Caprifoliaceae

Urolithiasis is a common worldwide problem with high recurrence. This review covers forty four (44) families starting from alphabet A to L and includes Bignoniaceae (05) Juglandaceae (01) plant used globally in different countries. The plants of three families Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae are revisited to provide updated information. This review will not only be useful for the general public but also attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.

The Diervilla and Lonicera clades are members of the family Caprifoliaceae (Dipsacales sensu Donoghue et al., 2001, Harvard Papers in Botany 6: 459-479). So far, the intergeneric relationships of the Lonicera clade and the systematic position of Heptacodium remain equivocal. By studying fruit and seed morphology and anatomy, an attempt is made to clarify these issues. In addition, this study deals with the evolution of fruit and seed characters of the Diervilla and Lonicera clades with reference to allied taxa. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used for the morphological and anatomical investigations. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out by applying the parsimony and Bayesian inference optimality criteria. Character evolution was studied by means of parsimony optimization and stochastic character mapping. Diervilla and Weigela (Diervilla clade) are characterized by several unique traits in Dipsacales, including capsules with numerous seeds, seed coats without sclerified ...

A new phenolic glucoside, abeliaside, along with four known compounds, 5,6,7,4'-tetrahydroxy flavones, caffeic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid and caffeic acid glucoside, was isolated from the leaves of Abelia triflora R. Br. (Caprifoliaceae). The structure of the new compound was elucidated by different spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 1-5 were assayed for their anticancer activities against two cancerous human cell lines, MCF-7 and PC-3 cells, and normal Vero cell line using the crystal violet staining method. From the results it could be seen that caffeic acid possessed the highest anticancer effect against MCF-7 (IC50: 17 μg/mL) and PC-3 (IC50: 20.1 μg/mL) compared to vinblastine sulphate as reference drug (IC50: 4.6, 2.8 μg/mL). The other compounds showed weak anticancer activity on both cell lines.

Corosolic acid is one of the triterpenoids present in the leaves of Weigela subsessilis. The antidiabetic activity of corosolic acid has been reported previously, but to date, the anticancer effects on gastric cancer have been poorly studied. In this study, corosolic acid showed growth inhibition on SNU-601 human gastric cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 16.9 ± 2.9 μm. Corosolic acid also triggered the activation of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, while it was recovered by Z-VAD-FMK. Moreover, the cell growth/apoptosis activities of corosolic acid were regulated by the AMP-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin (AMPK-mTOR) signals. These results showed that corosolic acid-mediated AMPK activation leads to inhibition of mTOR, thus providing a possible mechanism of action of corosolic acid in the inhibition of cancer cell growth and the induction of apoptosis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The genus Linnaea is reviewed and expanded to include the genera Abelia (excluding section Zabelia), Diabelia, Dipelta, Kolkwitzia and Vesalea, making it monophyletic and comprising 16 species. The history of the generic name is discussed. An updated description for the genus Linnaea is provided and new combinations or names for all taxa are provided in Linnaea.

The present investigation was designed to assess the anticancer activity of six different leaf extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, chloroform, petroleum ether, n-butanol, and water soluble) of Abelia triflora on A-549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells. A-549 cells were exposed to 10-1000 μg/ml concentrations of the leaf extracts of A. triflorafor 24 h and then percentage cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results showed that leaf extracts of A. triflora significantly reduced the viability of A-549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Decrease was recorded as 31% with ethyl acetate, 36% with methanol, 46% with chloroform, 54% with petroleum ether, 62% with n-butanol, and 63% with water soluble extracts at 1000 μg/ml each. Among the various plant extracts, ethyl acetate extract showed the highest decrease in the percentage cell viability, followed by methanol, chloroform, petroleum ether, n-butanol...

The polyphenol profiles of 18 cell cultures from 12 plant species were screened. The detected polyphenol fingerprints were diverse and differed from polyphenol profiles typically found in corresponding plant species. Cell cultures originating from 12 different plant species growing or grown in the Nordic countries were screened for their ability to synthesize polyphenols to assess their suitability for future studies and applications. The focus was on plant families Rosaceae and Ericaceae. On average, the Rosaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce hydrolysable tannins and the Ericaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce proanthocyanidins. This is in line with the general trend of polyphenols found in Rosaceae and Ericaceae leaves and fruits, even though several individual cell cultures differed from natural plants in their polyphenolic composition. Overall, several of the studied cell cultures exhibited capability in producing a large variety of polyphenols, inclu...

The current economic and social conditions in many rural areas of the world are threatening the precious heritage of ethnobotanical knowledge and traditional farming practices.This can cause loss of precious cultural heritage and reduction in plant biodiversity, as ancient crops tend to disappear. The main aim of this thesis is to document traditional uses of plants by different ethnic groups (Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan) living in certain rural areas of the Kavrepalanchok District in Central Nepal. In the study area, due to distance from urban centres and difficulty in accessing the government healthcare system, people still rely heavily on the use of local plants for various purposes, above all for primary healthcare. Through interviews with 32 informants, most of whom were key informants, we explored uses of 116 plant species, of which 101 were plants with medicinal value employed in the treatment of human and veterinary diseases. Some unusual uses of medicinal plants and origin...

The polyphenol profiles of 18 cell cultures from 12 plant species were screened. The detected polyphenol fingerprints were diverse and differed from polyphenol profiles typically found in corresponding plant species. Cell cultures originating from 12 different plant species growing or grown in the Nordic countries were screened for their ability to synthesize polyphenols to assess their suitability for future studies and applications. The focus was on plant families Rosaceae and Ericaceae. On average, the Rosaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce hydrolysable tannins and the Ericaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce proanthocyanidins. This is in line with the general trend of polyphenols found in Rosaceae and Ericaceae leaves and fruits, even though several individual cell cultures differed from natural plants in their polyphenolic composition. Overall, several of the studied cell cultures exhibited capability in producing a large variety of polyphenols, inclu...