tannins and agrimoniin

The agrimony herb is a traditional plant drug, which is commonly used as a mildly astringent agent. According to European Pharmacopoeia, the only source of this plant drug is Agrimonia eupatoria. By contrast the German Commission E pharmacopoeial monograph used to allow Agrimonia procera to be used as a second valid source of Agrimoniae herba. Several studies have been conducted on the phytochemical composition of common agrimony. The data on the phytochemistry of A. procera are scarce. The aim of the present study was an in-depth phytochemical comparison of A. eupatoria and A. procera in the context of the pharmacopoeial monograph of A. herba. The comparison of two agrimony species showed that there are no significant qualitative differences. The quantitative HPLC analysis revealed that fragrant agrimony is a much better source of agrimoniin than common agrimony. This difference could not be detected using the pharmacopoeial method of quantification for the total tannin content. The present study has shown for the first time the possible use of apigenin-C-glycosides (vitexin and isovitexin) as chemotaxonomic markers for distinguishing both agrimony species. The potential chemical markers such as apigenin-7-O-glucoside and high agrimoniin content were also suggested for fragrant agrimony. Based on the data obtained, A. procera should be considered as a valid source of pharmacopoeial plant material.

Topics: Agrimonia; Apigenin; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Germany; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Mass Spectrometry; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Solvents; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Tannins

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Antioxidants; Benzopyrans; Caffeic Acids; Cell Survival; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Flavonoids; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neoplasms, Experimental; Phenols; Polymers; Polyphenols; Sarcoma 180; Spleen; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tannins; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The cytotoxic activities of the PEC after an i.p. injection of agrimoniin, a tannin contained in Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. were studied. The plastic nonadherent PEC had significantly higher NK cell activity than the untreated control, and the adherent PEC were cytostatic toward MM2 and MH134 cells. The adherent PEC did not cause tumor cell lysis by themselves, but were cytolytic against MM2 cells in the presence of anti-MM2 sera. In the course of these effects of PEC after the i.p. injection of agrimoniin, the augmentation of NK cell activity was the earliest reaction, reaching a peak at 2 days after the injection; then, cytostatic activity increased. The induction of antibody-dependent cell lytic activity was a later reaction, which reached a peak at 6 days after the injection.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Ascitic Fluid; Cell Line; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Female; Growth Inhibitors; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Killer Cells, Natural; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Tannins

The effect of agrimoniin, a tannin contained in Agrimonia pilosa LEDEB., on ascites type and solid type rodent tumors was investigated. When agrimoniin was intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered at dosages over 10 mg/kg before or after the MM2 cell i.p. inoculation, this tannin almost completely rejected the tumor growth in the mice. This tannin prolonged the life span of mice bearing MM2 or cured by the intravenous or per oral pre- or postmedication. Agrimoniin also inhibited the growth of MH134 and Meth-A solid type tumors. Agrimoniin showed strong cytotoxicity on MM2 cells in vitro, but the activity was diminished to about 4% of the initial activity by the addition of fetal calf serum to the culture. On the other hand, i.p. injection of agrimoniin increased the number of peripheral white blood cells and the ratio of monocytes. On the 4th day after the i.p. injection of the tannin, cytotoxic adherent peritoneal exudate cells were also increased. The spleen of the mice was enlarged, and the spleen cells possessed the capacity to take up 3H-thymidine. Agrimoniin showed weak direct migration activity against spleen cells from non-treated mice. These results indicate that agrimoniin is a potent antitumor tannin and suggest that the antitumor effect may be due to this tannin enhancing the immune response of the host animals through the actions on tumor cells and some immunocytes.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Cell Survival; Female; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Lethal Dose 50; Leukocyte Count; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental; Spleen; Tannins; Thymidine