The present study investigated the effects of phytol in pilocarpine-induced seizures. The latency for development of convulsions and mortality rate was recorded in this model using mice. The results revealed that phytol (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg, i.p.) increased latency to first seizure and decreased percentage of these seizures. Moreover, phytol also protected the animals against status epilepticus...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effects of phytol using chemical and thermal models of nociception in mice and to assess its antioxidant effects in vitro. Phytol was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to mice at doses of 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, phytol significantly reduced the number of contortions compared ...

Phytol, a branched-chain fatty alcohol, is the naturally occurring precursor of phytanic and pristanic acid, branched-chain fatty acids that are both ligands for the nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor a (PPARa). To investigate the metabolism of phytol and the role of PPARa in its regulation, wild-type and PPARa knockout (PPARa) mice were fed a phytolenriched die...

Although a role for liver fatty acid protein (L-FABP) in the metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids has been suggested based on data obtained with cultured cells, the physiological significance of this observation remains to be demonstrated. To address this issue, the lipid phenotype and metabolism of phytanic acid, a branched-chain fatty acid, were determined in L-FABP gene-ablated mice fed ...

The metabolism of uniformly-labeled 14Cphytol, W-phytenic acid, and W-phytanic acid was studied in the rat. Conversion of both phytol and phytenic acid to phytanic acid was demonstrated. Tracer doses of phytol-U-14C given orally were well absorbed (30-66y0), and approximately 30% of the absorbed dose was converted to 14CO~ in 18 hr. After intravenous injection, 20% appeared in W02 in 4 hr. Phyt...

Four chemically different bacteriochlorophylls (Bchls) a esterified with geranylgeraniol, dihydrogeranylgeraniol, tetrahydrogeranylgeraniol, and phytol have been detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography in cell extracts from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and Chromatium vinosum. Bchl a containing phytol is the principal component, and the other three Bchls a comprise about 4% of the total ...

There is renewed interest in natural products as a starting point for discovery of drugs for schistosomiasis. Recent studies have shown that phytol reveals interesting in vivo and in vitro antischistosomal properties against Schistosoma mansoni adult worms. Here, we report the in vitro antischistosomal activity of phytol against Schistosoma haematobium juvenile and adult worms and alterations o...

This study was made to determine the extent of absorption of chlorophyll phytol from the intestine of man, and the importance of chlorophyll as a source of the phytanic acid that accumulates in Refsum's disease. Uniformly (14)C-labeled pheophytin a (the Mg-free derivative of chlorophyll a) was fed to normal human subjects and to patients with Refsum's disease. Feces were collected and analyzed....

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is a major endemic disease that affects hundreds of millions worldwide. Since the treatment and control of this parasitic disease rely on a single drug, praziquantel, it is imperative that new effective drugs are developed. Here, we report that phytol, a diterpene alcohol from chlorophyll widely used as a food additive and in medicinal fields, possesses promising anti...

The fate of ingested chlorophyll-particularly of the phytol portion of the molecule-was studied. Uniformly (14)C-labeled pheophytin a (the Mg-free derivative of chlorophyll a) was prepared from an extract of tobacco leaves grown in (14)CO(2), and was administered by stomach tube to rats in which the thoracic duct had been cannulated. Only about 2% of the administered radioactivity was absorbed ...