glaucarubin and eurycomanol

The aphrodisiac effect of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (0.5 g/kg) was evaluated in noncopulator male rats using an electrical cage. Fractions of E. longifolia Jack decreased the hesitation time of noncopulator male rats, throughout the investigation period. Furthermore, it possessed a transient increase in the percentage of the male rats responding to the right choice, more than 50% of the male rats scored "right choice" after 3 weeks post-treatment and the effect became more prominent after 8 weeks post-treatment (only 40-50% of the control male rats responded to the right choice) using the electrical copulation cage. Hence, this study lends further support to the use of the plant by indigenous populations as a traditional medicine for its aphrodisiac property.

Topics: Animals; Aphrodisiacs; Copulation; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Glaucarubin; Male; Plant Preparations; Quassins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The anxiolytic effect of Eurycoma longifolia Jack in mice was examined. Fractions of E. longifolia Jack extract produced a significant increase in the number of squares crossed (controls= 118.2 +/- 10.2 squares), but significantly decreased both the immobility (controls = 39.4+/- 4.0 sec) and fecal pellets (controls= 12.3 +/-2.1 fecal pellets) when compared with control mice in the open-field test; they significantly increased the number of entries (controls=6.7+/-0.5 entries) and time spent (controls=42.9+/-0.1 sec) in the open arms, but decreased both the number of entries (controls= 13.2+/-0.7 entries) and time spent (controls= 193.4+/-0.7 sec) when compared with the control mice in the closed arms of the elevated plus-maze test. Furthermore, fractions of E. longifolia Jack extract decreased the fighting episodes significantly (controls= 18.0+/-0.4 fighting episodes) when compared with control mice. In addition, these results were found to be consistent with anxiolytic effect produced by diazepam. Hence, this study supports the medicinal use of this plant for anxiety therapy.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Behavior, Animal; Diazepam; Glaucarubin; Male; Maze Learning; Mice; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Plants, Medicinal; Quassins

Three quassinoids from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia Jack were evaluated for antimalarial activity against nine Plasmodium falciparum isolates obtained from patients infected with chloroquine-resistant malaria. The results indicated that eurycomanol, eurycomanol 2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and 13 beta, 18-dihydroeurycomanol possessed antimalarial activity with IC50 values of 1.231-4.899 microM, 0.389-3.498 microM, and 0.504-2.343 microM, respectively, compared with 0.323-0.774 microM for chloroquine.

Topics: Animals; Antimalarials; Chloroquine; Drug Resistance; Glaucarubin; Humans; Plants, Medicinal; Plasmodium falciparum; Quassins

Six Malaysian chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum isolates were cultured in vitro following the candle-jar method. Antimalarial evaluations of daily replacement of culture medium containing chloroquine and a semi-purified extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (containing 13 beta, 18-dihydroeurycomanol (1), eurycomanol-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), eurycomanol (3) and eurycomanone (4)) were performed on 6-well plates at 37 degrees C for a week. Presence or absence of the parasites was determined microscopically on thin-film Giemsa-stained preparations. Results showed that the antimalarial activity of Eurycoma longifolia Jack was dose-dependent and reached a maximum of < 50% at 0.07-5.00 micrograms ml-1 after 1 day post-treatment. However, complete inhibitions were observed at 1.25-5.00 micrograms ml-1 extract after 3 days post-treatment and 0.62 and 0.31 micrograms ml-1 after 4 and 6 days post-treatment, respectively. Further results indicated that chloroquine exhibited total inhibition at concentrations > 2.50 and 0.62 micrograms ml-1 after 1 and 2 days post-treatment, respectively and at all concentrations after 3 days post-treatment.

Topics: Animals; Antimalarials; Cell Division; Chloroquine; Culture Media; Glaucarubin; Malaysia; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Plasmodium falciparum; Quassins