1. Amazon Medicines of Brazil, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador

by J. River Jones,

Amazon Therapeutic Laboratories, unpublished field journals 1994-2005

2. Dihydrocucurbitacin B, isolated from Cayaponia tayuya, reduces damage in adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Escandell JM, Recio MC, Manez S, Giner RM, Cerda-Nicolas M, Rios JL.

Departament de Farmacologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.

Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Feb 17;532(1-2):145-54. Epub 2006 Jan 27.

23,24-Dihydrocucurbitacin B, from the anti-rheumatic plant Cayaponia tayuya, was tested on arthritis induced by adjuvant to corroborate the anti-inflammatory properties of this plant. Arthritis was induced in Lewis rats; the resulting arthritic rats were then treated with dihydrocucurbitacin B (1 mg/kg orally, daily, 1 week). The effect of dihydrocucurbitacin B on the synthesis, release, and activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes (elastase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nitric oxide synthase-2) as well as its effect on different mediators (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta) were determined. Dihydrocucurbitacin B modified the evolution of the clinical symptoms, reducing the swelling and bone and tissue damage along with the development of the disease, modifying the cell infiltration and the expression of both nitric oxide synthase-2 and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, it decreased the tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta production in lymphocytes, but did not modify it in macrophages.

PMID: 16443215 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

3. Anti-inflammatory activity of two cucurbitacins isolated from Cayaponia tayuya roots.

Recio MC, Prieto M, Bonucelli M, Orsi C, Manez S, Giner RM, Cerda-Nicolas M, Rios JL.

Departament de Farmacologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain.

Planta Med. 2004 May;70(5):414-20.

Fractionation of an anti-inflammatory extract from Cayaponia tayuya roots yielded two active compounds, identified as 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (1) and cucurbitacin R (2). Both were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity on several experimental models of pain and inflammation. In addition, their cytotoxicity and effects on leukotriene B4 (LTB4) formation were evaluated in rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Both compounds showed activity in the following models: carrageenan-induced mouse paw oedema (1, 4 mg/kg p.o., 46% inhibition at 3 h), phospholipase A2-induced mouse paw oedema (2, 3 mg/kg i.p., 61% inhibition at 60 min), serotonin-induced mouse paw oedema (1 and 2, 0.5 mg/kg s.c., 73% and 79% inhibition, respectively), 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced acute ear oedema (2, 36% inhibition at 4 mg/kg p.o., and 87% inhibition at 0.1 mg/ear topically). The compounds were also active against the inflammation induced by repeated application of TPA on mouse ears, affecting both the oedema itself (1 and 2 at 0.1 mg/ear, 44% and 56% inhibition, respectively) as well as cell infiltration (68% and 69%, respectively). The activity of both compounds against oedema induced by serotonin was not modified by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone; however, the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide abolished the anti-inflammatory response in both cases. Neither compound modified the production of LTB4 in rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes, nor did they exhibit analgesic properties at the dose assayed.

PMID: 15124085 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4. Inhibitory effects of cucurbitane triterpenoids on Epstein-Barr virus activation and two-stage carcinogenesis of skin tumor. II.

Konoshima T, Takasaki M, Kozuka M, Nagao T, Okabe H, Irino N, Nakasumi T, Tokuda H, Nishino H.

Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Japan.

Biol Pharm Bull. 1995 Feb;18(2):284-7.

To search for possible anti-tumor-promoters, we carried out a primary screening of twenty-four 29-nor-cucurbitacin glucosides isolated from the roots of Cayaponia tayuya (Cucurbitaceae) using an in vitro synergistic assay system. Of these glucosides, cayaponosides B (5), B3 (7), D (8), D3b (22) and C2 (23) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation induced by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Furthermore, 5 and 23 exhibited remarkable anti-tumor-promoting effects on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test.

PMID: 7742799 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

5. Structures of cayaponosides A, B, C and D, glucosides of new nor-cucurbitacins in the roots of Cayaponia tayuya.

Himeno E, Nagao T, Honda J, Okabe H, Irino N, Nakasumi T.

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Japan.

Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1992 Oct;40(10):2885-7.

No Abstract.

PMID: 1464123 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6. Superoxide scavenging properties of flavonoids in a non-enzymic system.

Huguet AI, Manez S, Alcaraz MJ.

Departament de Farmacologia i Farmacotecnia, Facultat de Farmacia, Valencia, Spain.

Z Naturforsch [C]. 1990 Jan-Feb;45(1-2):19-24.

The superoxide anion scavenging activity of 38 flavonoids, some of them isolated from Sideritis mugronensis, Sideritis javalambrensis and Cayaponia tayuya were investigated by measurement of their inhibition of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. Isoorientin, orientin, amentoflavone, leucocyanidol, eriodictyol, datiscetin and robinetin behaved as potent scavengers and structure-activity relationships were established.

PMID: 2158783 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]