DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs

In vitro cultures of Berberis buxifolia were established using thidiazuron (4.5, 23 and 45 mM) or picloram (4 and 40 mM) as plant growth regulators for sustaining growth. For producing berberine, a two-stage culture was performed. In the first step, thidiazuron or picloram were used for biomass production followed by the production stage where benzylaminopurine (4.4 mM) was added as a plant growth regulator. Berberine yields (102 mg g-1 DW) and in vitro shoot cultures (200 mg g-1 DW) were significantly lower than those of whole plants in the field (416 mg g-1 DW). The highest productivity (0.18 mg 1-1 day-1) was attained using picloram (either 4 on 40 mM) in the first stage for producing biomass. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs

The chemiluminescence of luminol, a measure of oxidative stress, increased immediately as a consequence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulated by this antibiotic.  The effect of Ch was dose dependent with maximum stimulus at 8 mg/ml (Vmax); above this concentration the cells began to reduce the production of ROS.  The oxidative injury of Ch was counteracted by water extracts of Berberis buxifolia lam, Zizyphus mistol Griseb and Prosopis alba, indigenous fruits from Argentina.  The relatively light units (RLU) emitted decreased immediately as a consequence of a protective effect exerted by the extracts of these fruit extracts on blood cells.  The three indigenous fruit extracts reduced to a different extent the oxidative injury caused by Ch.  B.buxifolia lam exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity followed by Z.mistol Griseb.  Water extracts of both fruit extracts were the most effective against the oxidative stress, while P.alba presented better antioxidant capacity in the ethanolic fraction obtained.  Hexane extracts showed low protective action on blood cells, with little reduction of area under curve (AUC) of RLU plotted versus time.  Leukocytes remained viable in blood samples incubated for 3h with Ch and water extracts of B. buxifolia lam or Z. mistol Griseb (97.1% and 92.5% viability by Trypan blue exclusion, respectively); whereas with Ch only the cells were stressed and viability decreased to 30%.  The three fruit extracts protected the viability of leukocytes in parallel with the decrease of ROS.  Erythrocytes were not lysed in the presence of Ch.

PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hojas, fruto, corteza o raíz.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Astringente, febrífuga, digestiva, en afecciones hepáticas, en caso de resfríos y fiebre intermitente, refrescante, laxante suave, tónico energizante. 

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: The diastereoisomeric alkaloids calafatine 2alpha-N-oxide (2) and calafatine 2beta-N-oxide (3) have been obtained from Berberis buxifolia Lam. (Berberidaceae). The stereochemistry at the N-oxide centres was determined by n.m.r. nuclear Overhauser difference studies. 

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Chile, Argentina.

---------------

Farmacodinamia - Acciones farmacológicas
Actividad antimicrobiana, Actividad digestiva, Oncología experimental, Actividad cardiovascular,

1) ALONSO, Jorge ; DESMARCHELIER, Cristian. Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina : bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud.  Buenos Aires: L.O.L.A, 2005, 640p.

2) LEET, J.E., et al. Stereochemistry of bisbenzylisoquinoline N-oxides. Calafatine 2α-N-oxide and calafatine 2β-N-oxide. Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions . 1984, vol.1,  p.651-652.
 
3) ALVAREZ, M.A., et al. Two-stage culture for producing berberine by cell suspension and shoot cultures of Berberis buxifolia Lam. Biotechnology Letters . 2009, vol.31, nº3, p.457-463 .
 
4) ALBRECHT, Claudia., et al. Beneficial effect of Berberis buxifolia Lam, Ziziphus mistol Griseb and Prosopis alba extracts on oxidative stress induced by chloramphenicol. Medicina . 2010, vol.70, nº1, p.65-70.

5) ALONSO, Jorge ; DESMARCHELIER, Cristian. Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina : bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud.  Buenos Aires: L.O.L.A, 2005, p. 99.

6) Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina. Bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud / Jorge Alonso y Cristian Jorge Desmarchelier. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Corpus Libros Médicos y Científicos, 2015.

Summary
In spite of the fact that the medicinal use of Magellan barberry (Berberis buxifolia - Berberidaceae) is not so common now days, this has been an extremely important species among the Mapuche ethnic group in the treatment of immunological ailments. Much of the biological activity claimed for this species may be linked to the presence of the alkaloid berberine, of proven antimicrobial activity. Due to the fact that this alkaloid has shown several pharmacological actions of interest, there is no doubt that B. buxifolia should be a subject of further biological studies in the future.