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Prophylactic treatment was carried out in 32 metallurgists suffering of gastroduodenal diseases. The treatment included Eleutherococcus, alpha-tocopherol acetate, methyuracil, milfoil, nettle leaves, wort and camomile leaves, oxygen foam cocktails. Clinical, biochemical, immunological, endoscopic and morphological examinations revealed efficiency of the prophylactic treatment.
Experiments on mice and rats with alloxan diabetes were conducted for comparative assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic use of adaptogenic plant pharmaceuticals as well as some other commonly used plant drugs. Of marked antidiabetic properties were root and leaf ginseng tincture (LGT), Echinopanax tincture, extracts of Eleutherococcus, Rhodiola (ER) and Leuzia which decreased the blood level of glucose in a CTT (5 g h of glucose per I kg of the animal body mass) from 17.15 to 11.19, 11.50, 12.72, 11.69, 13.47 mmol/l and increased the alloxan-reduced level of liver glycogen by 50-80% (P less than 0.05). Aralia and Schizandra tinctures for this diabetic model were ineffective. Yarrow, everlastings and birch leaf tea also possessed marked hypoglycemic and glycogen sparing properties. The most effective experimentally plant adaptogens LGT and ER increased the blood level of insulin in alloxan diabetic rats in a GTT from 16.75 up to 44.42, 35.31 microU/ml and decreased the level of glucagon from 495 to 195 and 138 pg/ml, respectively. The authors discussed mechanisms of antidiabetic, insulinotropic and hypoglucagonemic action of the effective plant pharmaceuticals and the prospects of their use in multimodality therapy of diabetes mellitus of type I.
Intraperitoneal injection of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey tincture, Polyscias filicifolia Bailey tincture, Panax ginseng tincture or Eleutherococcus Maxim extract to rats produced a rise in plasma corticosterone 1 hour after the treatment. Immobilization-induced rise in plasma corticosterone was increased by 7-day pretreatment with any agent. Thus, the adaptation effect of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey and Polyscias filicifolia Bailey is probably realized through the pituitary-adrenocortical system.
From the water or alcaline-water extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench. and -angustifolia DC., Eupatorium cannabium L. and -perfoliatum L., Chamomilla recutita L. Rauscher, Calendula officinalis L., Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R. B., Achyrocline satureioides DC., Arnica montana L., Sabal serrulata Roem. et Schult., and Eleutherococcus (Acanthopanax) senticosus Maxim. polysaccharide fractions with molecular weights in the range of 25 000 to 500 000 and higher have been isolated, which, according to the granulocytes- and carbon clearance tests, showed significant immunostimulating activities. The isolated compounds belong to the group of watersoluble, acidic branched-chain heteroglycans. Their immunostimulating activity is compared and discussed with respect to other polysaccharides of biological activity.
In experiments on white rats and mice, stress was induced by suspending the animals by the neck fold. The evaluation of the degree of the stress and antistressor properties of a hexapeptide arginine-containing analog of leu-enkephalin was performed according to the changes in the weight of the thymus, spleen, adrenals, and appearance of ulceration in the gastric mucosa. At the same time the level of immunoreactive cortisol was measured in the rat blood by radioimmunoassay, whereas the content of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids by fluorometry. It has been demonstrated that the leu-enkephalin analog possesses marked antistressor properties comparing very favourably with the action of adaptogens obtained from eleutherococcus extract.
From the water or alcaline-water extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and -angustifolia DC., Eupatorium cannabinum L. and -perfoliatum L., Chamomilla recutita (L.) (Rauscher), Calendula officinalis L., Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R.B., Achyrocline satureoides DC., Arnica montana L., Sabal serrulata Roem et Schult. and Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim. polysaccharide fractions with molecular weights in the range of 25 000 to 500 000 and higher have been isolated, which, according to the granulocytes- and carbon clearance tests, showed significant immunostimulating activities. The isolated compounds belong to the group of water-soluble, acidic heteroglycanes. The linkages in the different polysaccharides do not represent a uniform structure type.
The experiments performed on emotional--painful stress model in rats demonstrated cardioprotective activity of adaptogens of vegetable origin (rodiolae, eleutherococcus, levsea, p-tyrosol). Preliminary injection of rodiolae extract was found to prevent stress--induced increase in cAMP level and cGMP content decrease in heart. We can conclude that adaptogens cardioprotective effect may be the drugs to prevent stressor change in cyclic nucleotides level in myocardium.
Investigation of antioxidant properties of some plants was carried out. A group of plants affected human central nervous system was studied in detail. Efficiency of plants as antioxidants was tested by the influence of their extracts on the yield of photochemiluminescence of Gly-Trp solutions. Antioxidant properties were examined under conditions when their own absorption was minimized. Riboflavin as additional sensitizer was used in this experiment for superoxide generation. The antioxidant effect was evaluated with regard to single dose of plant extracts and their concentration in human organism. The effect decreases in the following consequence: Hypericum > Eleutherococcus > Rhodiola > Leonurus > Aralia > Valeriana > Echinopanax > Schizandra > Panax gin-seng.
Investigation of photosensitization and photoprotection induced by plant extracts was carried out. A group of plants affected human central nervous system was studied in detail. Efficiency of plants as photoprotectors and photosensitizers was tested in the frame of the influence of their extracts on the yield of photochemiluminescence of Gly-Trp solutions. Photosensitization was studied under irradiation with light lambda > 280 nm and lambda > 320 nm, as well as with monochromatic light lambda=313, 365, 405 and 436 nm. All of the plants studied acted as photoprotectors in low concentration and as photosensitizers in high concentration. The efficiency of photoprotection and photosensitization was evaluated with regard to single dose of plant extracts and their concentration in human organism. The effect decreases in the following consequence of plants: Leonurus > Hypericum > Aralia > Schizandra > Echinopanax > Eleutherococcus > Valeriana > Panax ginseng. Photosensitization is due to the components of plant extracts which have strong absorbtion at the high wavelength range. The mechanism of photosensitization was suggested. Singlet oxygen generated by photoexcited compounds is the main species resulted in chemiluminescence. Superoxide radicals does not contribute significantly to the chemiluminescence formation.
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The use of in vitro trout hepatocyte cultures is shown to provide a simple and effective way to screen plant and food products for oestrogenic activity. The relative oestrogenic activities of 0.1 g each of extracts of phytosterol, soy isoflavone, red clover, kudzu and soybean extracts were determined using this assay and found to be equivalent to 212, 1, 3.2, 132 and 1025 nM of 17beta-estradiol, respectively. Controls were performed on soybean and kudzu extracts using specific ELISAs for isoflavones and these confirmed the validity of the cell culture assay. The method described offers an advantage over current methods in that it can detect increased oestrogenic activity that may occur as a result of metabolic activation of pre- or pro-oestrogens liver cells.
The extract of the stem bark of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (ASH) is known to have healing and protective effects on stress-induced disturbance of mental status. We have analysed whether a single or chronic (2 week) administration of ASH can affect concentrations of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA) and their metabolites in the normal rat brain. A single p.o. administration of ASH elevated the NA and DA levels in the whole brain of rats in a dose-dependent manner. A single or 2 week administration of ASH (500 mg/kg) showed a marked increase in the DA level only in the striatum. However, NA levels were increased by a single dose of ASH in a wide range of brain regions such as the cortex, hypothalamus, striatum, hippocampus, substantia nigra and pons. When administered for 2 weeks no increase in NA levels was seen in these brain regions, except for an increase in the frontal cortex and anterior hypothalamus. The present results suggest that ASH may act by regulating NA and DA levels in specific brain regions related to stress response and Parkinson's disease.
Endotoxemia causes an enhanced production of reactive oxygen radicals, which contribute to multiple organ dysfunction. When rats were given intravenous lipopolysaccharide and tested 6 h later we found that the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in kidney, were acutely suppressed while in serum the levels of nitric oxide (NO), lipid peroxidation, urea nitrogen and creatinine were significantly increased, indicating the excessive production of reactive oxygen radicals and the presence of renal injury. Pretreatment of rats with Acanthopanax Radix extract administered orally for 30 days reduced the NO and lipid peroxidation levels, increased the activities of catalase and GSH-Px, and attenuated the renal dysfunction. These results suggested that scavenging of reactive oxygen radicals is part of the mechanism by which Acanthopanax Radix extract works as an effective agent in preventing multiple organ dysfunction.
The chloroform and the ethyl acetate fractions from the roots of Acanthopanax chiisanensis exhibited the significant inhibition of TPA-induced prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) production in rat peritoneal macrophages. Five lignans were isolated from the chloroform fraction and their structures were elucidated as l-sesamin, helioxanthin, savinin, taiwanin C, and 3-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-2-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)butyrolactone. Among the lignans tested, taiwanin C showed the most potent inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 0.12 microM) on PGE(2) production with the relative order of potency, taiwanin C >> 3-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-2-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)butyrolactone > savinin = helioxanthin. l-Sesamin showed no inhibitory activity at 30 microM.
The effect of Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) leaves on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. A water extract of AS leaves increased the LPL activity in culture medium of adipocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The AS extract contained heparin-like LPL releasing components, however, the increase of medium LPL activity was continued up until 12 h, in contrast to the rapid decline after heparin treatment. The increase of LPL mRNA was also observed after AS extract treatment, suggesting that LPL induction occurs at the transcriptional level. The AS extract could partially reverse the LPL suppression by tumour necrosis factor-alpha in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results of an AS extract-induced increase of LPL activity in vitro suggest the possible action of AS as a facilitator of plasma triglyceride clearance.
Six diterpenoids and two diterpene glycosides were isolated from the dichloromethane and the water fractions of Acanthopanax koreanum roots, respectively. Of these compounds, 16alphaH, 17-isovaleryloxy-ent-kauran-19-oic acid containing an isovaleryloxy group at C-17 was found to exhibit the strongest inhibitory activity (IC(50), 6.7 microm) against NFAT transcription factor. However, sumogaside, 16alpha-hydroxy-ent-kauran-19-oic acid and paniculosides IV containing a hydroxy group at C-16 or a glycoside at C-4 carboxyl acid showed no activity.
Siberian ginseng, the root and stem bark of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms, has been used as a tonic and adaptogen to strengthen qi in traditional Korean medicine. The neuroprotective effects of water extracts of A. senticosus (ASW) were investigated in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo, 90 min occlusion, 24 h reperfusion) of Sprague-Dawley rats. The infarct volume was significantly reduced by 36.6% after the peritoneal injection of ASW (100 mg[sol ]kg) compared with the control. In the immunohistochemical study, ASW markedly inhibited both cyclooxygenase-2 and OX-42 expressions in the penumbral region at 24 h after MCAo. These results suggest that A. senticosus has a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting inflammation and microglial activation in brain ischaemia.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common in obesity. However, weight reduction alone does not prevent the progression of NAFLD to end-stage disease associated with the development of cirrhosis and liver disease. In a previous experiment, 50% ethanol extract of Acanthopanax senticosus stem bark (ASSB) was found to reduce body weight and insulin resistance in high fat diet-induced hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic ICR mice. To evaluate the anti-steatosis action of ASSB, insulin-resistant ob/ob mice with fatty livers were treated with ASSB ethanol extract for an 8 week-period. ASSB ethanol extract reversed the hepatomegaly, as evident in reduction of % liver weight/body weight ratio. ASSB ethanol extract also specifically lowered circulating glucose and lipids, and enhanced insulin action in the liver. These changes culminated in inhibition of triglyceride synthesis in non-adipose tissues including liver and skeletal muscle. Gene expression studies confirmed reductions in glucose 6-phosphatase and lipogenic enzymes in the liver. These results demonstrate that ASSB ethanol extract is an effective treatment for insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice by decreasing hepatic lipid synthesis.