A study of the hydrolytic action of cascara sagrada.
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The purgative effect of bisacodyl, anthraquinone glycosides (Cascara), and sodium picosulfate, alone or in combination with a saline purge and a tap water enema, was studied in 1200 patients. The cleansing effect was scored with regard to retained fecal residue evident on double-contrast studies of the colon. The combination of a contact laxative and a saline purge produced good cleansing effect in 52%-80% of the patients. With an additional tap water enema given 1 hour before the colon examination, however, 96% of the colons were clean. The taste and the effects of the cleansing systems were tolerated favorably by more than 90% of the patients. However, 17% reported restriction in work capacity on the day of bowel cleansing.
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Seeds of Karwinskia humboldtiana obtained from a 1997 collection in the locality of Villa de Gracía Nuevo (León, Mexico) were contaminated with spores of filamentous fungi, bacteria and yeasts. The concentration of microorganisms in unscarified seeds ranged from 3.0 x 10(3) to 7.5 x 10(3) CFU/g. Predominant were bacterial isolates of the genera Aeromonas sp., Bacillus, and Pseudomonas; from filamentous fungi were identified Alternaria, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium sp., Fusarium sp., Mucor sp., Penicillium commune, Trichothecium sp.; from yeasts Rhodotorula sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Seed scarification significantly reduced the microbial contamination. Of the original fungal isolates, only two were identified on scarified seeds, viz. Cladosporium sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae; although a relatively high incidence of a unidentifiable of Penicillium sp. was found, the bacterial spectrum was not altered. Treatment of scarified seeds with Vitavax 200 WP and Pomarsol Forte 80 WP (3 mg/g seeds) augmented germination by 10-19% compared to treated unscarified seeds, and by 16-31% compared to untreated unscarified seeds.
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The geographic range of many temperate plant species is constrained by climate, but it remains little known how climate affects population performance at low-latitude range margins. This study investigated the reproduction of the Eurasian tree Frangula alnus in relict populations near its southwestern range limit in southern Spain. The aim was to identify the principal stages and causes of ovule loss experienced by these marginal populations. More than 6,800 flowers were monitored over 2 years, insect observations and different experiments were carried out to assess levels of pollen and resource limitation, as well as the influence of flowering phenology on seed production. Most ovule losses occurred during flower anthesis and were due to strong cross-pollen limitation. Fruit set was affected by tree size, light regime and flowering phenology, probably through their effects on pollinator behaviour. Fruit set was almost zero throughout the first half of the flowering season. Then it increased paralleling changes in pollinator abundance but was soon overridden by increasing ovule desiccation due to summer drought. Successful seed production was mostly confined to a brief period near the end of the flowering season. Adverse weather during this period in the second study year resulted in a threefold bud and flower mortality and a 50% decrease of fruit production. Spring rainfalls in southwestern Spain have diminished more than 30% through past decades leading to an earlier onset of summer drought. This trend and its adverse effects on seed production may contribute to explaining the recent decline of F. alnus at its southwestern range limit.
Frugivorous birds disperse the seeds of many fruit-bearing plants, but the fate of seeds after defecation or regurgitation is often unknown. Some rodents gather and scatter hoard seeds, and some of these may be overlooked, germinate, and establish plants. We show that these two disparate modes of seed dispersal are linked in some plants. Rodents removed large (>25 mg) seeds from simulated bird feces (pseudofeces) at rates of 8-50%/day and scatter hoarded them in soil. Ants (Formica sibylla) also harvested some seeds and carried them to their nests. Rodents carried seeds 2.5+/-3.2 m to cache sites (maximum 12 m) and buried seeds at 8+/-7 mm depth. Enclosure studies suggest that yellow pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) made the caches. In spring, some seeds germinated from rodent caches and established seedlings, but no seedlings established directly from pseudofeces. This form of two-phase seed dispersal is important because each phase offers different benefits to plants. Frugivory by birds permits relatively long-range dispersal and potential colonization of new sites, whereas rodent caching moves seeds from exposed, low-quality sites (bird feces on the ground surface) to a soil environment that may help maintain seed viability and promote successful seedling establishment.
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Senna (60 mg/kg orally) and cascara (800 mg/kg orally)-induced diarrhoea and net fluid secretion were studied in rats for a time period of 1-8 h. NG-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (2.5-25 mg/kg i.p. twice, 15 min before and 4 h after laxative administration), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, reduced the diarrhoeal response. This effect was counteracted by L-arginine (600 and 1500 mg/kg i.p. 15 min before laxative administration), the precursor of nitric oxide (NO). The senna- and cascara-stimulated fluid secretion was reduced by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester 25 mg/kg i.p. (twice, 15 min before and 4 h after laxative administration), while the stereoisomer NG-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME) 25 mg/kg i.p. was without effect. These results suggest a possible involvement of NO in senna- and cascara-induced diarrhoea and fluid secretion.
To determine the extent of extraneural lesions in buckthorn poisoning, 180 CD1 mice were administered either green or ripe fruit or toxins T-544 or T-514 obtained from the fruit of the plant and were observed over a period of three weeks. Marked weakness, hyporeflexia, hair bristling, ptosis, spinal deformity, weight loss and dypsnea were prominent signs. Mortality in mice given green fruit was 100% at all doses; with toxin T-514 the mortality was 100% at 45 mg/kg. One hundred and sixty-two necropsies were performed and major lesions were found in liver and lung. The pulmonary lesions consisted of progressive vascular congestion and hemorrhage. Alterations in liver consisted of congestion, hemorrhage, hepatocyte degeneration, central zone necrosis and acute diffuse necrosis. Green fruit was more toxic than ripe fruit and T-514 was more active than T-544.
Eleven-day mouse embryos were exposed to the K. humboldtiana toxin T-544 for 24 hr. At the end of the culture period, embryos were examined grossly for malformations and biochemically for altered protein levels. There was a significant difference in malformations in those embryos exposed to 0.05 and 0.2 microgram/ml of toxin compared with controls. Embryo protein content was significantly lower in those embryos exposed to 0.1 microgram/ml of T-544 compared with control group.
The teratogenic effect of toxins 544 and 514 from K. humboldtiana upon the mouse embryo was evaluated. One half of the LD50 dose for the mouse was administered at day 8 of gestation. At the end of pregnancy, reproduction and fetal data were recorded. Dams treated with toxin 544, but not with toxin 514, showed a higher incidence of reabsorptions, malformations, as well as lower fetal length compared to the control group.
Toxin T-514 of Karwinskia humboldtiana has been demonstrated to be hepatotoxic in vivo and in vitro. Recently a diastereoisomer of T-514 has been isolated. In the present study we have evaluated and compared the in vitro hepatoxicity of the diastereoisomer of T-514 using primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by release of cytoplasmic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and mitochondrial metabolic function (MTT reduction). The diastereoisomer was shown to be almost as hepatoxic in vitro as toxin T-514.
Rats were dosed with the cathartics cascara, phenolphthalein, senna or ricinoleic acid with or without a 3 day pretreatment with indomethacin. Jejunum, proximal and distal ileum and colon were assayed for prostaglandin E (PGE) content by RIA. While indomethacin significantly reduced the PGE content of all tissue in all treatment groups it did not completely prevent the increase in PGE content induced by phenolphthalein, senna and ricinoleic acid. It is concluded that the contact cathartics increase PGE synthesis by the gastro-intestinal tract and this could in part explain their action. Ricinoleic acid did not appear to act as a PG precursor.
The present study was undertaken to assess and compare the in vitro cytotoxicity of toxins T-514 and T-544 of Buckthorn (Karvinskia humboldtiana) using primary cultures of rat hepatocytes and keratinocytes. Cell cultures were exposed to 6, 12, 25 and 50 microM concentrations of the toxins for 2, 4, 6 and 24-h periods. Cytotoxicity was determined by release of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in culture media, methylthiazoltetrazolium (MTT) reduction and neutral red (NR) uptake. An increase in LDH leakage was observed in liver cell cultures as early as 2 h with 50 microM T-544 and with 6 microM T-514 and T-544 at 6 h and 24 h, respectively. In the NR assay the toxicity was evident at 2 h with 12 microM T-514 and T-544 and with 6 microM concentrations of both toxins at 6 h. On the other hand, a decrease in MTT reduction was detected at 4 h with 50 microM concentrations of both toxins and with 25 microM T-544 and 12 microM T-514 at 6 h and 6 microM T-514 and T-544 at 24 h. Both toxins were shown to be highly hepatotoxic; T-514 was more toxic than T-544. In the skin cell cultures, the toxicity of the toxins was not as severe and was not expressed until 12 h of exposure.
The present study was undertaken to assess and compare the in vitro cytotoxicity of toxins T-514 and T-544 of buckthorn (Karwinskia humboldtiana) using primary cultures of rat hepatocytes and keratinocytes. Cell cultures were exposed to 6, 12, 25 and 50 microM toxins for 2-, 4-, 6- and 24-h periods. Cytotoxicity was determined by release of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in culture media, methylthiazoltetrazolium (MTT) reduction and neutral red (NR) uptake. An increase in LDH leakage was observed in liver cell cultures as early as 2 h with 50 microM T-544 and with 6 microM T-514 and T-544 at 6 h and 24 h, respectively. In the NR assay the toxicity was evident at 2 h with 12 microM T-514 and T-544 and with 6 microM concentrations of both toxins at 6 h. On the other hand, a decrease in MTT reduction was detected at 4 h with 50 microM concentrations of both toxins and with 25 microM T-544 and 12 microM T-514 at 6 h and 6 microM T-514 and T-544 at 24 h. Both toxins were shown to be highly hepatotoxic; T-514 was more toxic than T-544. In the skin cell cultures, the toxicity of the toxins was not as severe and was not expressed until 12 h of exposure.
Anthraquinone glycosides of Senna and Cascara were investigated for their ability to induce aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the rat colon mucosa, which are considered putative preneoplastic lesions. Dietary exposure to high doses of these glycosides for 56 successive days did not cause the appearance of ACF or increase in incidence of ACF induced by 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine (DMH). However, in rats treated with both DMH and the highest dose of glycosides, the average number of aberrant crypts per focus, considered a consistent predictor of tumor outcome, was higher than in rats given DMH alone. These findings suggest that Senna and Cascara glycoside might behave as weak promoters in rat colon carcinogenesis.