiflorin was the most potent. The results suggest that H+,K+-ATPase is sensitive to inhibition by several types of structurally different natural compounds. The potency of the effects on gastric H+,K+-ATPase depends on the presence, position and number of hydroxyls groups in the molecule. Collectively, these results suggest a potential for important pharmacological and toxicological interactions by these types of natural products at the level of H+,K+-ATPase which may explain, at least in part, the gastroprotective properties, indicated by traditional medicine, of the plants from which these compounds were isolated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cacalolides are a kind of sesquiterpenoids natural compounds synthesized by Psacalium decompositum (A. Gray) H. Rob. & Brettell or Psacalium peltatum (Kunth) Cass. Antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects have been found for cacalolides such as cacalol, cacalone or maturine, however, their effects on inflammatory processes are still largely unclear. The main aim of this study was to investigate the biological activities of secondary metabolites from P. decompositum and P. peltatum through two approaches: (1) chemoinformatic and toxicoinformatic analysis based on ethnopharmacologic background; and (2) the evaluation of their potential anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic effects in bone marrow-derived mast cells by IgE/antigen complexes. The bioinformatics properties of the compounds: cacalol; cacalone; cacalol acetate and maturin acetate were evaluated through Osiris DataWarrior software and Molinspiration and PROTOX server. In vitro studies were performed to test the ability of these four compounds to inhibit antigen-dependent degranulation and intracellular calcium mobilization, as well as the production of reactive oxygen species in bone marrow-derived mast cells. Our findings showed that cacalol displayed better bioinformatics properties, also exhibited a potent inhibitory activity on IgE/antigen-dependent degranulation and significantly reduced the intracellular calcium mobilization on mast cells. These data suggested that cacalol could reduce the negative effects of the mast cell-dependent inflammatory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Heteropterys brachiata is a plant species that has been used in traditional Mexican medicine for the treatment of nervous disorders. Aim of the study: To evaluate the anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant and sedative effects produced by the methanolic extract of Heteropterys brachiata (HbMeOH) in ICR mice. Additionally, we determine the acute toxicity profiles of the extract and the presence of its main constituents. Material and methods: The neuropharmacological effects of the extract were evaluated using a variety of models, such as the elevated plus maze (EPM), the forced swimming test (FST), the pentobarbital potentiation test (PTBt), pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures test (PTZt), and the open field test (OFT). HPLC was employed for obtention of phytochemical profile. Results: HbMeOH produced a significant antidepressant effect in FST at 500 and 750mg/kg doses, while doses from 500 to 1500mg/kg exhibited a clear dose-dependent anxiolytic activity in EPM. A dose of 500mg/kg showed a significant anticonvulsant activity in PTZt and an absence of sedation effects in PTBt. The main compounds of HbMeOH were chlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid methyl ester, as well as less abundant terpene-type compounds. Furthermore, the extract was either safe with no deaths in mice treated orally with 2000mg/kg. Conclusions: HbMeOH extract which contains mainly hydroxycinnamic acids and triterpene-type compounds, possesses antidepressant, anxiolytic and anticonvulsive properties and can be considered safe or of low toxicity when orally administrated. These findings lend pharmacological justification to the traditional use of Heteropterys brachiata in the treatment of nervous disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thirty-two extracts from 22 Mexican medicinal plants of 15 different families were assayed to determine their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Seventeen plants showed antibacterial activity, while five plants showed no activity against both bacteria. All of the extracts showed higher activity against Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant) than against Escherichia coli, except one. Among the plants examined, Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Burseraceae), Haematoxylum brasiletto H. Karst. (Fabaceae), Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae), and Mammea americana L. (Clusiaceae) were highly active against Staphylococcus aureus. Coumarins (mammea A/BA and mammea A/AA) and xanthones, namely jacareubin and 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-2-(3,3-dimethylallyl) xanthone, were isolated as the principle compounds from the last two plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]