双花千里光、川芎及宽叶羌活的化学成分研究

本论文由四章组成。第一、二和三章分别报道了双花千里光、川芎和宽叶羌活的化学成分研究。从三种药用植物中共分离和鉴定了40 个化学成分，其中8个为新化合物。第四章概述了藳本属植物及日本川芎的化学成分研究进展。 第一章包括三个部分。第一部分报道双花千里光（Senecio dianthus Franch.）地上部分乙醇提取物的化学成分。采用正、反相硅胶柱层析等各种分离方法，从中共分离出8 个艾里莫酚型倍半萜内酯，其中5 个是新化合物，并且有1 个为首次发现的连接了含氮原子取代基的艾里莫酚型倍半萜内酯。它们的结构经MS、IR、NMR及X-单晶衍射等解析方法确定为2b-angeloyloxy-10b-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (1)、6b-angeloyloxy-10b-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (2)、2b-angeloyloxy-8b,10b- dihydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (3)、2b-angeloyloxy-8a-hydroxyeremophil-7(11),9(10)-dien-8b,12-olide (4)和8b-amino-10b- hydroxyleremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (5)。这8 个倍半萜内酯经体外生物活性测试表明均具有通过抑制巨噬细胞增殖抵制破骨细胞增生的活性。第二部分对艾里莫酚型倍半萜内酯的质谱裂解规律进行了初步探讨。第三部分报道双花千里光茎、和叶花的挥发油成分分析。采用传统水蒸气蒸馏法分别提取了双花千里光茎、叶和花的挥发油，用气相色谱－质谱联用（GC-MS）技术分别分离鉴定了其化学成分，从茎、叶和花挥发油中各分离和鉴定出70、80 和73 种化学成分，分别占挥发油总量的91.2％、85.7％及93.4％。 第二章包括两个部分。第一部分报道川芎（Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.）根茎乙醇提取物的化学成分。通过正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离纯化和MS、NMR及X-单晶衍射等解析方法，共分离鉴定了21 个化合物，结构类型分属于苯酞、二聚苯酞、香豆素和脂肪酸类。其中2 个为结构比较新颖的二聚苯酞类化合物：chuanxiongnolide A (19)和chuanxiongnolide B (20)，化合物19 的结构经X-单晶衍射得到确证。第二部分报道川芎挥发油的化学成分。采用不同的提取方法（溶剂萃取法、水蒸气蒸馏法、CO2 超临界流体萃取法）提取川芎挥发油，同时采集不同产地（四川彭县、四川郫县、云南鹤庆）及不同品质（川芎、奶芎、苓子）的川芎产品，利用GC-MS 技术分离鉴定其挥发油的化学成分，计算各成分的相对含量，并对比分析其中的异同。 第三章报道宽叶羌活（Notopterygium forbesii Boiss.）根茎化学成分的分离纯化和结构鉴定。通过正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离纯化和MS、NMR 等解析方法，共分离鉴定了13 个化合物，结构类型分属于香豆素、二氢异香豆素、甾体和羧酸类。其中1 个新二氢异香豆素类成分鉴定为6-methoxy-hydrangenol (37)。 第四章概述了藳本属植物及日本川芎化学成分的研究进展。 This dissertation consisted of four chapters. The former three chaptersrespectively elaborated the phytochemical investigation of three herbal medicines:Senecio dianthus Franch., Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and Notopterygium forbesiiBoiss.. Forty compounds, including eight new ones, were isolated and identified byspectral and chemical evidence. The fourth chapter elaborated the study progress ofchemical constituents of Ligusticum genus and Cnidium offcinale. The first chapter consisted of three parts. The first part is about the chemicalconstituents of ethanol extraction and essential oils from the aerial parts of S. dianthu.Eight eremophilenolides were isolated and identified. Among them, five ones are newcompounds and one of them is a novel eremophilenolide attched with an amino group.The structures of the new compounds were identified as 2b-angeloyloxy-10b-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (1)，6b-angeloyloxy-10b-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (2)，2b-angeloyloxy-8b,10b-dihydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (3)，2b-angeloyloxy-8a-hydroxyeremophil-7(11),9(10)-dien-8b,12-olide (4) and8b-amino-10b-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8a,12-olide (5) by spectral evidence andX-ray crystallography analysis. All the compounds were evaluated for theiranti-osteoclstogenesis activity using a proliferation inhibit assay with microphagecells. The second part elementarily discussed the characteristic fragmentation oferemophilenolides isolated from S. dianthus in ESI-MS.The latter part is about thechemical constituents of essential oil extracted from stems, leaves and flowers of S.dianthus with steam distillation. By the GC-MS analysis, 70, 80 and 73 compoundswere respectively isolated and identified which accounted for more than 91.2％, 85.7％ and 93.4％ of total essential oil. The second chapter, including two parts, is about the the chemical constituents ofethanol extraction and essential oils from rhizomes of L. chuanxion. In the first part, twenty-one compounds were isolated and iedntified. Two ones are novel dimericphthalides and the structures were suggested as chuanxiongnolide A (19) andchuanxiongnolide B (20) by spectral evidence and confirmed by X-raycrystallography analysis. In the second part, the samples were collected from differentextract techniques (solvent extraction, steam distillation and supercriticalfluid extraction), different habitats (Peng and Pi counties, Sichuan province; Heqing,Yunnan province) and different qualities (Chuanxiong, Naixiong and Lingzi). Thechemical constituents of essential oil from L. chuanxiong were analyzed by GC-MS and were compared each other. The third chapter is about the chemical constituents of rhizomas of N. forbesii,which belongs to a endemic genus of China. Thirteen compounds were isolated andidentified. One of them is a new dihydroisocoumarin and the structure was identifiedas 6-methoxy-hydrangenol (37) by spectral evidence. The fourth chapter is a review on study progress of chemical constituents ofLigusticum species and Cnidium offcinale.

三种藏药材的化学成分研究

本学位论文报道了西藏产三种藏族传统植物药材的化学成分研究。论文由四章组成，前三章是实验部分，分别报道了尼泊尔黄堇(Corydalis hendersonii Hemsl.)、藏波罗花(Incarvillea younghusbandii Sprague)和全缘叶绿绒蒿(Meconopsis interifolia Franch.)的化学成分研究结果。从这三种青藏高原药用植物中共分离鉴定出33 个化合物，其中1 个是新化合物。第四章概述了罂粟科紫堇属植物的化学和药理研究进展。 第一章为尼泊尔黄堇的化学成分研究。通过正、反相硅胶柱色谱等分离方法从药用植物尼泊尔黄堇的地上部分共分离纯化得到12 个化合物。运用MS、1H-NMR、13C-NMR、DEPT、HMBC、NOESY 等现代波谱学方法将它们的结构鉴定为：刺罂粟碱(1) ， 普托品(2) ， 新那亭(3) ， 斯可任(4) ， tetrahydrothalifendine (5) ，9-methyl-decumbenine C (6)，tetrahydroberberrubine (7)，隐品碱(8)，α-别隐品碱(9)，6,7-methylenedioxy-1(2H)-oxoisoquinolinone (10)，6-丙酮基-5,6 -二氢血根碱(11)和β-谷甾醇(12)。其中化合物6 为新化合物，为首次发现的分子骨架上C-9 位连有甲基的苯肽异喹啉类型生物碱。另外，除化合物1 和2 外，其它9 个生物碱（3～11）均为首次从该种植物中分离得到。同时，我们还对对尼泊尔黄堇中的总生物碱进行了串联质谱分析。 第二章为藏波罗花的化学成分研究。从该药用植物的地上部分共分离得到16个化合物，通过理化常数和波谱数据鉴定为：异佛手柑内酯(1)，6-甲氧基当归素(2)，欧前胡素(3)，花椒毒内酯(4)，珊瑚菜素(5)，水合氧化前胡素(6)，rivulobirin A (7)，齐墩果酸甲酯(8)，咖啡酸甲酯(9)，银桦酸(10)，(D)-boschniakinic acid (11)，对羟基苯甲酸(12) ， tert-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(R)-heraclenol (13) ， 5-methoxy-8-O-β-D-glucopyranosyloxypsoralen (14)，前胡苷V(15)和苯乙醇-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖-(1→2)-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(16)。所有以上化合物均为首次从该种植物中分离得到。另外我们还首次对藏波罗花挥发油的化学成分进行了气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用分析，共鉴定出39 个挥发性成分。 第三章为全缘叶绿绒蒿化学成分的分离鉴定。从传统藏药材全缘叶绿绒蒿地上部分共分离纯化出8 个化合物。通过理化常数和波谱数据将他们的结构分别鉴定为：去甲血根碱(1)，β-谷甾醇(2)，3-羟基-齐墩果烷-12(13)-烯-30-酸(3)，6-丙酮基-5,6-二氢血根碱(4)，木犀草素(5)，胡萝卜苷(6)，quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (7)和普托品(8)。其中化合物1，4 和7 为首次从该种药用植物中分离得到。 第四章为综述，总结和归纳了近年来罂粟科紫堇属植物的化学和药理研究进展。 This dissertation consists of four parts. The first, second and third parts report the studies on the chemical constituents from the medicinal plants of Corydalis hendersonii, Incarvillea younghusbandii and Meconopsis interifolia. The forth part reviews the progress of the studies on Corydalis species. The first chapter is about the isolations and identifications of alkalids from the aerial parts of C. hendersonii which is a traditional Tibetan medicine to treat febrifuge, high blood pressure and hepatitis. A new isoquinoline alkaloid, 9-methyl-decumbenine C (6), together with ten known alkaloids, stylopine (1), protopine (2), canadine (3), scoulerine (4), tetrahydrothalifendine (5), tetrahydroberberrubine (7), cryptopine (8), α-allocryptopine (9), 6,7-methylenedioxy-1(2H)-isoquinolinone (10) and 6-acetonyl-5,6-dihydrosanguinarine (11), and β-sitosterol (12) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, the total alkaloids were analyzed by ESI-MSn. The second chapter is about the isolations and identifications of chemical constituents from the aerial parts of I. younghusbandii. Sixteen compounds were isolated and purified by normal and reversed phase silica gel column chromatography. By spectral analysis, there structures were identified as isobergapten (1), sphondin (2), imperatorin (3), xanthotoxin (4), phellopterin (5), heraclenol (6), rivulobirin A (7), methyl oleanolate (8), methyl caffeate (9), grevillic acid (10), (D)-boschniakinic acid (11), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (12), tert-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(R)-heraclenol (13), 5-methoxy-8-O-β-D-glucopyranosyloxypsoralen (14), decuroside Ⅴ(15), and phenylethyl-O-β-Dglucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (16). All of these compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time．By the way, the chemical components of the essential oil from I. younghusbandii were analyzed by GC-MS for the first time. The third chapter is about the the isolations and identifications of the chemical constituents of M. interifolia. Eight compounds were isolated and identified as norsanguinarine (1), β-sitosterol (2), 3-hydroxyolean-12(13)-en-30-oic acid (3), 6-acetonyl-5,6-dihydrosanguinarine (4), luteolin (5), daucosterol (6), quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) and protopine (8). The compounds 1, 4 and 7 were isolated from this herb for the first time. The last chapter is a review of the research progress of the studies on Corydalis species, which includes the chemical constituents in this genus and their pharmacology.

Structure identification of a prenylflavonol glycoside from Epimedium koreanum by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A novel prenylflavonol glycoside, named acetylicariin, has been isolated from the aerial parts of Epimedium koreanum Nakai. The structure has been identified by electrospray ionization multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) and other chemical evidence, which has been elucidated as 8-prenylkaempferol-4'-methoxyl-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-beta-D-(2''-O-acetyl)glucopyranoside.

A new acylated iridoid glucoside from Avicennia marina

A new acylated iridoid glucoside, namely, 2'-O-(5-phenyl-2E, 4E-pentadienoyl)mussaenosidic acid, was isolated from the aerial parts of the mangrove plant Avicennia marina. The structure of the new compound was established on the basis of various NMR spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR techniques (H-1-H-1 COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) and HR-FAB-MS. This compound displayed moderate antioxidant activity.

Isolation, characterization and crystal structure of natural eremophilenolide from Ligularia sagitta

A new eremophilenolide 1beta, 10beta-epoxy-6beta-acetoxy-3beta-angeloyloxy-8beta-hydrox y-eremophil-7(11)-en-8, 12alpha-olide (1), together with liguhodgsonal (2), esculetin (3) and beta-sitosterol (4), was isolated from the aerial parts of Ligularia sagitta. The structure of the new constituent (1) was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Parte aérea da mandioca na alimentação animal. II. O farelo da parte aérea na silagem do capim-elefante.

A inviabilidade economica da ensilagem de milho na regiao dos cerrados, devido aos custos muito elevados de insumos necessarios para a sua producao, leva os pecuaristas a ensilar outras forragens. Durante as forragens mais empregadas para ensilagem na regiao, destaca-se o capim-elefante (Pennisetum pupureum Shum) por ser uma graminea de porte grande, de boa producao de massa verde por hectare e bem difundida no meio rural.

Parte aérea da mandioca na alimentação animal. II. O farelo da parte aérea na silagem do capim-elefante.

1984

Phenolic compounds, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of three Ericaceae from Algeria

Herbs of the Ericaceae family are commonly found in Algeria and used in traditional medicine as anti- septic, diuretic, astringent, depurative, and to treat scalds and wounds. The methanolic extracts of three species, Arbutus unedo L. (A. unedo, leaves), Erica arborea L. (E. arborea, flowered aerial parts), and Erica multiflora L. (E. multiflora, flowered aerial parts), were compared regarding their content in pheno- lic compounds, their antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. A. unedo harbors the highest content in total phenolics and flavonoids, followed by E. arborea E. multiflora. The contents in total phenolics and flavonoids showed a correlation with the measured antioxidant (hydrogen-donating) activities; this was particularly the case for flavonoids content. The A. unedo extract showed antibacterial activity against all the tested strains (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, S. aureus C100459, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027); however, the E. arborea and E. multiflora extracts showed antibacterial activity only against Gram positive bacteria. Some polyphenols were identified in the three herbs by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and mass spectrometry detection; from these, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, naringin, quercetin and kaempferol are reported for the first time in E. multiflora.

Cultivo da Salicornia ramosissima da Ilha dos Puxadoiros®

O estágio realizado teve como premissa principal perceber o comportamento da planta face ao seu crescimento em altura da própria planta e em número em função de diferentes épocas de sementeira, e de condições de cultivo, nomeadamente de tipos de solo. O trabalho realizado inclui todo o processo desde a apanha, preparação das sementes e dos campos, e a sementeira propriamente dita. Foi acompanhado o crescimento das plantas em 3 alturas diferentes, por contagem do número de plantas e do comprimento das plantas aéreas. Igualmente foram realizadas análises da granulometria dos solos. Determinaram-se os metais pesados nos solos e nas plantas, assim como os açúcares após a hidrólise e derivatização das amostras liofilizadas, tanto da raíz como da parte aérea. Foi possível concluir que a planta nasce com maior abundância em solos franco-siltosos do que em solos franco-arenosos, onde o seu crescimento é muito pobre ou mesmo nulo. Os valores de cádmio e chumbo encontram-se a níveis adequados para o consumo humano. Coloca-se a hipótese da existência de arabinoglucoronoxilanas como constituinte da raiz desta planta.

Antibacterial constituents of Neohyptis paniculata

A new -pyrone, 6R-[5R,6S-diacetyloxy-1Z,3E-heptadienyl]-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2one (1), along with six known compounds including an α-pyrone, flavones and terpenes was isolated from the aerial parts of Neohyptis paniculata. The structure of 1 was established unambiguously by MS and a series of 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analyses. The antibacterial activity of the compounds (1-7) was investigated against five strains of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these compounds were found to be in the range of 64-256 g/mL.

Entomofauna associated with the olive tree in southern Portugal

Since 2004 several studies have been carried out in order to identify the main insect species that usually inhabiting the olive ecosystem. The field trials have taken place in two olive groves, one situated in Olhão and the other one in Loulé, both in Algarve and also under Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The sampling techniques used differ according to their purpose (sticky traps, pheromone traps, pitfall traps and samples of aerial parts of the trees such as inflorescences, leaves, fruits and branches). Results showed that the main insect pests of olive tree in southern Portugal were the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae Gmelin (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the olive moth Prays oleae Bernard (Lepidoptera: Hyponeumetidae). Other insect pests were also found in our olive groves namely the olive psyllid Euphyllura olivina Costa (Homoptera: Psyllidae), the olive dark beetle Phloeotribus scarabaeoides Bernard (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the mediterranean black scale Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Homoptera: Coccidae) and the olive thrip Liothripes oleae Costa (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Concerning the auxiliary insects that were found in our olives groves they belong to the following orders and families: Diptera (Syrphidae), Coleoptera (Carabidae, Coccinelidae and Staphylinidae), Hemiptera (Anthocoridae and Miridae), Neuroptera (Chrysopidae) and Hymenoptera (Braconidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Formicidae and Trichogrammatidae).

Antioxidant activities of eight Algerian plant extracts and two essential oils

Total phenol, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavone/flavonol and flavanones/dihydroflavonol contents of hydro-alcoholic extracts, obtained by sonication, from the aerial parts of Artemisia campestris L., Anthemis arvensis L., Haloxylon scoparium Pomel, Juniperus phoenicea L., Arbutus unedo L., Cytisus monspessulanus L., Thymus algeriensis Boiss et Reut, Zizyphus lotus L (Desf.) collected in Djebel Amour (Sahara Atlas, Algeria) were quantified by spectrophotometric methods. The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from Artemisia campestris L. and Juniperus phoenicea I aerial parts were also evaluated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity of the extracts and essential oils was assessed measuring the capacity for preventing lipid peroxidation using two lipidic substrates (egg yolk and liposomes), the capacity for scavenging DPPH, ABTS, superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxyl radicals. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by measuring the capacity for inhibiting lipoxygenase. Reducing power and chelating capacity were also assayed. The results showed different amounts of total phenols depending on the method used: A. campestris extract had the highest levels of total phenols when the measurement was made at lambda = 280 nm, whereas H. scoparium and A. unedo extracts showed the highest levels of total phenols with Folin-Ciocalteau. C. monspessulanus had the highest levels of flavones/flavonols and flavanones/dihydroflavonols. The essential oils of A. campestris and J. phoenicea were mainly constituted by alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and sabinene; and a-pinene, respectively. The methods used for assaying the capacity for preventing lipid peroxidation revealed to be inadequate for extracts due to the great interferences detected. The essential oils were more active than the generality of extracts for scavenging peroxyl radicals and for inhibiting lipoxygenase, whereas A. unedo extract was the most active for scavenging ABTS, DPPH, superoxide anion radicals and it also had the best reducing capacity. In a general way, the great majority of the antioxidant activities correlated well with the phenol content although such correlation was not so clear with the flavonoid content. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variations inter- et intra-spécifiques de la phytoextraction des éléments traces As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb et Zn chez trois cultivars de saule

La phytoextraction représente une solution environnementale prometteuse face au problème de contamination des sols en éléments traces (É.T). La présente étude s’intéresse aux différences intra et interspécifiques (S. purpurea, S. dasyclados, S. miyabeana) de trois cultivars de saule lorsqu’ils sont utilisés pour la phytoextration de six É.T. (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb et Zn). Les objectifs sont (i) décrire les variations intrapécifiques du cultivar FISH CREEK (S. purpurea) lorsqu’il est utilisé pour la phytoextraction sur deux sites d’étude; et (ii) décrire les variations intra et interspécifiques des cultivars FISH CREEK (S. purpurea), SV1 (S. dasyclados) et SX67 (S. miyabeana) lorsqu’ils sont utilisés pour la phytoextraction d’un site d’étude. Les indicateurs de variations intra et interspécifiques sélectionnés sont les suivants : la biomasse totale, les concentrations en É.T. extraits et les facteurs de translocation (x ̅ pondérée des conc. É.T. dans les parties aériennes / conc. É.T. dans les racines). La contribution des propriétés du sol (degré de contamination, caractéristiques physicochimiques) à la phytoextraction a été évaluée. Les cultivars ont présenté des variations interspécifiques significatives. Cependant, les variations intraspécifiques sur un site d’étude étaient parfois plus importantes que celles mesurées entre les trois différents cultivars. L’amplitude des variations intraspécifiques que présentent le cultivar FISH CREEK sur deux sites d’étude est attribuée à l’influence du pH, de la minéralogie et au contenu en matière organique, lesquelles diffèrent entre les deux sites. Il a aussi été démontré que la phytoextraction des É.T. n’était pas systématiquement corrélée de façon positive avec le degré de contamination. Cela suggère que les concentrations en É.T. mesurées dans le sol ne peuvent pas expliquer à elles seules la variation des concentrations mesurées dans les tissus. L’implication des mécanismes de rétention dans le sol semblent être davantage responsable des variations observées. La compartimentation des É.T. suggère que le saule est efficace pour l’extraction du Cd et du Zn et qu’il est efficace pour la phytostabilisation de l’As, du Cu, du Ni, et du Pb. En ce qui concerne les quantités extraites, le cultivar FISH CREEK semble le plus performant dans la présente étude.

Studies on the isolation and characterization of flavones and triterpenoids from a few plants

In the present scenario, there is an increasing demand for natural products in food industry, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and agricultural sectors. In this context phytochemical study to identify newer chemicals has got great relevance. Phytochemical studies have become more reliable and encouraging with the development of modern analytical techniques.In the present work the leaves of Piper colubrinum (Piperaceae), aerial parts of Mussaenda fiondosa (Rubiaceae) and Humboldtia vahliana (Leguminosae) and the pericarp of fruits of Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae) were investigated for their secondary metabolites. The major compounds isolated belong to the groups of flavonoids and triterpenoids.Naturally occurring flavonoids have been used widely in chemotaxonomic studies of plants. Flavones and flavonols constitute a group of biosynthetically related natural products. No universal function has been established for flavones and flavonols in plants. However, many functions in individual plants have been demonstrated. These include protection of plants from ultraviolet light, insects and pests; pollinator attractants; antioxidants; plant hormone controllers; enzyme inhibitors and allelopathic agents. Flavonoids are attracting the attention of medical scientists in recent years because of their anticarcinogenic, antiallergic and antiinflammatory properties. The recent discovery that flavonoids are involved in the process of nitrogen fixation in plants also opens the way for agricultural application of these constituents.Triterpenoids are another class of compounds that are ubiquitous in plants. Some triterpenoids present in the latex and resins of plants are believed to be involved in chemical defence against pathogens and herbivores. Triterpenoids possess various biological properties including anti-inflammatory, antifeedant, pesticidal, fungitoxic and antimicrobial activities. Triterpenoids with cytotoxic activity and inhibitory effect on seed germination are also known.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in small ruminants and their senstivity to treatments with ethnobotanical remedies in Cholistan, Pakistan

Livestock production contributes substantially to the livelihoods of poor rural farmers in Pakistan; strengthening pastoral communities plays an imperative role in the country’s thrive for poverty alleviation. Intestinal helminths constitute a major threat for pastoral livestock keepers in the whole country because chronic infestation leads to distinct losses in livestock productivity, particularly the growth of young animals. Synthetic anthelmintics have long been considered the only effective way of controlling this problem but high prices, side effects and chemical residues/toxicity problems, or development of resistance, lead to their very limited use in many pastoral systems. Additionally, poor pastoralists in remote areas of Pakistan hardly have access to appropriate anthelmintic drugs, which are also relatively expensive due to the long routes of transportation. The search for new and more sustainable ways of supporting livestock keepers in remote areas has given rise to studies of ethno-botanicals or traditional plant-based remedies to be used in livestock health care. Plant-based remedies are cheap or free of cost, environmentally safe and generally create no problem of drug resistance; they thus might substitute allopathic drugs. Furthermore, these remedies are easily available in remote areas and simple to prepare and/or administer. Cholistan desert is a quite poor region of Pakistan and the majority of its inhabitants are practicing a nomadic life. The region’s total livestock population (1.29 million heads) is almost twice that of the human population. Livestock husbandry is the primordial occupation of the communities and traditionally wealth assessment was based on the number of animals, especially goats and sheep, owned by an individual. Fortunately, about 60% of this desert region is richly endowed with highly adapted grasses, shrubs and trees. This natural flora has a rich heritage of scientifically unexplored botanical pharmacopoeia. Against this background, the present research project that was conducted under the umbrella of the International Center for Development and Decent Work at Kassel University, focused on a development aspect: in the Cholistan desert region it was firstly examined how pastoralists manage their livestock, which major health problems they face for the different animal species, and which of the naturally occurring plants they use for the treatment of animal diseases (Chapter 2). For this purpose, a baseline survey was carried out across five locations in Cholistan, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 100 livestock farmers (LF) and 20 local healers (LH). Most of LF and LH were illiterate (66%; 70%). On average, LH had larger herds (109 animals) than LF (85 animals) and were more experienced in livestock husbandry and management. On average LF spent about 163 Euro per year on the treatment of their livestock, with a huge variability in expenditures. Eighty-six traditional remedies based on 64 plants belonging to 43 families were used. Capparaceae was the botanical family with the largest number of species used (4), followed by Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae and Zygophyllaceae (3). The plants Capparis decidua (n=55 mentions), Salsola foetida (n=52), Suaeda fruticosa (n=46), Haloxylon salicornicum (n=42) and Haloxylon recurvum (n=39) were said to be most effective against the infestations with gastrointestinal parasites. Aerial parts (43%), leaves (26%), fruits (9%), seeds and seed oils (9%) were the plant parts frequently used for preparation of remedies, while flowers, roots, bulbs and pods were less frequently used (<5%). Common preparations were decoction, jaggery and ball drench; oral drug administration was very common. There was some variation in the doses used for different animal species depending on age, size and physical condition of the animal and severity of the disease. In a second step the regionally most prevalent gastrointestinal parasites of sheep and goats were determined (Chapter 3) in 500 animals per species randomly chosen from pastoral herds across the previously studied five localities. Standard parasitological techniques were applied to identify the parasites in faecal samples manually collected at the rectum. Overall helminth prevalence was 78.1% across the 1000 animals; pure nematode infestations were most prevalent (37.5%), followed by pure trematode (7.9%), pure cestode (2.6%) and pure protozoa infestations (0.8%). Mixed infestations with nematodes and trematodes occurred in 6.4% of all animals, mixed nematode-cestode infestations in 3.8%, and all three groups were found in 19.1% of the sheep and goats. In goats more males (81.1%) than females (77.0%) were infested, the opposite was found in sheep (73.6% males, 79.5% females). Parasites were especially prevalent in suckling goats (85.2%) and sheep (88.5%) and to a lesser extent in young (goats 80.6%, sheep 79.3%) and adult animals (goats 72.8%, sheep 73.8%). Haemonchus contortus, Trichuris ovis and Paramphistomum cervi were the most prevalent helminths. In a third step the in vitro anthelmintic activity of C. decidua, S. foetida, S. fruticosa, H. salicornicum and H. recurvum (Chapter 2) was investigated against adult worms of H. contortus, T. ovis and P. cervi (Chapter 3) via adult motility assay (Chapter 4). Various concentrations ranging from 7.8 to 500 mg dry matter/ml of three types of extracts of each plant, i.e. aqueous, methanol, and aqueous-methanol (30:70), were used at different time intervals to access their anthelmintic activity. Levamisol (0.55 mg/ml) and oxyclozanide (30 mg/ml) served as positive and phosphate-buffered saline as negative control. All extracts exhibited minimum and maximum activity at 2 h and 12 h after parasite exposure; the 500 mg/ml extract concentrations were most effective. Plant species (P<0.05), extract type (P<0.01), parasite species (P<0.01), extract concentration (P<0.01), time of exposure (P<0.01) and their interactions (P<0.01) had significant effects on the number of immobile/dead helminths. From the comparison of LC50 values it appeared that the aqueous extract of C. decidua was more potent against H. contortus and T. ovis, while the aqueous extract of S. foetida was effective against P. cervi. The methanol extracts of H. recurvum were most potent against all three types of parasites, and its aqueous-methanol extract was also very effective against T. ovis and P. cervi. Based on these result it is concluded that the aqueous extract of C. decidua, as well as the methanol and aqueous-methanol extract of H. recurvum have the potential to be developed into plant-based drugs for treatment against H. contortus, T. ovis and P. cervi infestations. Further studies are now needed to investigate the in vivo anthelmintic activity of these plants and plant extracts, respectively, in order to develop effective, cheap and locally available anthelmintics for pastoralists in Cholistan and neighboring desert regions. This will allow developing tangible recommendations for plant-based anthelminthic treatment of sheep and goat herds, and by this enable pastoralists to maintain healthy and productive flocks at low costs and probably even manufacture herbal drugs for marketing on a regional scale.