Allergy-preventive activity was demonstrated for the MeOH extract (HM) of the petals of Hibiscus mutabilis L. 'versicolor' MAKINO in a continuing search for allergy-preventive substances from natural sources, using the in vivo assay method. This assay system uses monitoring of a decrease in the blood flow at the tail vein of mice subjected to hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) sensitization. By bioas...

Hibiscus tiliaceus, locally known as Bhola was examined for phytochemical properties and its cytotoxic, antibacterial, analgesic and neuropharmacological activities using the ethanol extract of leaf and bark. The phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract indicated the presence of tannins, whereas bark extract indicated the presence of alkaloid, reducing sugar and tannins. A preliminary cytotox...

The ability of high (6.73) and low (5.02) pH solutions of lead acetate precipitate of H. rosasinensis petal anthocyanin extract to prevent carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced lipid peroxidation in rats has been investigated using plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level as an index of the process. Relative to its value in the plasma of CCl4 treated extract-free rats, the high pH form (pH 6.73; blue p...

The effects of aqueous extract and anthocyanin-rich extract of the calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn on the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-induced changes in the levels of antioxidant enzymes of rabbits were evaluated in this study. The organs examined were the blood, brain and liver. Exposure of rabbits to DNPH (28 mg/kg body weight) caused significant (P<0.05) increase in catalase and su...

The 3' untranslated region (UTR) of turnip crinkle virus (TCV) RNA is 253 nt long (nt 3798-4050) with a 27 nt hairpin structure near its 3' terminus. In this study, the roles of the 3' UTR in virus accumulation were investigated in protoplasts of Hibiscus cannabinus L. and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Our results showed that, in Hibiscus protoplasts, the minimal 3' UTR essential for TCV acc...

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a valuable ornamental species widely planted in Brazil. Many plants are affected by witches' broom disease, which is characterized by excessive axillary branching, abnormally small leaves, and deformed flowers, symptoms that are characteristic of diseases attributed to phytoplasmas. A phytoplasma was detected in diseased Hibiscus by amplification of rRNA operon sequenc...

The methanol extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa (p < 0.01) showed a significant dose dependent relaxant effect (IC50) = 350 microM) on rat ileal strip comparable to the effect shown by nifedipin and papaverine as reference compounds. Similarly, the extract when administered intraperitoneally significantly (p < 0.05-0.01) reduced the intestinal transit (13%-35%) in rats (IC50, = 250 microM). The ex...

Ancient literature mentions the use of a number of plants/preparations for fertility regulation. Some local contraceptive agents have also been described in Ayurvedic and Unani texts. Documented experiments or clinical data are, however, lacking. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore the antifertility and estrogenic activity of ethanolic extract of the roots of Hibiscus rosa-si...

Gossypin is a bioflavonoid isolated from Hibiscus Vitifolus Linn. The antinociception activity of gossypin has been studied in comparison with the standard antinociception agent, morphine, against the experimental model of tonic continuous pain produced by formalin. Formalin (0.1ml of 1% solution) was injected under the plantar surface of right hind paw of mice and the time an animal spent in l...