BACKGROUND Ardisia crispa Thunb. D.C is used mostly in some parts of the Asian region by traditional practitioners to treat certain diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation including cancer and rheumatism. In Malaysia, it is popularly known as 'Mata Ayam' and local traditional practitioners believed that the root of the plant is therapeutically beneficial. METHODS The cytoto...

The stick insect, Anisomorpha buprestoides, and the catmint, Nepeta cataria, produce closely related cyclopentanoid terpenes, anisomorphal and nepetalactone. Tracer experiments with isotopes indicate that anisomorphal is synthesized by the walking stick from normal terpene precursors (acetate or mevalonate). In the catmint plant, isolated leaf disks synthesized nepetalactone, utilizing the same...

To better understand the morphological variation for Perilla crop in different areas of China, we studied the morphological variation in 87 accessions (84 cultivated var. frutescens and three cultivated var. crispa) from high latitude (Northeast China) and middle latitude (North and Northwest China) areas of China by examining seven quantitative and 10 qualitative characters. Analysis of the mo...

BACKGROUND In our previous studies conducted on Ardisia crispa roots, it was shown that Ardisia crispa root inhibited inflammation-induced angiogenesis in vivo. The present study was conducted to identify whether the anti-angiogenic properties of Ardisia crispa roots was partly due to either cyclooxygenase (COX) or/and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity inhibition in separate in vitro studies. METHO...

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Menispermaceae), found in the rainforests or mixed deciduous forests in Asia and Africa, is used in traditional medicines to treat numerous health conditions. This review summarizes the up-to-date reports about the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicology, and clinical trials of the plant. It also provides critical assessment ...

A novel compound (2) and a known one (1) were isolated from the mushroom, Sparassis crispa. Both compounds inhibited melanin synthesis and MRSA growth.

Kattusirakam or Vanajira is an important fruit drug in Siddha and Ayurveda systems of Medicine. The market sample of Madras has been identified in our laboratory as the fruits, commonly known as seeds of Centratherum anthelminticum (Willd) Kuntz. (Syn. Veronia anthelmintica Willd) of the family Compositate. The morphology, anatomy, fluorescence analysis and chemical characters of the drug are d...

We investigated several aspects of the nesting biology of Epicharis metatarsalis Friese (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in a lowland wet-forest of northeastern Costa Rica. Five large aggregations were found 30Ð100 m from larger rivers at the La Selva Biological Station. The relatively short nesting season, from May to August, indicates that E. metatarsalis is probably univoltine. Four nests were excavate...