Search

Axillary shoot induction and plant regeneration were obtained in Plantago ovata. The optimum medium for inducing axillary shoots was Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium [5] supplemented with 4.6 μM kinetin and 0.05 μM NAA. Rooting of shoots was best on half-strength MS medium containing 5.0 μM IBA and 0.05 μM kinetin. The regenerated plants were similar to the control plants in karyotypic and phenotypic details.

The technique for callus initiation, growth and plant regeneration from cultured hypocotyl explants of Plantago ovata cv. GI-2 is described. Best initiation and growth of callus was achieved on Murashige & Skoog's medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (1.0 mgl-1) and kinetin (1.0 mgl-1). The callus showed maximum shoot differentiation on medium containing kinetin (4.0 mgl-1) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (0.01 mgl-1). Root formation of shoots was best on half-strength medium supplemented with 3-indolebutyric acid. The regenerated plants were successfully transferred into pots.

The husk from the seeds of Plantago ovata Forsk yielded two fractions when exposed to mild aikali, namely, the mucilage polysaccharide (85%, apparently a single species) and the non-polysaccharide component (15%). Methylation analysis and partial hydrolysis with acid showed the mucilage polysaccharide to be a highly branched, acidic arabinoxylan, the xylan backbone having both (1→4) and (1→3) linkages. The majority of the residues in the xylan backbone are variously substituted at O-2 and O-3 with arabinose, xylose, and an aldobiouronic acid identified as 2- O -(galactopyranosyluronic acid)-rhamnose. A structure incorporating these features for the husk polysaccharide is proposed.

Dietary fibres (Plantago ovata seeds, P. ovata husks, wheat bran, alfalfa, pectin, xylan) were incubated in vitro with gastrointestinal enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, alpha-amylase, maltase, lactase) in buffer solutions at concentrations of 1-5% for 10-30 min at 37 degrees C. All fibres induced sometimes pronounced changes in enzyme activity, but the effect of the different fibres on the various enzymes varied individually and was not predictable. Both P. ovata preparations had no (pepsin, trypsin, alpha-amylase) or only stimulating (chymotrypsin, lipase, lactase) actions whereas all other fibres showed inhibiting as well as stimulating influences. Wheat bran induced the most pronounced alterations increasing lipase, maltase and lactase activity and inhibiting alpha-amylase activity. Pectin and xylan were comparable in decreasing lipase and pepsin activity and in increasing chymotrypsin activity but had opposite effects on maltase activity. Alfalfa was able to stimulate lactase and lipase activity but depressed trypsin and alpha-amylase activity. The inactivation of enzymes by dietary fibres can, at least partly, be explained by adsorption to the fibre or by the presence of enzyme inhibitors especially in natural compounds. The reasons for activation processes are unknown. As enzyme activities are decisive for food digestion, the properties of the individual fibres should be carefully considered when used as dietary supplement in physiological or pathological conditions.

Finely ground psyllium (Plantago ovata) seeds, so-called ispaghula powder is used in bulk laxatives. During the dispensing of these medicines some dust is generated. Allergic symptoms from exposure to this dust was reported by two nurses, one of whom was working in a department where exposure to the powder could be considered high. Nineteen other subjects working in the same department were investigated with regard to allergy to ispaghula powder. An extract from ispaghula powder was made and used in RAST and skin tests. Exposure tests with ispaghula powder mixed with crushed rusks were made in symptomatic subjects. Eight out of the 20 investigated subjects from this department reported symptoms which could possibly have been elicited by ispaghula powder. Evidence of sensitization was found in five of them. The use of less dusty (granulated) forms of ispaghula laxatives might diminish the risk of sensitization.

Gas chromatography and combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry have been used to study the distribution of fatty acids and hydrocarbons in the seeds of Plantago ovata . The occurrence in the seed coat of the low molecular weight hydrocarbons (C 16 -C 19 ) with a significant percentage of an even carbon-numbered hydrocarbon (anteiso-C 18 ; 10·1 per cent) were unusual features in relation to earlier reports on plant hydrocarbons. The seed coat of P. ovata showed mainly linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acid in decreasing concentrations while the seed itself did not contain an appreciable amount of fatty acids. The results rule out a simple precursor-product relationship between fatty acids and hydrocarbons as the likely pathway to explain the biogenesis of all the hydrocarbons.

A B S T R A C T As the ovule of Plantago ovata matures into a seed its epidermal cells are transformed from undifferentiated parenchyma to thin-walled containers of almost pure mucilage. During this process the volume of the cells increases 60-80 fold, and the protoplast degenerates to a remnant. Rapid cell expansion begins with pollination and is accompanied by an increase in the size of the nucleus and nucleolus, a change in the random arrangement of ribosomes, a decrease in the thickness of cell walls, and synthesis of starch. Deposition of mucilage inside vacuoles and between the plasma membrane and cell wall accompanies a marked increase in the number and size of Golgi vesicles. Histochemical evidence using the thiocarbohydrazide-osmium vapor method shows polysaccharide to be present within Golgi vesicles while they are still attached to the Golgi apparatus. Mucilage deposition is associated with further cell expansion, separation of the protoplast from the cell wall, fusion of vacuoles and extra protoplasmic space, and the disappearance of starch. TIIE OUTERMOST CELL LAYER of the seed in the genus Plantago contains little but mucilage. The seed-produced polysaccharides of several Plantago

A comparative study was made of the seeds of the official Plantago ovata Forskal, the homegrown variety of Plantago ovata, and three Texas Plantago species: Plantago Helleri Small, Plantago inflexa Morris, and Plantago rhodosperma Decne. The investigation was carried out by making morphological and histological comparisons of the seeds and quantitative and qualitative comparisons of the mucilage content. It was found that the mucilage content of each of the Texas species is slightly less than that of Plantago ovata Forskal. However, the abundant occurrence and ease of cultivating and harvesting of the Texas species make them an excellent potential commercial crop. The homegrown variety of P. ovata was found to yield a percentage of mucilage equal to that of the imported variety, and commercial production of this species in the United States would seem to be warranted.

Plantago ovata seed oil contains two oxygenated fatty acids one of which is the known 9-hydroxyoctadec- cis -12-enoic acid. The other is 9-oxoact

Free-proline accumulation was measured in leaves of intact wheat (Triticum vulgare L. cv. Kalyan Sona), plantago (Plantago ovata Forsk-Isabgool), papavar (Papaver somnifera L. Opium poppy) and mustard (Brassica juncea L. var. Varuna) grown in the field with low to high field water content and thus they were subjected to water stress. Leaf water deficit in percentage was used to determine the degree of stress at the time of proline anlysis.

SummaryAn experiment to study the effect of sowing time (21 October, 5 November, 20 November, 5 December and 20 December), seed rate (5, 7·5 and 10 kg/ha) and application of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg N/ha) was conducted at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on a loamy sand soil during the winter seasons of 1974–5 and 1975–6. The delay in sowing from 21 October to 20 December produced shorter plants with fewer spikes. The crop sown on 21 October using 7·5 or 10 kg seed/ha and supplied with 20 or 40 kg N/ha gave better yield than those of later sowings.

Dietary fiber consists of plant cell wall materials which are not digested by enzymes of the human upper gastrointestinal tract. Chemically they are mostly noncarbohydrate lignin or polysaccharides, i.e. cellulose, hemicellu- lose, pectic substances, gums, mucilages or algal polysaccharides. Fibers hold water and when purified they can form gel (or mucilages) in water as, e.g., pectin, guar gum and plantago ovata preparations. Natural fiber products, such as vegetables, salads, fruits and bran, also hold water but do not usually form gel. Accordingly, dietary fibers can be divided into gel-forming and nongel-forming ones. Since fibers also have adsorptive capacity and cation exchange nature they can interfere with many absorptive function in the small intestine. In fact, cholesterol and bile acid absorption has been assumed to be disturbed by a high fiber diet, resulting via enhanced fecal elimination of cholesterol in a decrease in serum cholesterol. On the basis of epidemiol- ogical studies dietary fiber deficiency has been claimed to promote development of coronary heart disease by modifying cholesterol metabolism. The present paper deals with the effects of dietary fibers on serum cholesterol, serum lipoproteins and some measures of cholesterol metabolism.

Psyllium, seed of Plantago ovata, is a major constituent of several bulk laxatives. There are several reports on its role as an occupational respiratory allergen. We describe a severe anaphylactic reaction caused by ingestion of psyllium laxative. The hypersensitivity to Plantago ovata was confirmed by skin testing and RAST. The possibility of hypersensitivity reaction to psyllium laxatives should be recognized and included in marketing information.

Short-term viscous dietary fibres, plantago ovata and guar gum preparations, decreased serum cholesterol, mainly LDL cholesterol, as compared to low fibre or nonviscous high fibre periods, through enhancing cholesterol elimination as fecal bile acids. These changes were associated with significant increases in serum levels of cholesterol precursors, both in methylsterols and demethylated precursor sterols, while that of cholestanol (saturated cholesterol derivative) was decreased. In addition, cholesterol precursor contents were positively related, cholestanol negatively, to fecal cholesterol elimination both on and off viscous fibres. These findings indicate increased cholesterol synthesis, also seen by sterol balance data. As compared to low fibre diet, nonviscous high fibre diet conserved bile acids and decreased cholesterol absorption. Thus, it had no effect on cholesterol synthesis as indicated by fecal total steroids or serum levels of cholesterol precursors.

Recent medical literature contains few reports1of esophageal obstruction resulting from ingestion of hygroscopic substances. These hygroscopic substances become swollen and spongy on the addition of water. If an insufficient quantity of water or fluid is taken after ingestion of the hygroscopic material and/or if transient spasm or constriction in the esophagus occurs, the rapidly swelling mass may become trapped. We encountered a patient with a subtotal gastric resection in whom Serutan caused an esophageal obstruction. The manufacturer of Serutan states that it is a hydrogel obtained from Plantago ovata and extracted from sugar beets from which the roughage has been removed. REPORT OF A CASE This 69-year-old patient entered the hospital on May 13, 1949, 12 to 13 hours after he had ingested Serutan. Without reading the directions first, he ingested two teaspoonfuls of dry Serutan and then had taken a "swallow of water." Almost immediately the patient

Background : New dietary strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk include the addition of fiber to the diet. The effect of soluble-fiber consumption derived from Plantago ovata husk on lipid risk factors in patients with CVD is unknown. Objective : We compared the effects of soluble fiber (P. ovata husk) with those of insoluble fiber (P. ovata seeds) on plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein (apo) concentrations within a CVD secondary prevention program. Design : In a randomized, crossover, controlled, single-blind design, 28 men with CVD (myocardial infarction or stable angina) and an LDL-cholesterol concentration ≤3.35 mmol/L consumed for 8 wk, under controlled conditions, a low-saturated-fat diet supplemented with 10.5 g P. ovata husk/d or 10.5 g P. ovata seeds/d. Fasting plasma lipid concentrations and polymorphisms of genes involved in lipid metabolism, such as apo A-IV, apo E, and fatty acid–binding protein, were measured. Results : Plasma triacylglycerol decreased (6.7%; P < 0.02), the ratio of apo B 100 to apo A-I decreased (4.7%; P < 0.02), and apo A-I increased (4.3%; P < 0.01) in the P. ovata husk consumers. Compared with the intake of insoluble fiber, the intake of P. ovata husk increased HDL-cholesterol concentrations by 6.7% (P = 0.006) and decreased the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol and of LDL to HDL cholesterol by 10.6% (P = 0.002) and 14.2% (P = 0.003), respectively. Conclusion : In the secondary prevention of CVD, P. ovata husk intake induces a more beneficial effect on the cardiovascular lipid risk-factor profile than does an equivalent intake of insoluble fiber.

This study aimed to determine the antiulcerogenic and antioxidant activities of Psyllium (Plantago ovata Forssk) seed ethanolic extract in rats. We assessed the antioxidant potential using free radical scavenging on DPPH, β-carotene bleaching activity, ferric reducing power, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. In the antiulcerogenic study, pre-treatment with Plantago ovata seeds ethanolic extract (POE) (400 mg/kg b.wt) significantly protected against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats by decreasing the ulcer index value and preserving the integrity of the gastric mucosa. The oxidative stress status in the stomach tissues showed a significant increase in the antioxidant enzyme levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase with a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation during pre-treatment with POE. In conclusion, the POE protects against gastric ulcer due to its antioxidant potential and presence of bioactive molecules. Resumo O presente estudo teve como objetivo determinar as atividades antiulcerogênica e antioxidante das sementes de Psyllium (Plantago ovata Forssk) em ratos. O potencial antioxidante foi avaliado utilizando o método do sequestro do radical livre DPPH, autooxidação do β-caroteno, poder redutor de ferro e atividade de sequestro do radical hidroxila. No estudo antiulcerogênico, o pré-tratamento com o extrato etanólico das sementes de Plantago ovata (POE) (400 mg/Kg b.wt) reduziu a úlcera gástrica induzida pelo etanol em ratos, diminuindo o valor do índice de úlcera e preservando a integridade da mucosa gástrica. O estudo do estresse oxidativo nos tecidos estomacais mostrou um aumento significativo dos níveis das enzimas antioxidantes superóxido dismutase, catalase e glutationa peroxidase, com uma diminuição significativa da peroxidação lipídica enquanto pré-tratamento com POE. Em conclusão, o POE protege contra úlcera gástrica devido aos seus potenciais antioxidantes e à presença de moléculas bioativas.

• The effect of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid on serum cholesterol levels was investigated in 26 men with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia (range of cholesterol level, 4.86 to 8.12 mmol/L [188 to 314 mg/dL]) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study. Following a two-week baseline period, subjects were treated for eight weeks with 3.4 g of psyllium or cellulose placebo at mealtimes (three doses per day). All subjects maintained their usual diets, which provided less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day and approximately 20% of energy from protein, 40% from carbohydrate, and 40% from fat. Eight weeks of treatment with psyllium reduced serum total cholesterol levels by 14.8%, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 20.2%, and the ratio of LDL cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 14.8% relative to baseline values. The reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol became progressively larger with time, and this trend appeared to be continuing at the eighth week. Psyllium treatment did not affect body weight, blood pressure, or serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, iron, or zinc. No significant changes in serum lipid levels, body weight, blood pressure, or other serum parameters were observed with placebo treatment. Subject adherence to psyllium treatment was excellent, and no adverse effects were observed. Results of this study show that psyllium is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. ( Arch Intern Med 1988;148:292-296)

To the Editor:— Several cases have been reported in which esophageal obstruction resulted from the use of one of the hygroscopic bulk laxatives. In every instance some of the ingested material lodged in the esophagus and formed a tenacious, sticky mass. An additional case seems worth describing, not only as a further warning concerning the use of such laxatives but, particularly, as a report of the prompt response to a method of treatment that, as far as I know, has not previously been tried. A 72-year-old white man was admitted to the North Carolina Baptist Hospital at 4 p. m. on April 7, 1953, because of an obstruction in the esophagus. For years he had been in the habit of taking Serutan. The manufacturer of Serutan states that it is a hydrogel obtained from Plantago ovata and extracted from sugar beets from which the roughage has been removed. At 10

In the course of hospital practice of radiology it is not uncommon to find obstruction of the esophagus in patients who have symptoms of brief duration. The commonest non-neoplastic obstruction is that resulting from impaction of meat or some other foreign body. The finding of obstruction of the lower end of the esophagus following the ingestion of the proprietary preparation known as serutan® is unique in our experience. In 1937 and also in 1939 saraka® (a hygroscopic gum laxative) was reported as causing esophageal obstruction.1Since that time we have seen no reports of such cases in the literature. Serutan,® a bland granular hygroscopic substance, which is widely used as a remedy for constipation, is said by the manufacturers to be a hydrogel derived from Plantago ovata and extracted sugar beets from which the roughage has been removed. Apparently, serutan® owes its laxative properties to its gelatinous, spongy character