PRELIMINARY RESEARCH REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC USES OF URTICA DIOICA L. NOTE I. THE POLYPHENOLS EVALUATION
The use of stinging nettle leaves for the treatment of diabetes mellitus without a scientific evaluation, persuaded us to study them, in order to obtain pharmacological active extracts. According to scientific data, polyphenols are known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and have potent anti-glycation activity. These compounds are the main active principles in the Urticae folium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the polyphenols’content (polyphenolcarboxilic acids = PPCA, and flavonoids) of stinging nettle leaves, harvested from culture and wild flora, originated from Racari, Dambovita district, Romania. Spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods were used. A new HPLC method for the identification and quantification of caffeic and chlorogenic acids from Urticae folium was also developed. The highest contents of polyphenolcarboxilic acids (expressed as % of chlorogenic acid) and flavonoids (expressed as % of rutin) were found in the leaves of wild nettles harvested in the month of March (4.2295% chlorogenic acid and 0.6237% rutin). The polyphenols’ content is slightly lower than the ones mentioned in the scientific literature. The content of PPCA decreases from March till September, both in wild and cultivated samples. The variation of the flavonoids’content differs with the origin of raw material (culture or spontaneus flora). The new HPLC method for polyphenols’analysis is reproductible. Rezumat Utilizarea tradiţională a produsului Urticae folium in diabet, fără o justificare stiintifica a acţiunii precum si menţionarea flavonelor si acizilor fenolcarboxilici (compusii majoritari) ca inhibitori ai HMG-CoA reductazei si ai proceselor de glicozilare si lipoxidare avansată, ne‐au determinat să abordăm cercetarea acestora, in vederea valorificării terapeutice sub formă de extracte selective. In acest scop am derulat o cercetare spectrofotometrică si cromatografică (HPLC) pentru a pune in evidenţă polifenolii prezenţi in frunzele de urzică recoltate din flora spontană si de cultură, din localitatea Răcari, judeţul Dâmboviţa. De asemenea, ne-am propus să separăm acizii cafeic si clorogenic si să-i determinăm cantitativ printr-o nouă metodă HPLC/UV.
Carotenoids ofUrtica dioica
J. B. Harborne, Introduction to EcolSgical Biochemistry, Academic Press, London (1977). E. Wong, in: The Isoflavonoids, in: The Flavonoids (ed. J. B. Harborne, T. J. Mabry and H. Mabry), Chapman and Hall, London (1975), p. 744. A. L. Kazakov, V. A. Kompantsev, and T. P. Leont'eva, Khim. Prir. Soedin., 721 (1980). V. A. Bandyukova and A. L. Kazakov, Khim. Prir. Soedin., 669 (1978). D. Selenge, D. Batsuren, E. Kh. Batirov, and V. M. Malikov, Khim. Prir. Soedin., 242 (1986). S. S. Yusupova, E. Kh. Batirov, Sh. V. Abdullaev, and B. M. Malikov, Khim. Prir. Soedin., 250 (1984).
Immunization with Brucella melitensis Rev 1 against Brucella ovis infection of rams.
The efficacy of Brucella Melitensis Rev 1 vaccine (Rev 1) for the prophylaxis of Brucella ovis ram epididymitis was evaluated. Twenty-nine 3-month-old rams were vaccinated with 2 X 10(9) Rev 1 and 14 were revaccinated with 5 X 10(8) at 14 months of age. Six rams remained unvaccinated as a control group. All rams were challenged with 5 X 10(8) B. ovis at 21 months of age. Before being slaughtered 8 weeks later, only one vaccinated ram developed epididymitis while four of the six control rams developed testicular alterations. Genital and selected extragenital organs and lymph nodes were removed at slaughter and inoculated on selective media. B. ovis was isolated from 26.6% of the vaccinated rams, 21.4% of the revaccinated rams and 100% of control rams. Portions of epididymis, testes and vesicular glands were also used for pathological studies. More severe lesions were observed in control rams than in vaccinated ones. In conclusion, these results show that vaccination of young lambs, followed or not by revaccination, is a suitable method for the prophylaxis of B. ovis infection of rams.