Biological activity of a plant extract (common rue, Ruta chalepensis) and a semi purified fraction (from "tacaco cimarrón", Sechium pittieri) on mahogany shootborer larvae (Hypsipyla grandella) was studied. A randomized complete block design, with four replications, was used. H. grandella third instar larvae were exposed for 24 h to Cedrela odorata leaf discs dipped in several treatment dissolu...

Floral development was investigated in Ruta graveolens and Psilopeganum sinense, representing two genera in the tribe Ruteae. Special attention was paid to the sequence of initiation of organ whorls in the androecium and gynoecium. The antepetalous stamens arise at the same level as the antesepalous stamens in both species. The carpels are antepetalous in both taxa, indicating the androecium in...

Aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Ruta graveolens were investigated for anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan induced paw edema in wistar male rats, and compared to a positive control drug, Voveran. These extracts were given (ip) in a concentration of 20 and 50 mg/kg b.w. before carrageenan injection. Methanolic extracts of R. graveolens with a concentration of 20 mg/kg b.w. and...

The biosynthesis of some furocoumarins present in Ruta graveolens has been studied administering labeled psoralen, xanthotoxin, rutaretin, marmesin and 7-hydroxycoumarin-derivatives. The results obtained indicate that the biosynthetic pathway involves not only psoralen, but also xanthotoxin and bergapten, by means of methoxylation or demethoxylation reactions. Moreover results achieved from adm...

Acridone synthase has been purified from cell suspension cultures of Ruta graveolens using a combination of gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 69 kDa on gel filtration and a subunit structure on SDS-PAGE of 40 kDa. The apparent Km-values are 10.64 microM and 32.8 microM for N-methylanthraniloyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, respectivel...