Fluid extract of leaves of Tessaria integrifolia Ruiz & Pav. presents leishmanicidal activity on Mesocricetus auratus with experimental leishmaniasis. Fraction F8 presents leishmanicidal activity on infected macrophages at a dose of 14 μg/mL. An eudesman type sesquiterpene was identified, according to 1 H, 13C, and LC / MS NMR analysis.

Background: Artemisia absinthium L. is known for its antimalarial activity however, hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extracts has also been reported but, nephroprotective activity not yet evaluated. Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective and nephroprotective activities of A. absinthium against diclofenac-induced toxicity on rats. Materials and Methods: Three different doses of methanol and ethyl acetate extract of A. absinthium (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day) were evaluated and compared with silymarin 100 mg/kg. Rats received these doses for 5 days and on the 3rd and 4th day diclofenac (50 mg/kg i.p.) was administered 1 h after treatment. Animals were sacrificed 48 h after the last injection of diclofenac. Biochemical blood parameters like aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea and creatinine, and histopathologic changes of liver and kidney were studied and evaluated. Results: A. absinthium reduced the elevated blood levels of ALT, AST, ALP, urea and creatinine with the methanol extract to 200 mg/kg/day being more effective. The histopathologic evaluation suggested that A. absinthium decreased hepatic and renal necrosis induced by diclofenac. Conclusions: Hepatoprotective and nephroprotective activities of methanol and ethyl acetate extract of A. absinthium were demonstrated, being methanol extract to 200 mg/kg/day the most effective. This provides scientific support for the use of medicinal plants such as A. absinthium in the treatment of liver and kidney disorders.

An HPLC method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of rutin and scopoletin in the aerial parts of FABIANA IMBRICATA is presented. The results showed high variability in the scopoletin (240-2,400 mg%) and rutin (195-1,950 mg%) content in the populations surveyed. A micropropagation method for F. IMBRICATA plants was established by culturing shoot tips on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium containing 1.0 mg/l benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.01 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 0.1 mg/l gibberellic acid (GA3). Auxin addition to the rooting medium, especially 0.5 mg/l indolebutyric acid (IBA) or 0.5 mg/l IBA and 0.1 mg/l NAA, enhances root formation. The micropropagation method presented allowed the obtention of regenerated plantlets in six weeks from shoot tips.

Se realizó un estudio farmacognóstico de las hojas de Capparis avicennifolia, donde se determinaron inicialmente las características macromorfológicas, los parámetros físico-químicos del control de calidad de la droga cruda tales como: porcentaje de humedad residual, cenizas totales, cenizas insolubles en ácido, cenizas solubles en agua, sustancias solubles en etanol 70º; materia extraña, materia inorgánica extraña; según las Normas Ramales Para Drogas Crudas del MINSAP; cuyos valores promedios obtenidos, se encontraron dentro del rango permisible. Se realizó el tamizaje fitoquímico; según la marcha fitoquímica de Miranda Migdalia, donde se evidenció la presencia de alcaloides, taninos, flavonoides, principios amargos, aceite y grasas, resinas, catequinas, triterpenos y esteroides, antocianidinas y aminoácidos.

Anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity in ethanolic extracts of Vaccinium corymbosum "Blueberry"