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PubMed2005

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) seed processing and potential utilization.

Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) is a leguminous plant that infests soybean fields in the southeastern United States. Its seeds contain a variety of toxic, highly colored compounds, mainly anthraquinones together with a small amount of fat. These compounds contaminate and lower the quality of soybean oil when inadequately cleaned soybean seed from this area is processed. The sorting of sicklepod seed from a soybean harvest is an additional economic burden on the farmer beyond the cost of proper disposal of the weed seed to avoid worsening field infestation. Fortunately, sicklepod seed also contains substantial amounts of carbohydrates and proteins. These edible components when freed from anthraquinones have a market in pet food as well as potential in human foods because of the high galactomannan ratio of the polysaccharides. Sicklepod seed was dehulled, and the ground endosperm was defatted, followed by sequential solvent extraction of the defatted seed meal to isolate the anthraquinones, carbohydrates, and protein components into their respective classes. Each class of isolate was spectroscopically identified.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2006

Ethnotherapeautic management of skin diseases among the Kikuyus of Central Kenya.

Skin health is increasingly becoming an important aspect of primary health care among many communities particularly because of the increased challenge of HIV-AIDS, skin conditions being among the common opportunistic diseases in immuno-compromised individuals. This study investigated the use of traditional remedies in managing various skin conditions in the Central Province of Kenya. Fifty-seven plant species in 31 families were identified as regularly utilized. Of these plants 27 species had a frequency of three and above. Some of the highly utilized plant species include: Croton megalocarpus Hutch., Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) Irwin & Barneby, Vernonia lasiopus O. Hoffm., Croton macrostachyus Del. and Aloe secundifolia Engl. In the majority of the cases the sap or occasionally the latex was applied directly on the affected areas. In other cases the plant parts were heated and used as poultice. Only in few conditions were the plant parts boiled and the extract used for washing affected areas, probably acting as antiseptic. This study found that 14 skin conditions were commonly managed using herbal preparations. Of these conditions nine (9) had informant consensus of 0.5 and above, with the highest consensus found in management of swellings and skin sores. Soils were also cited as an important non-plant resource for management of skin conditions especially those associated with measles. Since most skin conditions are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, the medicinal plants and other resources reported in this study form a justifiable basis for antimicrobial trials, pharmacological and phytochemical analysis, with promising results.

Geography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Severe systemic reactions caused by poppy seed.

We describe a case of severe systemic reactions caused from poppy seed ingestion. Poppy seeds were suspected to be responsible for the symptoms on the basis of the clinical history. This suspicion was confirmed by skin testing and the prick-prick test. Moreover, a RAST assay was conducted with an extract of fresh food, confirming the presence of specific IgE to poppy seed. Although poppy seeds are not commonly used, we highlight the possible importance of such rare and often hidden sources of allergens.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Laxatives for the management of constipation in palliative care patients.

BACKGROUND: Constipation is a common problem for palliative care patients which can generate considerable suffering for patients due to both the unpleasant physical symptoms and psychological preoccupations that can arise. There is uncertainty about the 'best' management of constipation in palliative care patients and variation in practice between palliative care settings. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of laxative administration for the management of constipation in palliative care patients, and the differential efficacy of the laxatives used to manage constipation. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched The Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue four, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to January 2005), EMBASE (1980 to January 2005), CANCERLIT, PUBMED, Science Citation Index, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, SIGLE, NTIS, DHSS-DATA, Dissertation Abstracts, Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings and NHS-NRR and reference lists of articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing laxatives for constipation in palliative care patients. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted patient-reported data measuring changes in stool frequency and ease of passing stools, using objective and validated scales. Tolerance or adverse effects of laxatives used were also sought. The appropriateness of synthesizing data from the controlled trials depended upon the clinical and statistical homogeneity of studies identified. If the controlled trials were homogeneous, a meta-analysis would be attempted. MAIN RESULTS: Four trials involving 280 people were included. Between these trials, the laxatives lactulose; senna; danthron combined with poloxamer (Co-danthramer); Misrakasneham; magnesium hydroxide combined with liquid paraffin (Milpar) were evaluated. All four trials included number and frequency of bowel movements and relative ease of defecation as part of the assessment of laxative efficacy. All of the laxatives demonstrated a limited level of efficacy, although a significant number of participants required rescue laxatives in each of the studies. The only significantly different treatments were in the trial where lactulose plus senna were more effective than danthron combined with poloxamer. Patient preference did not favour either treatment option. Other related systematic reviews have similarly identified that there is a lack of evidence to support the use of one laxative, or combination of laxatives, over another. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of constipation in palliative care is based on inadequate experimental evidence, such that there are insufficient RCT data. Recommendations for laxative use can be related to costs as much as to efficacy. There have been few comparative studies, equally there have been few direct comparisons between different classes of laxative and between different combinations of laxatives. There persists an uncertainty about the 'best' management of constipation in this group of patients.

Cathartics↗
PubMed2001

[Liver toxicity of drugs of plant origin].

Herbal drugs are widely used and often contain highly active pharmacological compounds. Recently, reports have mounted about hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies which ranges from mild liver enzyme alterations to chronic liver disease and liver failure. Hepatotoxicity of Chinese herbs has been recognized, e.g. during treatment of patients with atopic eczema. However, the toxic compounds remain to be determined. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease may result from pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are contained in numerous plants worldwide. Teucrium chamaedrys, commonly referred to as germander, may cause hepatitis and even liver cirrhosis. Significant hepatotoxicity has also been observed after the ingestion of chaparral. Recently, greater celandine, which is widely used for biliary disorders and dyspepsia, was identified as a cause of cholestatic hepatitis. Hepatotoxic reactions have also been observed after the ingestion of Atractylis gummifera, Callilepsis laureola, Senna, Kavapyrone and Pulegium. The aim of this review is to summarize potentially hepatotoxic herbal remedies, to further elucidate their mechanisms of toxicity and thereby underline the likelihood of plants to be the cause of liver damage.

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury↗
PubMed2006

Safety and pharmacoeconomics of a cluster administration of mite immunotherapy compared to the traditional one.

Accelerated schedules of administration of immunotherapy (rush or clustered) allow to reach the maintenance dosage in shorter times with respect to traditional schedules. Nowadays formal assessments of the safety and economic aspects of those schedule lack for inhalant allergens. We compared in a prospective randomized open study a cluster and a traditional immunotherapy with standardized mite extracts. Thirty eight adult patients with persistent allergic rhinitis due to mites were randomized to receive either a traditional (N= 19) or a cluster (N=19) up-dosing scheme, lasting 13 and 3 weeks respectively. Side effects were carefully evaluated and recorded by physician and costs were calculated as well. In the cluster and traditional updosing 148 and 241 injections were given respectively. With the cluster up-dosing there were 8 local reactions (15.9% of patients and 5.4% of injections). With the traditional schedule 6 local reactions (31.5 % of patients and 2.4% of injections) occurred. There was no difference between the two treatments in occurrence of side effects per patient and per injection (chi-square 1.31 and 2.23, p= NS). No systemic reaction was recorded. Considering the cost of the extract, the cost of injections and the time spent, the cluster regimen resulted in a global spare of 244.95 euros per patient in the build-up phase. The cluster up-dosing is as safe as the traditional one and allows a significant economical save.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Immunoblotting study of specific antibody patterns against latex and banana.

We evaluated three nurses presenting with hypersensitivity to latex gloves: the first suffered from rhinitis and asthma caused by latex and cutaneous and respiratory symptoms by banana; the second, allergic to grass pollens, had systemic symptoms handling latex gloves but no reactivity against banana; the third, with no history of allergic disease, had contact urticaria caused by latex. Skin prick tests and RAST confirmed the presence of specific IgE to latex in all the patients. By means of immunoblot after SDS-PAGE the pattern of antibody response (IgE/IgG) proved to be characteristic to each subject. Moreover, pre-incubation of patient sera with the banana extract could completely absorb the specific anti-banana IgE of the patient allergic to both latex and banana, but failed to modify the anti-latex IgE pattern of the three patients, even if the anti-latex IgG pattern partially changed. In our opinion immunoblotting techniques could play a role in clarifying a complex individual response to unusual allergens.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Chemical and biological analyses of Nigerian Cassia species for laxative activity.

The leaves of 10 Cassia species (Leguminosae), cultivated in Nigeria, were assayed spectrophotometrically for combined anthraquinone content and also pharmacologically for their laxative properties in male albino rats using official senna leaves (Cassia acutifolia Del.) as the reference standard. Leaves of C. podocarpa Guill, and Perr. and of senna had identical laxative potency. The results of both the chemical and the biological experiments suggested that C. alata L. and C. podocarpa are the most likely candidates for drug development in Nigeria. The use of a laxative index is proposed for the comparative study of Cassia (or any plant species) and its possible application to the quality control of these drugs is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Herbal usage and informant consensus in ethnoveterinary management of cattle diseases among the Kikuyus (Central Kenya).

For most smallholder farmers in Kenya conventional veterinary drugs have become very expensive and therefore unaffordable, causing them to seek low cost alternatives that are rarely documented in most ethnobiological studies. This study surveyed the utilisation of traditional herbal preparations in managing cattle ailments in Central Kenya with the aim of providing a comprehensive ethnobotanical profile and the most important plant species that may warrant scientific validation for efficacy and commercial utilisation. Using semi-structured questionnaires and detailed discussions with smallholder farmers, a total of 40 plant species in 26 families were found to be useful in traditional management of various cattle ailments in this region. Two plant families were particularly frequent in usage: Asteraceae and Lamiaceae, while the most utilised plant species were found to be Synadenium compactum N.E.Br. (Euphorbiaceae), Solanecio manii (Hook.f.) C. Jeffrey (Asteraceae) and Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) Irwin and Barneby (Caesalpinaceae). Informant consensus was particularly high in managing anaplasmosis, East coast fever and ectoparasites. Such plant species become key target in efficacy tests and for development of commercial veterinary botanicals. The usage of some of the species is unfortunately unsustainable as some of the species are rare or endangered hence the need for conservation strategies to be undertaken.

Anaplasmosis↗
PubMed2000

Cassine, an antimicrobial alkaloid from Senna racemosa.

The leaves of Senna racemosa yielded the piperidine alkaloid cassine and an inositol methyl ether. Antimicrobial screening of the compounds revealed antibacterial activity of cassine with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.5 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and 5.0 mg/ml for Candida albicans.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Effect of commercial ethanol propolis extract on the in vitro growth of Candida albicans collected from HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative Brazilian patients with oral candidiasis.

The present study assessed the susceptibility of Candida albicans strains, collected from HIV-positive patients with oral candidiasis, to a commercial 20% ethanol propolis extract (EPE) and compare it to the inhibitory action of the standardized antifungal agents nystatin (NYS), clotrimazole (CL), econazole (EC), and fluconazole (FL). Twelve C. albicans strains collected from HIV-positive patients with oral candidiasis were tested. The inhibition zones were measured with a pachimeter and the results are reported as means and standard deviation (M +/- SD). Data were analyzed statistically by the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. EPE inhibited all the C. albicans strained tested. No significant difference was observed between the results obtained with NYS and EPE, while significant differences were observed between EPE and other antifungals. The C. albicans strains tested showed resistance to the remaining antifungal agents. The propolis extract used in this study inhibited the in vitro growth of C. albicans collected from HIV-seropositive Brazilian patients, creating/forming inhibition zones like those ones formed by NYS. This fact suggests that commercial EPE could be an alternative medicine in the treatment of candidiasis from HIV-positive patients. However, in vivo studies of the effect of EPE are needed to determine its possible effects on the oral mucosa.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2003

Cytotoxic alkaloids from the flowers of Senna spectabilis.

Three new alkaloids, 3(R)-benzoyloxy-2(R)-methyl-6(R)-(11'-oxododecyl)-piperidine (3), 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-6-(11'-oxododecyl)-pyridine (4) and 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-6-(11'-oxododecyl)-pyridine N-oxide (5), together with a known alkaloid, (-)-cassine (1), were isolated from the flowers of Senna spectabilis. A derivative, N,O-diacetylcassine (2), was semisynthesized. Their structures and stereochemistry were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxic activity and brine shrimp lethality of these compounds were evaluated. Compounds 2, 3 and 5 exhibited cytoxicity against KB cell lines with IC50 values of 5.2, 3.7 and 2.0 microg/mL, respectively.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed2005

Anaphylaxis due to Brazil nut skin testing in a walnut-allergic subject.

The diagnosis and management of nut allergy can be difficult because of the possible severity of the clinical manifestations and the cross reactivity between different species. We report a case of anaphylaxis due to skin testing in a young adult with clinically ascertained walnut allergy. After an episode of anaphylaxis due to walnut ingestion, a routine diagnostic workup was carried out, involving skin prick test with commercial extracts, prick by prick with fresh food and CAP-RAST assay for different nuts. Immediately after pricking with fresh Brazil nut, a severe episode of anaphylaxis occurred, that required epinephrine and intravenous steroids. The subject had never eaten Brazil nut before. Therefore we hypothesize a cross reactivity effect, since this phenomenon is well known for tree nuts. Our case suggests that in vivo diagnosis, especially if fresh nuts are used, should be performed only if adequate equipment to treat anaphylaxis is available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The metabolism of anthranoid laxatives.

The anthranoid compounds, which chemically can be described as dihydroxy-anthraquinones, -dianthrones and -anthrones, possess a laxative effect. As these substances are the constituents of some plants and their extracts, they are often referred to as vegetable laxatives. If present in the glycoside form, these compounds represent unique targeting molecules; after oral administration they are carried, unabsorbed, to the large intestine, where the active aglycon is released by bacterial hydrolysis of the sugar. The intestinal bacterial flora also accounts for the reduction of anthraquinone aglycons to the corresponding anthrones. After absorption, the anthranoids are transformed mainly to their corresponding glucuronide and sulfate derivatives, which appear in urine and bile. Experiments with radiochemical anthranoids showed a significant clearance of tissue-bound activity of all organs, except the kidneys, which exhibited a pronounced retention of anthranoid equivalents. It is argued that therapy with anthrone C-glycosides (present, for example, in cascara) or dianthrone O-glycosides (present for example, in senna) is preferable therapy with anthraquinones, as the anthranoid moiety of the former seems to be substantially less readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

Anthracenes↗
PubMed2005

The degree of serological sensitization to cat allergen in patients with or without cat at home.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between exposure to cat/dog in domestic environments and development of allergic sensitization to pet allergens is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: To test the role of indirect exposure to cat, we aimed to evaluate the amounts of cat specific IgE in sensitized subjects with or without cat at home. METHODS: Three hundred six adult patients with a previous diagnosis of allergic sensitization to cat allergens (by skin prick test) were enrolled for this study. Among 306 men and women sensitized to cat (and other allergens), 150 owned a cat for at least 10 years ( direct exposure) and 156 had never owned this animal (indirect exposure). An internal questionnaire specifically designed for the study was completed by the same allergists during the screening consultation: the results of skin prick tests, personal and clinical data, periods of symptoms and characteristics of cat ownership were carefully recorded. Specific IgE to cat extract was determined by the Pharmacia CAP System FEIA (Pharmacia Diagnostics, Uppsala, Sweden) and Immulite 2000 (Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, USA) RESULTS: Although specific IgE to cat allergen were significantly higher in patients with cat at home (F = 42.77; p < 0.001), high amounts of these antibodies were found also in sera of subjects indirectly exposed to cats. DISCUSSION: The results of our study demonstrate that the degree of serological sensitization to cat allergens may be relevant also in subjects without any direct contact with cats (indirect exposure).

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1986

Trypanosoma cruzi: characterization and isolation of a 57/51,000 m.w. surface glycoprotein (GP57/51) expressed by epimastigotes and bloodstream trypomastigotes.

We have recently described the application of a purified glycoprotein of 25,000 Mr (GP25) of Trypanosoma cruzi in serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease. Purified GP25 lacks appreciable immunogenicity in some animal species, in spite of being generally antigenic to parasitized hosts. The underlying cause for these contrasting observations has not been determined, but it may relate to the drastic extraction conditions used in the original isolation procedure, and possible damage inflicted to the native form of this antigen. This report describes the molecular properties of a GP25-related primary antigen, and a fast performance liquid chromatographic (FPLC) procedure to attain its isolation under gentle conditions. The expression of GP25-related antigen by epimastigotes or bloodstream forms was investigated with a high-affinity monoclonal antibody to GP25, SC11G10, as well as with monospecific antisera to GP25. Immunochemical analysis of Nonidet P-40 lysates supplemented with protease inhibitors indicated that GP25 is not synthesized as such; instead, a 57,000 Mr component (GP57) was identified as the primary antigen product. Partial enzymatic conversion to GP25 was observed when inhibitors were deliberately omitted from cell extracts. Most significantly, GP57 was established as the primary biosynthetic product in [35S]-labeled bloodstream trypomastigotes after immunoprecipitation with SC11G10 antibody. This analysis when applied to metabolically labeled epimastigotes has consistently revealed a minor antigen component of 51,000 Mr (GP51), in addition to GP57. The former was identified as the antigenically related product exposed at the parasite cell surface after external radioiodination of viable trypanosomes. Access to the native form of this widely distributed surface glycoprotein should stimulate the investigation of functional and structural aspects of its immunologic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

New selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitors designed from natural piperidine alkaloids.

Five new piperidine alkaloids were designed from natural (-)-3-O-acetyl-spectaline and (-)-spectaline that were obtained from the flowers of Senna spectabilis (sin. Cassia spectabilis, Leguminosae). Two semi-synthetic analogues (7 and 9) inhibited rat brain acetylcholinesterase, showing IC50 of 7.32 and 15.1 microM, and were 21 and 9.5 times less potent against rat brain butyrylcholinesterase, respectively. Compound 9 (1mg/kg, i.p.) was fully efficacious in reverting scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. The two active compounds (7 and 9) did not show overt toxic effects at the doses tested in vivo.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2005

Physical exercise does not favour adverse reactions to allergen immunotherapy by the sublingual route.

It is generally recommended in consensus documents on allergen immunotherapy to avoid any kind of physical exercise in the 24 hours following the administration of the allergen extract but such recommendation is not supported by scientific evidence. We evaluated the risk of developing adverse reactions in a group of patients submitted to sublingual immunotherapy by performing a controlled exercise test. Eleven patients were included in the study, 8 treated with grass pollen and 3 with Parietaria pollen extract by Staloral300 (Stallergénes, Antony, France), with the build-up phase in 11 days suggested by the manufacturer and a top dose of 300 IR. At the first maintenance dose, in all patients were measured heart rate, blood pressure, FEV1, and tryptase in blood. Then the maintenance dose was assumed and the physical exercise performed by cycloergometer maintaining a heart rate around 100 b/min and measuring again tryptase, blood pressure and FEV1. The results showed that no patient had adverse reaction following physical exercise, neither showed significant changes in FEV1, blood pressure, or tryptase level, which was 5.57 +/- 4.54 mcg/l before and 5.81 +/- 4.34 mcg/l after exercise. This suggests that there is no reason to advise against physical exercise, and particularly sporting activity, in patients treated with sublingual immunotherapy thus avoiding to interfere with the subject's lifestyle and consequently with his quality of life.

Abdominal Pain↗