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Herba Pegani harmalae
ously and 2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, 24 and 2 h before the experiment,
respectively) significantly attenuated the hypothermic effect of harmala
alkaloids. Moreover, pretreatment of rats with haloperidol and methysergide
(2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) completely attenuated the hypothermic
effect of the alkaloids. Thus, harmala alkaloids produce a hypothermic
effect mainly through endogenous stimulation of the 5-HT 1A
receptor (58).
Antimicrobial activity
1-Butanol and aqueous extracts of shade-dried aerial parts (60.0 µg/agar
plate) expressed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. An aqueous
extract of the aerial parts was also active against Haemophilus influenzae,
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes
and Candida albicans (in broth culture). A methanol extract of dried aerial
parts of Herba Pegani harmalae (60 µg/agar plate) was active against
Streptococcus pneumoniae (42) and a 95% ethanol extract of dried entire
plant (0.3 mg/ml/agar plate) was active against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus
aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (59). Furthermore, an 80%
ethanol extract of dried aerial parts demonstrated weak antimycobacterial
activity at a concentration of 1 mg/ml/agar plate against Mycobacterium
smegmatis (60).
Anti-inflammatory effects
An ethanol extract of the dried aerial parts and seeds of the plant administered
subcutaneously to male rats (100 mg/kg bw) exhibited antiinflammatory
effects against carrageenan-induced plantar oedema (58% decrease
of inflammation) (61).
Antihyperglycaemic effects
Intragastric administration of harmala seed powder at a dose of 53.2 mg/
kg bw to rats resulted in an antihyperglycaemic effect. Weight increases
were observed in animals with streptozotocin-induced diabetes challenged
with glucose after having received a daily dose of extract, 53.2 mg/
kg bw, for 1 week (62).
Antiparasitic activity
A 100% ethanol extract of dried leaf showed weak in vitro antimalarial
activity against Plasmodium falciparum with a median inhibitory concentration
of 46 µg/ml (63). An aqueous extract (concentration 1:200) of the
dried leaves of Herba Pegani harmalae exhibited antimalarial activity
against Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3/Gambia in vitro (64).
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