NIS - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

WHO monographs on medicinal plants commonly used in the Newly Independent States (NIS)
than in the control rats (p < 0.01). Creatinine clearance in the treated
diabetic rats was significantly lower than in the non-treated diabetic rats
(p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in urinary albumin excretion
between non-treated diabetic rats and treated diabetic rats. It was concluded
that a water extract of the style of Zea mays prevented glomerular hyperfiltration
and suppressed the progression of diabetic glomerular sclerosis in
rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes (66).
Haematological effects
A methanol extract of dried styles expressed strong platelet aggregationinhibiting
activity with a median inhibitory concentration (IC 50
) of 0.3 µg/
ml by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, and arachidonic acid-induced
platelet aggregation. The ethyl acetate extract of dried styles inhibited
platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (IC 50
= 0.2 mg/ml),
collagen (IC 50
= 0.2 mg/ml), ADP (IC 50
= 0.5 mg/ml), and platelet aggregating
factor (IC 50
= 0.7 mg/ml) (67, 68). In cell culture, a chloroform extract
of the dried stigmas of Zea mays inhibited the tumour necrosis factor-alpha
(TNFα)-induced adhesion of endothelial cells to monocytic
cells with a median effective dose (ED 50
) of 70 µg/ml. Similar results were
reported for bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced cell adhesion with an
ED 50
of 82 µg/ml. The results obtained were significant at the p < 0.01 level.
A 100% ethanol extract of the stigmas of Zea mays has also been reported
to possess intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1-inhibitory activity
against bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced intercellular cell adhesion
molecule-1-expression with an ED 50
of 50 µg/ml. The same effect with an
ED 50
of 38 µg/ml was detected in an EAHY926 cell culture against TNFαinduced
intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1-expression (69).
Haemodynamic effects
A hot aqueous extract of fresh stigmas produced a negative chronotropic
and hypotensive effect in dogs anaesthetized with pentobarbital for up to
80 seconds by intravenous injection at a dose of 1.37–22 mg/kg (70). An
aqueous-ethanol (1:1) extract of fresh styles (five parts of fresh plant material
in 100 parts of water/ethanol) administered by gastric intubation to
conscious rats at a dose of 40 ml/kg had a hypotensive effect (71).
Antibacterial, anticrustacean and anti-complementary activity
A 100% (non-diluted) ethanol extract of shade-dried stigmas of Zea mays
(concentration 2.5 mg/disc) inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus
and Candida albicans in vitro, and exhibited an anticrustacean activity
against Artemia salina (median lethal dose, 128 µg/ml) (72). A hot aque-
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