The antioxidant activity of methanol extracts from Passiflora edulis and Passiflora alata pulp, and P. edulis rinds, healthy or infected with the passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV), was investigated using the oxidant activities of the neutrophil and the neutrophil granule enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO), both playing key roles in inflammation. The reactive oxygen species produced by stimulated neutrophils were evaluated by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) and the activity of purified MPO was measured by SIEFED (Specific Immunological Extraction Followed by Enzymatic Detection), a technique for studying the direct interaction of a compound with the enzyme. The rind extracts of P. edulis possessed higher and dose-dependent inhibitory effects on CL response and on the peroxidase activity of MPO than total pulp extracts from both passion fruit species. The quantification of isoorientin in the extracts showed a correlation with their antioxidant activity, suggesting the potential of P. edulis rinds as functional food or as a possible source of natural flavonoids.

A high-performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method was developed in order to determine quantitatively the flavonoids in leaves of Passiflora alata, P. edulis, P. caerulea and P. incarnata. The content of orientin and isoorientin was determined, and the results were compared with those obtained using a quantitative HPLC-UV method. The latter employed rutin as standard and was developed to analyse flavonoid content from Passiflora leaves for the purpose of ensuring the quality of Passiflora phytomedicines. The results obtained using the two methods indicate that there are qualitative and quantitative differences in the flavonoids of the reference Passiflora species studied. The two methods were also employed to analyse commercial samples to illustrate their application in qualitative ('fingerprint') and quantitative determination, demonstrating their feasibility in the quality control of flavonoids from crude Passiflora drugs and phytomedicines. The HPLC conditions used are also suitable for the quantitative analysis of aqueous extracts (Passiflora infusions).

Recebido em 15/6/11; aceito em 15/9/11; publicado na web em 8/11/11 ). The HPTLC data, allied to assays of radical scavenging activity, suggest the potential of P. edulis rinds as a natural source of flavonoids or as a possible functional food.

Glaucium flavum is used in Algerian folk medicine to remove warts (benign tumors). Its local appellations are Cheqiq el-asfar and Qarn el-djedyane. We have recently reported the anti-tumoral activity of Glaucium flavum root alkaloid extract against human cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo. The principal identified alkaloid in the extract was protopine. This study aims to determine which component(s) of Glaucium flavum root extract might possess potent antitumor activity on human cancer cells. Quantitative estimation of Glaucium flavum alkaloids was realized by HPLC-DAD. Glaucium flavum effect on human normal and cancer cell viability was determined using WST-1 assay. Quantification of alkaloids in Glaucium flavum revealed that the dried root part contained 0.84% of protopine and 0.07% of bocconoline (w/w), while the dried aerial part contained only 0.08% of protopine, glaucine as the main alkaloid, and no bocconoline. In vitro evaluation of the growth inhibitory activity on breast cancer and normal cells demonstrated that purified protopine did not reproduce the full cytotoxic activity of the alkaloid root extract on cancer cell lines. On the other hand, bocconoline inhibited strongly the viability of cancer cells with an IC50 of 7.8 μM and only a low cytotoxic effect was observed against normal human cells. Our results showed for the first time that protopine is the major root alkaloid of Glaucium flavum. Finally, we are the first to demonstrate a specific anticancer effect of Glaucium flavum root extract against breast cancer cells, which can be attributed, at least in part, to bocconoline.

This study aimed to determine the rotenoid content of leaf extracts of the white (TVW) and purple (TVP) varieties of Tephrosia vogelii, both collected in North-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo and to evaluate their in vitro acaricidal efficacy on the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. The high performance liquid chromatography analysis of rotenoid compounds from those extracts revealed that the contents of rotenone and deguelin were respectively higher in the leaves of TVW (0.044% and 1.13%) than in TVP (0.014% and 0.66%). Batches of 20 live adult ticks were immersed for 15 min in six different doses of each plant extract (0.625; 1.25; 2.5; 5; 10 and 20mg/mL of distilled water) and in the solution of Milbitraz(®) (12.5%m/v emulsifiable concentrate of amitraz) as a positive control. Additionally 9.5% ethanol and distilled water control groups were included. Tick mortalities were recorded every 24h for 5 days. The results indicated that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the acaricidal effect of Milbitraz(®) and the plant material used at a dose of at least 2.5 or 5mg/mL for TVW and TVP respectively. However, the dose response relationship determined at the fifth day after treatment showed a similar acaricidal effect for the two plant varieties with similar lethal dose 50 (LD(50)) of 0.83 and 0.81 mg/mL for TVW and TVP respectively. It is concluded that T. vogelii leaves may be used for the control of R. appendiculatus in areas where synthetic acaricides are either not available or affordable. However, T. vogelii extract should be sprayed in order to limit the potential risks of ecotoxicity linked to rotenoid compounds.