Research Update:Prunella vulgaris

  seminal trace...Selfheal Fruit-spike.10:1Extract.Spica Prunellae,Prunella spike,Selfheal,Xiakucao,Prunella spike,Self Heal,All-Heal, Hook-Heal,Selfheal spike,Bang Zhutou Cao,Denglong Tou Cao,Common Selfheal Fruit-Spike is the dried fruit-spike of Prunella vulgaris......

 


   Phytochemical info of Prunella vulgaris.

 Product Name:
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 Definition:Prunella vulgaris are majorly composed of
 Chemical information disclosed as following table:


   Research Update:Prunella vulgaris.

  Prunella vulgaris Fights Herpes Virus.:

 A compound extracted from the woodland herb Prunella vulgaris may help fight the herpes simplex virus, according to a report. ``We are certainly interested in the potential (of the extract) to be an antiviral topical drug because the substance is nontoxic,'' said Dr. Spencer Lee of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lee spoke to Reuters Health after presenting the findings Friday at the 38th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy meeting in San Diego, California.

 Self-heal has a widespread reputation for keeping people well during an outbreak of infectious disease. This, of course, makes it perfect for life in the modern world.

 In China, where, as it does worldwide, the plant grows great guns, it is called hsia-ku-tsao and is widely used as a tonic. The Chinese, who collect the plant as it spikes into bloom, take the lower leaves and flower heads from it to treat fevers and rheumatism. They also use the leaves and flower heads as an alterative, a substance which helps the body change from a state of sickness to one of health. When self-heal is taken in tea, the Chinese feel that the plant can keep the entire body well. It is said to assist liver function, resulting in bright, clear eyes. As such, self-heal is used to treat patients suffering from eye or liver trouble. It is also used to treat lumps in the neck and swollen glands. This ties in with its use as an immunity booster: when your body gets run down, those lymph glands swell right up.

 Knowing the Chinese use self-heal as an alterative, we should not be surprised to learn that the plant has an antibiotic effect. Experiments indicate that self-heal has broad antimicrobial powers and also kills many pathogenic fungi, the kind that attack the body and do you no good.

 Self-heal is well known in Europe, and our friend Gerard had additional uses to list, noting that "the decoction of Prunell made with wine or water, doth joine together and make whole and sound all wounds, both inward and outward, even as Bugle doth." His reference to the plant¡¯s ability to make things whole after the body has suffered both external and internal injuries is consistent with other European sources: as the name says, the plant helps healing. Gerard also wrote of prunella¡¯s potency as a headache treatment when "bruised with oil of roses and vinegar, and laid to the forepart of the head," and he recommended the plant "against the infirmities of the mouth, and especially the ruggedness, blackness, and dryness of the tongue, with a kind of swelling in the same. It is an infirmitie amongst soldiers that lie in campe."

 I¡¯ll tell you one thing: if I ever woke up and found I had a black tongue, I would get real nervous fast. Having your tongue turn black is Mother Nature¡¯s way of saying that you need to work on your health regime. Gerard¡¯s reference to soldiers "that lie in campe" is significant. Soldiers live in close quarters, and when a sickness hits the barracks, it spreads like wildfire, kind of like a cold running through the office. Self-heal has a widespread reputation for keeping people well during an outbreak of infectious disease. This, of course, makes it perfect for life in the modern world.

 In colonial America, self-heal should have been called heal-anything-you¡¯ve-got, as its uses were incredibly diverse. It was used to treat sore throats, stomach cramps, and urinary and liver problems. It was also prescribed to kill worms and to help folks who suffered from fits. Its main use though was as a tonic.

 The Shakers sold lots of self-heal to treat internal bleeding, sore throats, and cankers in the mouth. Also in agreement with Gerard, they believed that self-heal was good for black tongues and cold sores. The gypsies of Eastern Europe, who gave a double ditto on self-heal¡¯s ability to cure sore throats, used it as an ingredient in their medicine show tonics for that problem.

 In New Zealand the plant gets wide use as a first aid ointment ¨C the ground plant is applied to cuts, wounds, bruises, and sores that won¡¯t heal. The Kiwis are not alone in the thought that whatever the plant touches heals a lot faster than it otherwise would. Like Gerard, they say that putting the juice of its leaves and flowers on the temples will take care of a headache in short order.

 Most would agree that the heart is an organ we would like to keep pumping away, trouble-free. Self-heal is featured in an Irish heart-disease treatment called Cailleach¡¯s Tea. Chinese researchers have found the plant to be an effective remedy for hypertension, a fact that would indeed make Cailleach¡¯s Tea useful for someone whose heart troubles stem from high blood pressure.

 "Heal-all" is a steep claim, but even if it¡¯s only partially true, we would all be better off with self-heal prunella in our tonic pot. As I¡¯ve already mentioned, growing it, or more accurately letting it grow itself, is no problem. Stick some in the ground and stand back. When you are harvesting self-heal for the tonic pot, cut the plant as it breaks into bloom, trimming it off one inch above the roots. The plant won¡¯t mind ¨C as a matter of fact, this gives it an incentive to grow more.

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  Chemical properties, mode of action, and in vivo anti-herpes activities of a lignin-carbohydrate complex from Prunella vulgaris.:Antiviral Res. 2007 Sep;75(3):242-9. Epub 2007 Apr 17.Zhang Y, But PP, Ooi VE, Xu HX, Delaney GD, Lee SH, Lee SF.Department of Biology and Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, PR China.

 The chemical nature, the mode of action, and the in vitro and in vivo anti-HSV activities of the polysaccharide from Prunella vulgaris were characterized. The polysaccharide was isolated by ethanol precipitation, dialysis, CTAB precipitation, and gel exclusion chromatography. The isolated compound (PPS-2b) was a lignin-carbohydrate complex with a molecular weight of 8500. The carbohydrate moiety was composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, xylose, and arabinose with glucose as the major sugar. In plaque reduction assay, PPS-2b showed activities against HSV-1 and HSV-2. The anti-HSV activity could be abolished by periodate oxidation. Mechanism studies showed that PPS-2b inactivated HSV-1 directly, blocked HSV-1 binding to Vero cells, and inhibited HSV-1 penetration into Vero cells. A similar inhibition was observed with a gC-deficient strain of HSV-1. The in vivo activities of a Prunella cream formulated with a semi-purified fraction was assessed in a HSV-1 skin lesion model in guinea pigs and a HSV-2 genital infection model in BALB/c mice. Guinea pigs that received the Prunella cream treatment showed a significant reduction (P<0.01) in skin lesions. Mice that received the Prunella cream treatment showed a significant reduction (P<0.01) in mortality. In conclusion, the anti-HSV compound from P. vulgaris is a lignin-polysaccharide complex with potent activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2. Its mode of action appears to be inhibiting viral binding and penetration into host cells.

  The structure-activity relationship of the series of non-peptide small antagonists for p56lck SH2 domain.:Bioorg Med Chem. 2007 Jun 1;15(11):3938-50. Epub 2007 Apr 5.Park SH, Oh HS, Kang MA, Cho H, Prasad JB, Won J, Lee KH.Signal Transduction Laboratory, Mogam Biotechnology Research Institute, 341 Pojung-Ri, Koosung-Myun, Yongin-City, Kyunggi-Do, 449-910, Republic of Korea.

 The antagonists for the SH2 domain are regarded as novel therapeutic candidates for cancer, autoimmune disease, and chronic inflammatory disease. Previously, we identified rosmarinic acid (alpha-o-caffeoyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-lactic acid; RosA) from Prunella vulgaris as an antagonist for the p56lck SH2 domain by screening natural products. RosA not containing phosphotyrosine surrogate had a considerable inhibitory activity for T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)-induced interleukin (IL)-2 expression, and subsequent T-cell proliferation in vitro cell assay. To investigate the structure-activity relationship of RosA and to identify a novel p56lck SH2 antagonist with more potent in vitro T-cell inhibitory activity, we synthesized several analogs of RosA by using rational design. All synthesized compounds were tested in vitro binding activity for the SH2 domain and in vitro T-cell inhibitory activity. All four hydroxyl groups of RosA were essential for binding with the p56lck SH2 domain and T-cell inhibitory activity. Unexpectedly, conformationally less constrained analogs 4 and 9 showed a more potent binding affinity for the SH2 domain than that of RosA, and chirality of the analog did not play an important role in protein binding. We successfully identified several RosA analogs with a more potent T-cell inhibitory activity than that of RosA. Overall results revealed important structural requirements of the p56lck SH2 antagonists for in vitro T-cell inhibitory activity and in vitro protein binding activity.

  Antihyperglycemic activity of Prunella vulgaris L. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.:Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:427-31.Zheng J, He J, Ji B, Li Y, Zhang X.China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghua Donglu, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.

 Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) has been reported to have a wide range of health benefits in oriental medicine. This study for the first time is to examine the antihyperglycemic effects of P. vulgaris in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic ICR mice (STZ diabetic mice). The effects of P. vulgaris L. aqueous-ethanol extract (PVE) on blood glucose, exogenous insulin sensitivity and plasma insulin levels were investigated. In four doses of extracts from the spikes of P. vulgaris, extract at dose of 100 mg/kg significantly suppressed the rise in blood glucose after 30 min in the acute glucose tolerance test. Furthermore, this dose was applied in the fellow experiments. A significant decrease in blood glucose levels was observed after treatment of PVE. A combination of PVE and glibenclamide produced a greater effect in blood glucose level than using glibenclamide or PVE alone. PVE enhanced and prolonged the antihyperglycemic effects of exogenous insulin on STZ diabetic mice. Plasma insulin levels were increased with glibenclamide treatment in STZ diabetic mice, whereas such effect was not observed with PVE. These results indicated that P. vulgaris enhances the antihyperglycemic effects of exogenous insulin without stimulating insulin secretion, indicating that insulin sensitivity is increased in STZ diabetic mice.

  The experimental research about the effect of Prunella vulgaris L. on Raji cells growth and expression of apoptosis related protein.:Zhong Yao Cai. 2006 Nov;29(11):1207-10.Zhang KJ, Zhang MZ, Wang QD, Liu WL.Department of Hematology Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. zhangkejie0378@sina.com

 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-lymphoma effect of Prunella vulgaris L. in order to offer exprimental data for the treatment of lymphoma with Prunella vulgaris L. in clinic. METHODS: Effect of Prunella vulgaris L. injection on inhibition ratio of cell growth of Raji cells and IC50 were tested by MTT assay. The growth curve line of Raji cells was drawn also by MTT assay. The cellular morphology was observed by invert microscope, Giemas staining and MTT assay. The expression of apoptosis related protein bcl-2, bax was measured by immunocytochemistry and the quantitative analysis was made with figure analysis system. RESULTS: 1. Prunella vulgaris L. could obviously suppress the cell proliferation of Raji cells in a concentration-dependent manner (r = 0.97). The IC50 was 0.118 mg/ml. 2. After Raji cells was reacted with injection of Prunella vulgaris L. (50 mg/ml) , the morphlogical of apoptosis were observed by invert microscope, Giemsa staining and MTT assay. RESULTS: The results of immunocytochemistry showed that after Raji cells were treated by the injection of Prunella vulgaris L. (50 mg/ml) for 48 hours, the expression of bcl-1 was up-regulated, and the expression of bax was down-regulated. The differences between process group and control group were significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Prunella vulgaris L. can suppress the proliferation of Raji cells and may be a new anti-lymphoma drug. Inducing the apoptosis of Raji cells maybe one of anti-lymphoma mechanisms.

  Ethnoveterinary medicines used for ruminants in British Columbia, Canada.: J Ethnobiol Ethnomedicine. 2007 Feb 26;3:11.Lans C, Turner N, Khan T, Brauer G, Boepple W.School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3P5, Canada. nturner@uvic.ca.

 ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The use of medicinal plants is an option for livestock farmers who are not allowed to use allopathic drugs under certified organic programs or cannot afford to use allopathic drugs for minor health problems of livestock. METHODS: In 2003 we conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 participants obtained using a purposive sample. Medicinal plants are used to treat a range of conditions. A draft manual prepared from the data was then evaluated by participants at a participatory workshop. RESULTS: There are 128 plants used for ruminant health and diets, representing several plant families. The following plants are used for abscesses: Berberis aquifolium/Mahonia aquifolium Echinacea purpurea, Symphytum officinale, Bovista pila, Bovista plumbea, Achillea millefolium and Usnea longissima. Curcuma longa L., Salix scouleriana and Salix lucida are used for caprine arthritis and caprine arthritis encephalitis.Euphrasia officinalis and Matricaria chamomilla are used for eye problems.Wounds and injuries are treated with Bovista spp., Usnea longissima, Calendula officinalis, Arnica sp., Malva sp., Prunella vulgaris, Echinacea purpurea, Berberis aquifolium/Mahonia aquifolium, Achillea millefolium, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Hypericum perforatum, Lavandula officinalis, Symphytum officinale and Curcuma longa.Syzygium aromaticum and Pseudotsuga menziesii are used for coccidiosis. The following plants are used for diarrhea and scours: Plantago major, Calendula officinalis, Urtica dioica, Symphytum officinale, Pinus ponderosa, Potentilla pacifica, Althaea officinalis, Anethum graveolens, Salix alba and Ulmus fulva.Mastitis is treated with Achillea millefolium, Arctium lappa, Salix alba, Teucrium scorodonia and Galium aparine. Anethum graveolens and Rubus sp., are given for increased milk production.Taraxacum officinale, Zea mays, and Symphytum officinale are used for udder edema. Ketosis is treated with Gaultheria shallon, Vaccinium sp., and Symphytum officinale. Hedera helix and Alchemilla vulgaris are fed for retained placenta. CONCLUSION: Some of the plants showing high levels of validity were Hedera helix for retained placenta and Euphrasia officinalis for eye problems. Plants with high validity for wounds and injuries included Hypericum perforatum, Malva parviflora and Prunella vulgaris. Treatments with high validity against endoparasites included those with Juniperus communis and Pinus ponderosa. Anxiety and pain are well treated with Melissa officinalis and Nepeta caesarea.


  Microgametophyte population sizes and plant reproductive output in the insect-pollinated Prunella grandiflora (Lamiaceae).:New Phytol. 2007;173(2):393-400.Bernasconi G, Lang DJ, Schmid B.Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, Quartier Sorge, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. giorgina.bernasconi@unil.ch

 Intraspecific variation in pollen deposition and number of pollen tubes per style is rarely quantified, but is essential for assessing the occurrence of pollen limitation and pollen competition and their evolutionary implications. Moreover, pollen deposition, pollen tube growth, and the fate of fertilized ovules are rarely distinguished in field studies. Here we present such a study in eight natural populations of Prunella grandiflora. We quantified microgametophyte population sizes and inferred pollen limitation when the number of fertilizable ovules exceeded pollen tubes, and assessed seed set and fate after open pollination. Two and three populations had on average significantly fewer pollen grains and pollen tubes per flower, respectively, than the fixed number of fertilizable ovules per fruit, while one population experienced significant pollen competition. Style length was positively correlated with the number of pollen tubes. While pollen availability was very variable, seed abortion was significantly less frequent in denser populations, and in one population the proportion of well-developed seeds was significantly, positively correlated with the number of pollen tubes in the style. Less pollen deposition, lower numbers of pollen tubes reaching the base of the style, lower pollen quality and therefore increased abortion of fertilized ovules can all reduce seed set in natural P. grandiflora stands. Substantial intraspecific variability implies that microgametophyte competition also occurs in this species. Finally, style morphology may affect pollen receipt.

  Antiviral effect of aqueous extracts from species of the Lamiaceae family against Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in vitro.:Planta Med. 2006 Dec;72(15):1378-82. Epub 2006 Nov 7.Nolkemper S, Reichling J, Stintzing FC, Carle R, Schnitzler P.Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

 Aqueous extracts from species of the Lamiaceae family were examined for their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus (HSV). Extracts from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), prunella (Prunella vulgaris), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) were screened. Their inhibitory activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), type 2 (HSV-2) and an acyclovir-resistant strain of HSV-1 (ACV (res)) was tested in vitro on RC-37 cells in a plaque reduction assay. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC (50)) of the extracts for HSV plaque formation were determined in dose-response studies. All test compounds showed a high antiviral activity against HSV-1, HSV-2 and ACV (res). In order to identify the mode of antiviral action, the extracts were added to the cells or viruses at different stages of infection. Both types of Herpes virus including ACV (res) were considerably neutralized after treatment with the extracts prior to infection. At maximum non-cytotoxic concentrations of the extracts, plaque formation was significantly reduced by > 90% for HSV-1 and HSV-2 and > 85% for ACV (res). In time-response studies over a period of 2 hours, a clearly time-dependent activity was demonstrated. These results indicate that the extracts affect HSV before adsorption, but have no effect on the intracellular virus replication. Therefore, the extracts exert their antiviral effect on free HSV and offer a chance to use them for topical therapeutic application against recurrent HERPES infections.

  Studies on germination characteristics of Prunella vulgaris seeds.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2006 Jul;31(13):1045-7.Guo QS, Liu L, Zhao RM, Kong Y.Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University. gqs@herbstimes.com

 OBJECTIVE: To understand the effect of illumination, temperature on the germination of the Prunella vulgaris seeds. METHOD: The general germination method. RESULT: Illumination showed no clearly effect on the germination rate of the P. vulgaris seeds under proper temperature condition; However, illumination was the main factor to determine the germination rate of the P. vulgaris seeds when the temperature condition was unsuitable. The germination rate of the P. vulgaris seeds decreased with the time and increased when the marinating time was from 12 to 36 hours. When temperature reached 5-25 9 degrees C, the trend of the germination rate increased at frst and then decreased. CONCULSION: The optimal germination condition of P. vulgaris seeds is 12 h of marinating time at the temperature of 20 degrees C under illumination.

  Photoprotective properties of Prunella vulgaris and rosmarinic acid on human keratinocytes.:J Photochem Photobiol B. 2006 Sep 1;84(3):167-74. Epub 2006 Apr 21.Psotova J, Svobodova A, Kolarova H, Walterova D.Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Hnevot¨ªnsk¨¢ 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic. psotova@tunw.upol.cz

 UVA radiation provokes the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress in the exposed cells leading to extensive cellular damage and cell death either by apoptosis or necrosis. One approach to protecting human skin against the harmful effects of UV radiation is by using herbal compounds as photoprotectants. This study evaluated the protective effects of Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) and its main phenolic acid component, rosmarinic acid (RA), against UVA-induced changes in a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Human keratinocytes exposed to UVA (10-30 J/cm(2)) were treated with an extract of P. vulgaris (1-75 mg/l) or RA (0.9-18 mg/l) for 4h. P. vulgaris and RA exhibited ability to reduce the UVA-caused decrease in a cell viability monitored by neutral red retention and by LDH release into medium. The P. vulgaris extract and RA significantly suppressed UVA-induced ROS production, which manifests as a decrease in intracellular lipid peroxidation, elevation of ATP and reduced glutathione. Post-treatment with P. vulgaris extract and RA also significantly reduced DNA damage. In addition, UVA-induced activation of caspase-3 was inhibited by treatment with P. vulgaris and RA. The P. vulgaris extract and RA demonstrated a concentration-dependent photoprotection (maximum at 25-50 mg/l and 9 mg/l, respectively). These results suggest that P. vulgaris and RA, used in skin care cosmetics, may offer protection against UVA-induced oxidative stress and may be beneficial as a supplement in photoprotective dermatological preparations.

  Prunella stica inhibits the proliferation but not the prostaglandin production of Ishikawa cells.:Life Sci. 2006 Jun 27;79(5):436-41. Epub 2006 Feb 14.Huang JC, Ruan CH, Tang K, Ruan KH.Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Jaou-Chen.Huang@uth.tmc.edu

 Chinese herbs have been used to relieve dysmenorrhea associated with endometriosis. Active components in the herbs and their mechanisms of action remain unknown. Prunella stica, a Chinese herb commonly used to treat dysmenorrhea, was chosen for the present studies. Its effects were investigated on Ishikawa cells, an epithelial cell line derived from human endometrium. Cell proliferation and inhibition of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) induced prostaglandin (PG) production were examined. To learn more about the active components, 120 fractions were collected from the crude extract and each fraction was tested individually. To further characterize the active components, aliquots of fractions with activity were subject to mass spectrometry analysis. Crude extract of P. stica inhibited the proliferation of Ishikawa cells but not the IL-1beta induced PG production. Active components of P. stica clustered around fractions 64 and 92; they increased cell doubling time from 18.6 to 26.2 and 29.4h, respectively. Mass spectrometry analysis showed fractions 64 and 92 consisted of three components whose molecular weights were 337, 348 and 430 Daltons. The therapeutic effects of P. stica reside, in part, in inhibiting the proliferation of the epithelial cells derived from human endometrium. The active components are small molecules.

 

  Effects of two Prunella species on lymphocyte proliferation and nitric oxide production.:Phytother Res. 2006 Feb;20(2):157-9.Harput US, Saracoglu I, Ogihara Y.Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. sharput@hacettepe.edu.tr

 Water extracts of Prunella vulgaris and P. laciniata have been investigated for their immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory activities concerning their effect on the mitogenic response of murine splenocytes and nitric oxide production by murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. It was found that both extracts stimulated the proliferation of T-lymphocytes and suppressed NO production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages dose dependently without any cytotoxicity.

  Immune modulatory effects of Prunella vulgaris L. on monocytes/macrophages.:Int J Mol Med. 2005 Dec;16(6):1109-16.Fang X, Yu MM, Yuen WH, Zee SY, Chang RC.Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR.

 Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae), a popular Western and Chinese herbal medicine, has long been associated with anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects. While its anti-viral effects are attributed mainly to the inhibition of virus replication, the biological mechanisms of its anti-bacterial effects remain unknown. As a biological response modifier (BRM), the polysaccharides isolated from P. vulgaris have been shown to up-regulate the immune responses of monocytes/macrophages. However, the immune stimulatory effects seem to contradict its well-known anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that the anti-microbial effects exhibited by the polysaccharides isolated from P. vulgaris encompass both anti-inflammatory and immune stimulatory effects. One of the polysaccharide fractions PV2IV markedly stimulated the production of superoxide and nitrite representing nitric oxide from murine macrophage RAW264.7 and brain macrophage BV2 cells. The amount of nitrite and superoxide produced after PV2IV stimulation was as high as that stimulated by bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PV2IV also increased cellular protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and mRNA for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha). Similar to the effects of a high dose of LPS, the fraction PV2 could trigger activation-induced cell death (AICD) by stimulating caspase-3 activity and reduction of MTT uptake in monocytes/macrophages. These results may help our understanding of the molecular mechanism of P. vulgaris, which exhibited both immune stimulatory and anti-inflammatory effects against microbial invasion.

  Clematis mandshurica protected to apoptosis of rat chondrocytes.:J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Oct 3;101(1-3):294-8.Lee SW, Chung WT, Choi SM, Kim KT, Yoo KS, Yoo YH.Department of Rheumatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine and Medical Science Research Center, 3-1 Dongdaesin-Dong, Seo-Gu, Busan, South Korea.

 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of SKI 306X, a purified extract from the mixture of three herbs, i.e. Clematis mandshurica, Trichosanthes kirilowii and Prunella vulgaris, on apoptosis in chondrocytes. DESIGN: Rat chondrocyte cell line RCJ3.1C.18 cells were incubated with 1 microM staurosporin and SKI 306X or each of its components. Cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion assay. Induction of apoptosis was determined by nuclear condensation or fragmentation after Hoechst staining. Amount of apoptosis was quantified both by nuclear morphology and flow cytometry. Expression level of Bcl-2, and caspase-3 and PARP activations were assayed by Western blot. RESULTS: SKI 306X significantly prevented staurosporin-induced apoptosis. Among its three components, only Clematis mandshurica significantly decreased the amount of staurosporin-induced apoptosis. Although the level of Bcl-2 expression was decreased after staurosporin treatment, it was sustained after the combination treatment with Clematis mandshurica. Whereas staurosporin induced the degradation of 32 kDa caspase-3 precursor and the production of 85-kDa cleavage products of PARP in a time-dependent fashion, Clematis mandshurica treatment prevented those manifestations. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacological efficacy of SKI 306X protecting osteoarthritis in part may result from the inhibition of apoptosis in chondrocytes by Clematis mandshurica.

  Cytoprotectivity of Prunella vulgaris on doxorubicin-treated rat cardiomyocytes.:Fitoterapia. 2005 Sep;76(6):556-61.Psotov¨¢ J, Chlopc¨ªkov¨¢ S, Miketov¨¢ P, Sim¨¢nek V.Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Hn?vot¨ªnsk¨¢ 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic. psotova@tunw.upol.cz

 The cardioprotective effect of Prunella vulgaris ethylacetate fraction (PVEF) and its constituent rosmarinic acid (RA) was evaluated on isolated rat cardiomyocytes subjected to doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress. The cytoprotectivities of PVEF and RA were concentration-dependent in the range of 0.005 to 0.05 mg/ml and the effect of PVEF correlated with the RA content. Dexrazoxan (DE), used as positive control, was less effective than PVEF or RA.

  Establishment of stably expressed human RANTES gene in prunella vulgaris cell clone.:Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao. 2003 Mar;19(2):168-73.Zeng QP, Feng LL, Yang RY, Chen ZH.Biotechnology Laboratory, Tropical Medicine Institute, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China. tmibio@gzhtem.edu.cn

 To express interesting human genes in herbal cells for boosting their specific pharmacological activities, RANTES gene cloned from human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) mRNA was introduced into A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring pAL4404 plasmid via tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid-derived intermediate expression vector pROKII. In vitro cultured P. vulgaris cells were transformed by leaf-disk cocultivation procedure. Integration of RANTES gene in the genome of transformed cells was confirmed by Southern blotting, and expression of RANTES gene in transformed cells was analyzed by RT-PCR amplification, Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The peroxidase activity of PBL was utilized as a detection index of cellular chemotropism induction by recombinant RANTES. The results have shown the RANTES gene was integrated in transgenic P. vulgaris cells, and RANTES gene-stably expressed cell clones were available, which could pave the way to obtain transgenic P. vulgaris plants demonstrating specific pharmacological activities.


  In vitro and in vivo immunosuppressive activity of Spica Prunellae ethanol extract on the immune responses in mice.:J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Oct 3;101(1-3):31-6.Sun HX, Qin F, Pan YJ.College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China. sunhx@zju.edu.cn

 The immunosuppressive activity of the ethanol extract of Spica Prunellae (Prunella vulgaris fruiting spikes) (EESP) consisting of a mixture of triterpenoids, flavonoids, tannins and polysaccharide was studied on the immune responses in mice. The effects of EESP on mice splenocyte proliferation in vitro were measured. EESP significantly suppressed concanavalin A (Con A)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the effects of EESP at three dose levels (a single dose of 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg) on the humoral and cellular immune responses of mice subcutaneously immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) were examined. ICR mice were immunized subcutaneously with OVA on day 0 and 14. Starting on the day of immunization, the mice were administered subcutaneously with EESP at 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg at intervals of 7 days for a total of five doses. On day 28, antigen-specific antibodies in serum, mitogen- and OVA-induced splenocyte proliferation were investigated. EESP significantly suppressed Con A-, LPS- and OVA-induced splenocyte proliferation in the immunized mice in a dose-dependent manner. Total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2b levels in the immunized mice were significantly reduced by EESP. Moreover, the suppressing effects on the antibody responses to OVA in the immunized mice were dose-dependently enhanced according to the increase of EESP. The results suggest that EESP could suppress the cellular and humoral response in mice.

  Immune modulatory effects of Prunella vulgaris L.:Int J Mol Med. 2005 Mar;15(3):491-6.Fang X, Chang RC, Yuen WH, Zee SY.Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, P.R. China.

 Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) is a perennial plant known as 'self-heal' in Western herbal medicine. It has a wide array of biological effects exhibiting numerous therapeutic potentials. Its anti-microbial effects including anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects are, presently, receiving increasing attention. While its anti-viral effects are attributed mainly to the inhibition of virus replication, the biological mechanisms of its anti-bacterial effects or actions remain unknown. In view of the fact that polysaccharides isolated from medicinal herbs often function as biological response modifier of body immunity, we hypothesized that the anti-microbial effect of polysaccharides isolated from P. vulgaris is probably also mediated via immune modulation. We have isolated four polysaccharides containing fractions from P. vulgaris, one of the fractions, PV2, could markedly stimulate the production of superoxide and nitrite representing nitric oxide from murine macrophage RAW264.7 and brain macrophage BV2 cells. The amount of nitrite and superoxide produced after PV2 stimulation was as high as that seen in stimulation using bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and this stimulatory response is dose-dependent. In addition to monocyte/macrophage, PV2 also stimulated the proliferation of splenocytes. In this study, we have shown that the polysaccharides isolated from P. vulgaris have marked immune stimulatory effects, which may bring about the anti-microbial effects of P. vulgaris.

  Macleya cordata and Prunella vulgaris in oral hygiene products - their efficacy in the control of gingivitis.:Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2004 Jul;148(1):103-5.Ad¨¢mkov¨¢ H, Vicar J, Palasov¨¢ J, Ulrichov¨¢ J, Sim¨¢nek V.1st Clinic of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Czech Republic.

 A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed to investigate the effectiveness of a herbal-based dentifrice in the control of gingivitis. Forty volunteers completed the 84-day study. All subjects were balanced for parameters measured - plaque index (PI), community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) and papillary bleeding index (PBI). The dentifrice was effective in reducing symptoms of gingivitis as evaluated by the CPITN and PBI indexes.

  A polysaccharide fraction from medicinal herb Prunella vulgaris downregulates the expression of herpes simplex virus antigen in Vero cells.:J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jul;93(1):63-8.Chiu LC, Zhu W, Ooi VE.Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China. chimingchiu@graduate.hku.hk

 Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) are pathogenic. With the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HSV, new antiviral agents, especially those with different modes of action, are urgently needed. Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae), a perennial plant commonly found in China and Europe, has long been used as a folk medicine to cure ailments. In this study, a polysaccharide fraction was prepared from Prunella vulgaris (PPV), and its effects on the expressions of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antigens in their host Vero cells were investigated with flow cytometry. The HSV antigen increased time-dependently in the infected cells, and PPV reduced its expression. The effective concentrations of PPV with 50% reductions of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 antigens were 20.6 and 20.1 microg/ml, respectively. The novelty of PPV is that it also reduces the antigen expression of acyclovir-resistant strain of HSV-1. After incubations with 25-100 microg/ml of PPV the HSV antigen-positive cells were reduced by 24.8-92.6%, respectively, showing that this polysaccharide fraction has a different mode of anti-HSV action from acyclovir. Results from this study show that PPV is effective against both the HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, and flow cytometry offers a quantitative and highly reproducible anti-HSV drug-susceptibility assay.

  Phenolics-rich extracts from Silybum marianum and Prunella vulgaris reduce a high-sucrose diet induced oxidative stress in hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats.:Pharmacol Res. 2004 Aug;50(2):123-30.Skottov¨¢ N, Kazdov¨¢ L, Oliyarnyk O, Vecera R, Sobolov¨¢ L, Ulrichov¨¢ J.Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Palacky University, Hnevot¨ªnsk¨¢ 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic. nina@tunw.upol.cz

 The study tested the effects of phenolics-rich extracts from the plants Silybum marianum (silymarin) and Prunella vulgaris (PVE) on blood and liver antioxidant status and lipoprotein metabolism. Hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats fed on standard diet (STD) or high-sucrose diet (HSD, 70cal% of sucrose) for two weeks were used. HSD doubled plasma and liver triacylglycerol (TAG) and increased plasma VLDL-TAG and VLDL-cholesterol compared to STD. Administration of silymarin or PVE as 1% dietary supplements in HSD did not influence lipid levels in plasma or liver, but both extracts caused decrease in plasma VLDL-cholesterol levels. HSD-induced oxidative stress was manifested in increased TBARS and conjugated dienes (CD) content, decreased GSH levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in blood and liver. In blood the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased, whereas in liver the activity of catalase increased after HSD. Feeding on HSD containing phenolics-rich extracts resulted in reduction of TBARS and CD content and in increase of blood GPX activity and elevated GSH content in liver. Besides, silymarin increased the activity of SOD and level of GSH in blood. Catalase activity in blood or liver was not influenced by the presence of plant extracts in the diet. These results indicate that silymarin and PVE improve antioxidant status in blood and liver and positively affect plasma lipoprotein profile in an experimental model of dietary induced hypertriglyceridemia.


  Biological activities of Prunella vulgaris extract.:Phytother Res. 2003 Nov;17(9):1082-7.Psotov¨¢ J, Kol¨¢r M, Sousek J, Svagera Z, Vicar J, Ulrichov¨¢ J.Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. psotova@tunw.upol.cz

 The organic fraction (OF; 25.7% w/w of rosmarinic acid) of Prunella vulgaris (total extract) was found to exhibit the following: scavenging activity on diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), inhibition of in vitro human LDL Cu(II)-mediated oxidation, protection of rat mitochondria and rat hepatocytes exposed to either tert-butyl hydroperoxide, or to Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions. OF also showed a potential to inhibit rat erythrocyte haemolysis and it reduced the production of LTB(4) in bovine PMNL generated by the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. Other observations included antiproliferative effects against HaCaT cells and mouse epidermal fibroblasts and a moderate OF antimicrobial activity on gram-positive bacteria. Rosmarinic, caffeic and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactic acids exhibited less potent activity than the plant extract in all bioassays. The antioxidative, antimicrobial, together with antiviral effects offer good prospects for the medicinal applications of P. vulgaris.

  Effect of TCTS on experimental endometriosis of rats.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 Jan;28(1):69-72.Hong M, Hua YQ, Yu L, Sun XY, Li XD, Zhu Q.National Standard Lab of Pharmacology for Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China

 OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of TCTS on endometriosis rats. METHOD: On the model of surgical induced rat endometriosis, weight and pathological changes of endometrial transplant and serum hormones were observed. RESULT: Weight of endometrial transplants was reduced by TCTS 11.2 g.kg-1 and 22.5 g.kg-1 and transplants of TCTS treated rat showed poorly developed epithelium, thinner stroma, fewer stromal cells and glands. At the same time elevated serum E2, FSH and LH were reduced by TCTS. CONCLUSION: TCTS can inhibit the growth of endometrial transplants, which is related with serum hormone, especially E2.

  Inhibitory effects of rosmarinic acid on Lck SH2 domain binding to a synthetic phosphopeptide.:Planta Med. 2003 Jul;69(7):642-6.Ahn SC, Oh WK, Kim BY, Kang DO, Kim MS, Heo GY, Ahn JS.Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yusong, Taejon, Korea.

 In the course of screening inhibitors from the methanol (MeOH) extracts of 168 medicinal plants against lymphocyte cell-specific kinase (Lck) Src -homology 2 (SH2) binding to a synthetic phosphotyrosine-containing peptide (phosphopeptide), we isolated rosmarinic acid from the MeOH extract of Prunella vulgaris, which showed specific inhibitory activity. The IC 50 value for Lck SH2 binding to phosphopeptide (SGSGEEPQpYEEIPI) of hamster polyomavirus middle-sized tumor (hmT pY324) was 7 microM. However, even at concentrations of 0.1 to 1000 microM, no significant inhibitions were observed against other SH2 domains binding such as the growth factor receptor binding protein 2 (Grb2) SH2 domain to phosphopeptide of Shc and phospholipase Cgamma1 (PLCgamma1) SH2 domain to translational elongation factor 1alpha (EF1alpha) C-terminal. Rosmarinic acid inhibited interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene expression by 50 % at a concentration of 8 microM in Jurkat cells stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD4 antibodies. FK506 and cyclosporin A (CsA) employed as positive controls showed less than 30 % inhibition at the same concentration. In addition, rosmarinic acid inhibited the intracellular [Ca 2+] i increase in Jurkat cells after T cell activation in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 1.4 to 140 microM of rosmarinic acid, which is one of the earliest responses of antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) and of the upstream pathway of IL-2 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that rosmarinic acid has the potential to specifically inhibit Lck SH2 domain binding to its cognate ligand, including ZAP-70, Cbl, HS-1, and PLCgamma1, and Lck-dependent Ca 2+ signaling pathway of its downstream effector and finally to modulate IL-2 gene expression after T cell activation.

  Triterpenoid compounds of Prunella genus and their features of 13C NMR spectroscopy.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2000 Oct;25(10):583-8.Wang ZJ, Zhao YY, Chen YY, Ma BN.Department of Natural Medicines, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083, China.

 OBJECTIVE: To summarize the research advances and 13C NMR features of triterpenoid compounds in the plant of Prunella genus. METHODS: Consulting related literatures and summing up the triterpenoid compounds and their features of 13C NMR spectra. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: Up to now, 28 triterpenoid compounds were isolated from the plant of P. genus. of which 20 were in free state and 8 were triterpenoid saponins. The 13C NMR spectra of different triterpenoids showed different features in respects such as skeletons, substituent groups and positions.

  Determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in spica Prunellae by derivative GC method.:Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 1999 Dec;24(12):744-5, 764.Yan H, Zhao L, Zhu D, Ding L.Baoji Municipal Institute for Drug Control, Baoji 721001.

 OBJECTIVE: To develop a GC method to determine the oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in Spica Prunellae. METHOD: Before GC analysis, the sample was derivatized with CH2N2 solution. The GC conditions were as follows: comumn-10% SE-30(2m x 3mm) and column temperature -270 degrees C. RESULT: The two constituents were well separated and had good linearity in the range of 0.0025-0.4000 mg/ml. The average recoveries and RSD of oleanolic acid were 93.53% and 3.5%, 94.18% and 3.0% respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is good for determining oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in Chinese medicines.


  Identification of inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation from extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs Prunella vulgaris and Rhizoma cibotte.:Life Sci. 2002 Aug 30;71(15):1779-91.Liu S, Jiang S, Wu Z, Lv L, Zhang J, Zhu Z, Wu S.Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the First Medical University of PLA, PLA Key Lab for Drug Screening, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.

 An increasing portion of patients with HIV infection and/or AIDS cannot use currently FDA-approved anti-HIV drugs, including the reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors, due to the adverse effects and the emergence of drug resistance. Thus, it is essential to develop new anti-HIV agents with a target different from the HIV reverse transcriptase and protease. Using a conformation-specific monoclonal antibody NC-1, we previously established a high throughput screening assay for identification of small molecular organic compounds that disrupt the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation, a critical step of membrane fusion between the HIV and the target cell. In the present study, we used this assay to screen for inhibitors of the gp41 six-helix bundle formation from aqueous extracts of nine Chinese medicinal herbs with antiviral activity. We found that the extracts of two herbs, Prunella vulgaris and Rhizoma cibotte, showed potent inhibitory activity. The inhibitory activity of these two herb extracts significantly decreased after they were passed through polyamide resin mini-columns, which are able to bind polyphenols including tannin, an HIV-1 inhibitor with multiple mechanisms of action. The bound polyphenols were eluted from the polyamide columns and also showed potent inhibitory activity on the gp41 six-helix bundle formation. Tannin purchased from different commercial sources inhibited the gp41 six-helix bundle formation in a manner similar to the polyphenols isolated from the herb extracts. These results suggest that tannin may be one of major inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation in the herb extracts and that tannin may inhibit HIV-1 entry by disrupting the gp41 six-helix bundle formation.

  Effects of SKI 306X, a new herbal agent, on proteoglycan degradation in cartilage explant culture and collagenase-induced rabbit osteoarthritis model.:Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2002 Jun;10(6):471-8.Choi JH, Choi JH, Kim DY, Yoon JH, Youn HY, Yi JB, Rhee HI, Ryu KH, Jung K, Han CK, Kwak WJ, Cho YB.College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 103 Seodun-Dong, Suwon 441-744, Korea.

 OBJECTIVE: Protective effects of SKI 306X, a natural herbal product extracted from three herbs Clematis mandshurica, Trichosanthes kirilowii, and Prunella vulgaris, on articular cartilage was examined and compared with other osteoarthritis (OA) drugs using in vitro and in vivo models. METHODS: In vitro culture of rabbit articular cartilage explants was used as a model to measure the effects of drugs on the matrix degradation. The recombinant human interleukin-1alpha (rhIL-1alpha, 5 ng/ml) was added to induce proteoglycan (PG) degradation and the degree of PG degradation was assessed by measuring the amount of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) released into the culture medium. In in vivo experiment, collagenase was intraarticularly injected twice into the right knee joint of rabbits to induce OA-like change, and test agents were orally administered once a day for 28 days. The degrees of OA-like changes were evaluated through a histological examination. RESULTS: In vitro study revealed SKI 306X inhibited the degradation of PG in a concentration-dependent manner. Trichosanthes kirilowii, which is one of the major components of SKI 306X, also significantly inhibited the GAG release in cartilage explant culture at 0.3 and 0.1 mg/ml. Dexamethasone and NSAIDs, such as diclofenac and rofecoxib, had no significant effects on the suppression of PG degradation. In in vivo studies, OA-like degeneration of the articular cartilage and synovial tissue was induced by injecting collagenase into the right knee joint of mature rabbits. At a dose of 200 mg/kg, SKI 306X reduced the OA-like histological changes, whereas diclofenac had no effect at 10 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that SKI 306X inhibited PG degradation in cartilage explant culture, and its prophylactic administration significantly protected the knee joint of rabbit from OA-like change in collagenase-induced experimental OA model. This strongly suggests that SKI 306X can be a good OA agent with some cartilage protection activity.

  Effect of SKI 306X, a new herbal anti-arthritic agent, in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a double-blind placebo controlled study.:Am J Chin Med. 2001;29(3-4):485-91.Jung YB, Roh KJ, Jung JA, Jung K, Yoo H, Cho YB, Kwak WJ, Kim DK, Kim KH, Han CK.Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yongsan Hospital, Chung-Ang University, Yongsan-Ku, Seoul, Korea.

 SKI 306X is a purified extract from a mixture of three oriental herbal medicines (Clematis mandshurica, Trichosanthes kirilowii and Prunella vulgaris) that have been widely used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as lymphadenitis and arthritis in far East Asia. A double-blind, controlled study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SKI 306X with placebo in 96 patients with classical osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients were randomized to four treatment groups: placebo, 200 mg, 400 mg and 600 mg of SKI 306X t.i.d.. Clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated for 4 weeks continuous treatment. SKI 306X demonstrated its clinical efficacy, as assessed by 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS), Lequesne index and patients' and investigators opinion of the therapeutic effect compared with placebo (p<0.01). No significant adverse events were observed in patients treated with SKI 306X. This study demonstrated that SKI 306X, a new herbal anti-arthritic agent provided clinical efficacy in patients with osteoarthritis.

  Inhibition of immediate-type allergic reactions by Prunella vulgaris in a murine model.:Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2001 Aug;23(3):423-35.Shin TY, Kim YK, Kim HM.College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Chonju, Chonbuk, South Korea.

 We studied the effect of aqueous extract of Prunella vulgaris (Labiatae) (PVAE) on immediate-type allergic reactions. PVAE (0.005 to 1 g/kg) dose-dependently inhibited systemic anaphylactic shock induced by compound 48/ 80 in rats. When PVAE was given as pretreatment, at concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 1 g/kg, the serum histamine levels induced by compound 48/ 80 were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. PVAE (0.001 to 1 g/kg) inhibited the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis activated by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibody dose dependently. PVAE also inhibited the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE from the rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC). The level of cyclic AMP in RPMC, when PVAE was added, significantly increased, compared with that of normal control. Moreover, PVAE (0.01 and 0.1 mg/ml) had a significant inhibitory effect on anti-DNP IgE-mediated tumor necrosis factor-alpha production from RPMC. These results indicate that PVAE inhibits immediate-type allergic reactions in rats.

  A comparison of HIV-1 integrase inhibition by aqueous and methanol extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs.:Life Sci. 2001 Feb 23;68(14):1687-94.Au TK, Lam TL, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan DC.Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT.

 The aqueous and methanol extracts of twenty herbs traditionally used in Chinese medicine were screened for anti-HIV-1 integrase activity in a non-radioactive ELISA-based HIV-1 integrase assay. The screening was performed at an herb extract concentration of 50 microg/ml. It was found that most of the aqueous and methanol herb extracts could elicit strong inhibition of HIV-I integrase activity. The inhibition was most likely due to tannins or polyphenolics in the herb extracts. In most of the herb extracts, 40-80% of the anti-HIV-1 integrase activity could be removed after passing through a minicolumn of polyamide resin. After removal of polyphenolic compounds, the methanol extract of Paeonia suffruticosa still exerted potent inhibition of HIV-1 integrase (EC50 = 15 microg/ml) and the aqueous extract of Prunella vulgaris caused moderate inhibition (EC50 = 45 microg/ml). The results support the view that herbs represent a rich source of anti-HIV compounds.


  A comparison of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 protease inhibition activities by the aqueous and methanol extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs.:Life Sci. 2000 Oct 27;67(23):2889-96.Lam TL, Lam ML, Au TK, Ip DT, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan DC.Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories.

 The aqueous and methanol extracts of thirty-one herbs traditionally used as anti-fever remedies in China were screened for their in vitro inhibition on human immunodeficiency virus type-1 protease (HIV-1 PR). The activity of recombinant HIV-1 protease was determined by sequence-specific cleavage at the Tyr-Pro bond of the fluorogenic substrate (Arg-Glu(EDANS)-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Ile-Val-Gln-Lys(DABCYL)- Arg) or by HPLC anaylsis of the cleavage products after incubation of the enzyme with a synthetic peptide substrate (Acetyl-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Val-Val-amide). Among the herbal extracts examined, the aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris and Scutellaria baicalensis and the methanol extracts of Woodwardia unigemmata, Paeonica suffruticosa and Spatholobus suberectus elicited significant inhibition (>90%) at a concentration of 200 microg/ml.

  Is the Prunella (Lamiaceae) hybrid zone structured by an environmental gradient? Evidence from a reciprocaltransplant experiment.:Am J Bot. 2000 Jul;87(7):995-1003.Fritsche F, Kaltz O.Institut f¨¹r Umweltwissenschaften der Universit?t Z¨¹rich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057 Z¨¹rich, Switzerland. Botanisches Institut der Universit?t Basel, Sch?nbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. Laboratoire d'Evolution et Syst¨¦matique, CNRS URA 2154, Universit¨¦ de Paris-Sud, Bat. 362, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France.

 Hybrid zones may be structured by environmentally independent selection against intrinsically unfit hybrids (tension zone models), or by environmentally dependent fitness differences among parental species and hybrids (ecological selection-gradient models). A 30-m slope in a mountain grassland harbors a hybrid zone of the clonal perennials, Prunella grandiflora and P. vulgaris (Lamiaceae), with P. grandiflora in the upper, P. vulgaris in the lower, and both parental species and P. grandiflora x P. vulgaris Hybrids in a narrow middle part. We found gradients for soil depth and water content, and vegetation height and biomass along the slope. A reciprocal transplant experiment yielded crossing reaction norms for vegetative reproduction. Parental species were locally adapted to their home sites, while the three taxa did not differ in vegetative reproduction in the HYBRID: transplant site. Local adaptation for vegetative reproduction of P. grandiflora was mediated through higher survival and that of P. vulgaris through higher ramet number, indicating adaptation of their clonal growth strategies (phalanx vs. guerrilla) to the different habitats. HYBRID: performance was intermediate between that of the parental species in all three sites, although HYBRIDS: flowered more often than the parental species in the HYBRID: site. Our results support ecological selection-gradient rather than tension zone models.

  Anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory triterpenes from the herb of Prunella vulgaris.:Planta Med. 2000 May;66(4):358-60.Ryu SY, Oak MH, Yoon SK, Cho DI, Yoo GS, Kim TS, Kim KM.

 The activity-guided fractionation of the extract of the herb of Prunella vulgaris (Labiatae) led to the isolation of four triterpenes, i.e., betulinic acid, ursolic acid, 2 alpha,3 alpha-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, and 2 alpha-hydroxyursolic acid. One of these compounds, 2 alpha,3 alpha-dihydroxyursolic acid, demonstrated significant inhibition on the release of beta-hexosaminidase from the cultured RBL-2H3 cells in a dose-dependent manner; the IC50 value was calculated to be 57 microM. When the isolated compounds were tested for their effects on the production of nitric oxide from cultured murine macrophages, RAW 264.7 cells, ursolic acid and 2 alpha-hydroxyursolic acid exhibited strong inhibitory activities (IC50 values, 17 and 27 microM, respectively).

  Extract of Prunella vulgaris spikes inhibits HIV replication at reverse transcription in vitro and can be absorbed from intestine in vivo.:Antivir Chem Chemother. 2000 Mar;11(2):157-64.

 It has been reported that extracts of the spike of Prunella vulgaris (PS) exhibit anti-HIV activity at the adsorption and reverse transcription stages. In this study, the actual activity of PS in cells, kinetic analysis of the inhibitory activity of PS against HIV reverse transcriptase and the feasibility of oral administration were examined. First, to clarify whether this extract shows anti-HIV activity in cells in vitro, the number of copies of proviral DNA in HIV-exposed cells was calculated. The number of copies was significantly decreased in cells cultured in the presence of PS extract, but not in the presence of dextran sulphate. The activity of PS extract in the cells was also assessed by the drug addition test, during and after HIV adsorption. PS extract and dextran sulphate suppressed HIV production to similar levels when added after HIV adsorption. However, only PS extract suppressed HIV production at the same concentration when the drugs were added during HIV adsorption. Presumably, the penetration of the PS extract into the cells was required for this activity. Secondly, fractionated PS inhibited HIV reverse transcription in a non-competitive manner. This fractionated PS kept anti-HIV activity, but inhibited HIV replication and adsorption to a lesser extent compared to dextran sulphate. Lastly, an active component(s) was detected in plasma in vivo, after injection into the intestine, which demonstrates the feasibility of oral administration dosing.

  Isolation and characterization of an anti-HSV polysaccharide from Prunella vulgaris.:Antiviral Res. 1999 Nov;44(1):43-54.Xu HX, Lee SH, Lee SF, White RL, Blay J.Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

 A water soluble substance was isolated from a Chinese herb, Prunella vulgaris, by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation and gel permeation column chromatography. Chemical tests showed that the substance was an anionic polysaccharide. Using a plaque reduction assay, the polysaccharide at 100 microg/ml was active against the herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), but was inactive against cytomegalovirus, the human influenza virus types A and B, the poliovirus type 1 or the vesicular stomatitis virus. The 50% plaque reduction dose of the polysaccharide for HSV-1 and HSV-2 was 10 microg/ml. Clinical isolates and known acyclovir-resistant (TK-deficient or polymerase-defective) strains of HSV-1 and HSV-2 were similarly inhibited by the polysaccharide. Pre-incubation of HSV-1 with the polysaccharide at 4, 25 or 37 degrees C completely abrogated the infectivity of HSV-1, but pre-treatment of Vero cells with the polysaccharide did not protect cells from infection by the virus. The addition of the polysaccharide at 0, 2, 5.5 and 8 h post-infection of Vero cells with HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of five reduced the 20 h-yield of intracellular infectious virus by 100, 99, 99 and 94%, respectively. In contrast, a similar addition of heparin showed 85, 63, 53 and 3% reduction of intracellular virus yield, respectively. These results suggest that the polysaccharide may inhibit HSV by competing for cell receptors as well as by some unknown mechanisms after the virus has penetrated the cells. The Prunella polysaccharide was not cytotoxic to mammalian cells up to the highest concentration tested, 0.5 mg/ml and did not show any anti-coagulant activity. In conclusion, the polysaccharide isolated from P. vulgaris has specific activity against HSV and its mode of action appears to be different from other anionic carbohydrates, such as heparin.


  Antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities of selected medicinal herbs.:Life Sci. 2000 Jan 14;66(8):725-35.Liu F, Ng TB.Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.

 The antioxidative and superoxide- and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities and pro-oxidant effect of twelve selected medicinal herbs were studied. The aqueous extracts of Coptis chinensis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Prunella vulgaris and Senecio scandens exhibited the highest potency in inhibiting rat erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in rat kidney and brain homogenates. The aforementioned four herbs also demonstrated strong superoxide- and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, but exerted only a slight pro-oxidant effect.

  Anti-HIV-1 activity of herbs in Labiatae.:Biol Pharm Bull. 1998 Aug;21(8):829-33.

 The anti-HIV-1 activity of aromatic herbs in Labiatae was evaluated in vitro. Forty five extract from among 51 samples obtained from 46 herb species showed significant inhibitory effects against HIV-1 induced cytopathogenicity in MT-4 cells. In particular, the aqueous extracts of Melissa officinalis, a family of Mentha x piperita "grapefruit mint," Mentha x piperita var. crispa, Ocimum basilicum cv "cinnamon," Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. viridis, Prunella vulgaris subsp. asiatica and Satureja montana showed potent anti-HIV-1 activity (with an ED of 16 microg/ml). The active components in the extract samples were found to be water-soluble polar substances, not nonpolar compounds such as essential oils. In addition, these aqueous extracts inhibited giant cell formation in co-culture of Molt-4 cells with and without HIV-1 infection and showed inhibitory activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

  Multiple mating and cooperative breeding in polygynandrous alpine accentors. II. Male mating tactics:Anim Behav. 1998 Feb;55(2):277-89.

 I studied the timing and frequency of male copulatory behaviour in alpine accentors, Prunella collaris, with respect to dominance status, age and development of the cloacal protuberance. Males used one of three mating tactics depending on their dominance status. Alpha males guarded several females in succession, but only during the females' fertile period, while gamma males copulated rarely and only with unguarded females. The tactics of beta males were flexible: with unguarded females they usually adopted a frequent-copulation tactic, but when two females had synchronous egg-laying periods, beta males associated closely with whichever female the alpha male left unguarded. When alpha males closely guarded a female, beta males guarded this same female for short periods before and after the guarding period of the alpha male. Subordinate rank restricted a male's opportunities for mating but males of all dominance ranks were sexually active and had fully developed cloacal protuberances. Frequent copulation plus part-time mate guarding (as found in beta males) and opportunistic copulation (as found in gamma males) appears to be a conditional strategy whereby young, subordinate males are 'making the best of a bad job'. A long-term study over 10 years showed that males moved up in social rank with increasing age but 78.9% of males remained subordinate because alpha males occupied the top rank for much of their lifetime.

  Multiple mating and cooperative breeding in polygynandrous alpine accentors. I. Competition among females.:Anim Behav. 1998 Feb;55(2):259-75.

 The reproductive strategy of female alpine accentors, Prunella collaris. Alpine accentors formed polygynandrous groups consisting of three to six males and three to five females; however, each female laid eggs in her own nest. Within each group, females were organized in stable, linear hierarchies based on age. All females were sexually active but high-ranking females copulated more frequently with several males from the group. In contrast, the degree of multiple mating and frequency of copulations of low-ranking females was lower because their sexual activity was interrupted by more dominant females. All copulations were preceded by female solicitation. When the young hatched, males helped to feed the chicks of several females with whom they had copulated. The main factor influencing reproductive success was the amount of parental care that was available for feeding the chicks. High-ranking females had paternal help from two or more males and secured a high provisioning rate for the brood, which increased fledging success and nestling weight. The reproductive success of low-ranking females was lower because the brood did not receive sufficient paternal investment and so often starved to death early in the nestling period. These results suggest that the greatest potential benefit females might obtain from multiple mating is the subsequent assistance of several males in caring for the offspring. I discuss the implications of these observations with the idea that competition among females for males brings about multiple mating as a female reproductive strategy.

  Prunella vulgaris L.--a rediscovered medicinal plant.:Ceska Slov Farm. 1997 Apr;46(2):58-63.Markov¨¢ H, Sousek J, Ulrichov¨¢ J.Katedra chemie Pr¨ªrodov?deck¨¦ fakulty Ostravsk¨¦ univerzity, Ostrava.

 In the past, the self-heal (Prunella vulgaris L.) was primarily used as a remedy alleviating pains in the throat, fevers and accelerating wound healing. A high content of rosmarinic acid, immunomodulation effects of the polysaccharide prunelline and antiviral activity of some constituents make the plant interesting from the viewpoint of therapeutical applications. The paper summarizes the contemporary phytochemical knowledge about the self-heal and the results of pharmacological studies of the extracts and pure substances from this plant.


  Mechanism of inhibition of HIV-1 infection in vitro by purified extract of Prunella vulgaris.:Virology. 1992 Mar;187(1):56-62.Yao XJ, Wainberg MA, Parniak MA.Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

 Crude extracts of four Chinese herbs, Arctium lappa, Astragalus membranaceus, Andrographis paniculata, and Prunella vulgaris, were assessed in several tissue culture lines for anti-HIV activity and for cytotoxicity. One extract, obtained from P. vulgaris, was able to significantly inhibit HIV-1 replication with relatively low cytotoxicity. The active factor was purified using sequential precipitations with ethanol and n-butanol, followed by reverse-phase and gel permeation high-performance liquid chromatographic separations. The active component was anionic with a molecular weight of approximately 10 kDa. The purified extract inhibited HIV-1 replication in the lymphoid cell line MT-4, in the monocytoid cell line U937, and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at effective concentrations of 6, 30, and 12.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. Pretreatment of uninfected cells with the extract prior to viral exposure did not prevent HIV-1 infection. By contrast, preincubation of HIV-1 with the purified extract dramatically decreased infectiousness. The purified extract was also able to block cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1, prevented syncytium formation, and interfered with the ability of both HIV-1 and purified gp120 to bind to CD4. PCR analysis confirmed the absence of HIV-1 proviral DNA in cells exposed to virus in the presence of the extract. These results suggest that the purified extract antagonizes HIV-1 infection of susceptible cells by preventing viral attachment to the CD4 receptor.

  Isolation, purification, and partial characterization of prunellin, an anti-HIV component from aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris.:Antiviral Res. 1989 Jun-Jul;11(5-6):263-73.Tabba HD, Chang RS, Smith KM.Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis 95616.

 Prunellin, an anti-HIV active compound, was isolated from aqueous extracts of the Chinese medicinal herb, Prunella vulgaris, and purified to chromatographic homogeneity. Infrared and NMR spectroscopy identified prunellin as a polysaccharide. Elemental analyses, precipitation with calcium(II), barium(II), or 9-aminoacridine suggest a sulfated polysaccharide. Paper chromatography of the exhaustively hydrolyzed material indicates the presence of glucose, galactose, xylose, gluconic acid, galactonic acid and galactosamine as the constituent monosaccharides. The molecular size of prunellin, as determined by gel permeation chromatography and the Squire method on Sephadex G-75, is about 10 kDa.

  Antimutagenic activity of extracts from anticancer drugs in Chinese medicine.:Mutat Res. 1988 Feb;204(2):229-34.Lee H, Lin JY.Department of Biochemistry, Chung Shan Medical and Dental College, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.

 The antimutagenic activities of extracts of 36 commonly used anticancer crude drugs from Chinese herbs were studied by using the Salmonella/microsomal system in the presence of picrolonic acid or benzo[a]pyrene to test whether they contain direct or indirect antimutagens. Each crude drug was extracted with boiling water for 2 h, the method which is commonly used by Chinese people to prepare the drug for oral intake. The extracts of Pteris multifida P. showed the highest antimutagenic activity against picrolonic acid-induced mutation. The extracts of 6 other different kinds of Chinese herbs were shown to have a moderate antimutagenic activity against picrolonic acid-induced mutation, and they are: Actinidia chinensis P., Artemisia lavendulaefolia DC. and Crotalaria sessiflora L., Prunella vulgaris L., Paris polyphylla S. and Ampelopsis brevipedunculata T. The extracts of Smilax china L., Prunella vulgaris L. and Actinidia chinensis P. were demonstrated to inhibit the mutagenicity of benzo[a]pyrene completely. The 12 other kinds of extracts of Chinese herbs which had a moderate antimutagenic activity against benzo[a]pyrene were: Pteris polyphylla S., Ampelopsis brevipedunculata T., Duchesnea indica F., Gossypium herbaceum L., Lithospermum erythrorrhizon SZ., Artemisia lavendulaefolia DC., Selaginella doederleinii H., Dianthus superbus L., Centipeda minima ABA., Curcuma zedoaria R., Marsdenia tenacissima WA. and Kalopanax septemlobus K. Among them, there were 5 kinds of crude drugs, Actinidia chinensis P., Artemisia lavendulaefolia DC., Prunella vulgaris L., Paris polyphylla S. and Ampelopsis brevipedunculata T., containing antimutagenic factors against both picrolonic acid- and benzo[a]pyrene-induced mutation.


  Scientific References:

  1.Research Update:Prunella vulgaris