The first study on chemical constituents and biological activities of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels (Rutaceae) growing in Vietnam has been done. Phytochemical investigation of n-hexane extract led to the isolation of five compounds: dihydroindicolactone (1), 8-geranyloxy psoralen (2), imperatorin (3), heraclenol (4) and indicolactone (5), in which this is the first report on the presence of dihydroindicolactone (1). Their structures were elucidated based on LC/MS/NMR hyphenated techniques as well as comparison with those of literature data. The n-hexane extract and its subfractions, ethanol 95% extract and several isolated compounds were evaluated for antifungal activity.
Clausena* ; Ethanol ; Ficusin ; Vietnam

No abstract available.
Ficusin* ; Psoriasis* ; Skin Neoplasms*

Although the psoralen therapy has been used extensively on vitligo since the : introduction by El-Mofty on 1948, the result has not been satisfactory. Recent investigations showed that the autoimmune mechanism might be the causative factor to the development of vitiligo, and the use of steroid might be expected to be beneficial in the treatment of this disorder. Authors tried the combined treatment of prednisolone and psoralen on vitiligo and the results obtained are as follows; 1. Repigmentations began to develop from injected area of prednisolone as well as frorn hair follicles and peripheral area of the lesions. 2. More satisiactory responses were obtained on the widespread and symmetrical lesions of shorter duration than on the lesions of localized and long duration.
Ficusin* ; Hair Follicle ; Prednisolone* ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: For the treatment of generalized vitiligo patients with oral PUVA, we can use two different methods; one is to treat the lesions while the whole body is exposed. Another one is to treat the lesions while only the lesions are exposed. PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine whether lesional and whole body exposure in oral PUVA for generalized vitiligo show any therapeutic differences in effectiveness. METHODS: The vitiligo lesions were distributed over the whole body skin of the subjects and the lesion area was less than 6% of the whole skin area. PUVA was done to the subjects more than 20 times after oral administration of psoralen. The patients were classified into two different groups. One is the lesional exposure group in which the patient exposed only the vitiligo lesion. The other is the whole body exposure group in which the patient exposed almost their whole body. RESULTS: Our results show that there is no statistical difference of the therapeutic effectiveness between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend lesional treatment rather than whole body treatment to prevent the oral PUVA side effects.
Administration, Oral ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Skin ; Vitiligo*

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial components of Ducrosia ismaelis Asch. led to the isolation of six known compounds, psoralen (1), isopsoralen (2), cnidioside A (3), (-)-syringaresinol-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), (E)-plicatin B (5), trilinolein (6). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of these data with previously published results. The antioxidant, anti-osteoporotic and cardiovascular related activities of the isolated compounds were assessed using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), reducing capacity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity assays. Compounds (3-5) showed potent peroxyl radical-scavenging capacities with ORAC values of 11.06 +/- 0.39, 7.98 +/- 0.10, and 13.99 +/- 0.06 Trolox equivalent (TE) at concentrations of 10 microM, respectively. Only compounds 4 and 5 was able to significantly reduce Cu2+ ions, with a reduction value of 9.06 +/- 0.32 and 4.61 +/- 0.00 microM Trolox Equivalent (TE) at a concentration of 10 microM. Compound 5 at 10 microM exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on osteoclastic TRAP activity with a TRAP value of 86.05 +/- 6.55% of the control. Compounds 1, 3 and 5 potently inhibited sEH activity with IC50 values of 41.6 4.9, 16.0 1.1, and 49.0 5.7 microM, respectively.
Acid Phosphatase ; Apiaceae ; Ficusin ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Ions ; Osteoclasts ; Oxygen

BACKGROUND: Psoralen has been used in the treatment of certain hypojigmentary disorders with UVA or solar irradiation. However trecent report proposed the actions of psiralens are direct and do not require the presence of ultraviolet light. The report also suggested that tze specific receptors other than DNA would be present. OBJECTIVE: This study was done ta identify the effects of 8-methoryporalen(8-MOP) on the proliferation and melanization of cultured normal human melanocytes without UVA. METHODS: Melanocytes were cultured in melanocyte culture medium neluding 16% or 5% FBS. We added 8-MOP by their concentrations from 10 M to 10 M. After 8 hours treatment, we investigated the melanocytes proliferation and Lhe melanin contents. RESULTS: We could not detecet any significant differences of melanoytes proliferation and melanin contents between the control end experimental groups. CONCLUSION: There were no effect on the proliferation and the milanization of cultured normal human melanocytes with 8-MOP only.
DNA ; Ficusin ; Humans* ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Methoxsalen ; Ultraviolet Rays

No abstract available.
Ficusin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Isotretinoin ; Methotrexate ; Mycosis Fungoides

BACKGROUND: Oral of topical psoralen photochemotherapy is the most popular arid efficacious treatment, available for repigmentation of vitiliginous patches. However this therapy is often used for prolonged periods and various types of pigmentary changes can be observed and sometimes, may be carcinogenic. The safety of PUVA therapy has been an issue of debate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to describe in more detail the complications of PUVA treatment and to investigate a possible relation with multiple factors. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied 137 vitiligo patients who received PUVA therapy(using oral 8-MOP) for more than six months in our department between March 1990 and June 1996. RESULT: The results are summarized as follows 1. Among 137 cases of vitiligo, the numbers of male and female patients were 40(29.2%) and 97(70.8%) respectively. The mean age at the start of PUVA was 39 years and the mean duration of treatment was 31 months. There were no patients with skin type I and II. Forty cases had skin type III, 68 skin type IV, 29 skin type V. 2. Acute side effects were nausea(35.8%), pruritus(32:8% ), erythema(30.7%), headache(21.2 %), dizziness(18.8%), burning sensation(16.8%), fatigue(8.8%) and the Koebner phenomenon(1.5 %). These are all reversible and disappear on discontinuation of treatment. 3. PUVA-induced pigmentary changes were PUVA lentigines(39 cases;26.3%), hypopigmented confetti macules(36 cased;26.3%), mottling(31 cases,22.6%), nail pigmentation(8 cases,5.8%) and PUVA keratosis(7cases;5.1%) 4. The mean cumulative UVA dose was 1833J/cm and the mean number of treatments was 171. In the high-dose group and the patients who had the most number of treatments, we observed an increased number of patients with PUVA lentigiens and mottling. However, no relationship was observed between the development of PUVA-induced pigmentary changes and sex or age at the start, of PUVA or in relation to skin type. 5. We did not see any patients with melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer or systemic cancer. CONCLUSION: Long term exposure to PUVA significantly increases chronic clinical side effects of PUVA. Therefore carefuI clinical follow-up of patients who receive long term PUVA therapy in necessary. This risk shoud be considered in selection of treatment.
Burns ; Female ; Ficusin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma ; Photochemotherapy ; PUVA Therapy ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: The action of ultraviolet rays on DNA causes the main photobiologic response of cells to ultraviolet rays. To study this effect, tritiated thymidine autoradiography was used. Recently 5-bromo-2deoxyuridine(BrdU), an analogue of thymidine, immunohistochemistry has been developed and is used in the detection of synthetic phase cells. Compared to autoradiography, there are several advantages of BrdU immunohistochemistry; a shorter processing time, no requirement of specific facilites. PUVA, the combination method of UVA and Psoralen has lots of photobiologic effects. OBJECTIVE: Using Brdu immunohistochemistry, the effect of PUVA on the DNA synthesis of tape stripped mouse epdermis was studied. METHOD: Mice stripped by adhesive tape for enhancing DNA synthesis were injected intraperitoneally with 50mg/kg of BrdU immediately after stripping and at 6, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 48 hours after tape stripping for decision of the time for PUVA. The skin diopsies were taken and the specimens were stained by BrdU immunohistochemistry. Single systemic PUVA exposure was performed on the stripped epidermis in peak synthetic time after tape stripping. The irradiation dose of UVA was 5J/cm(2). 8-MOP was administered at 90 minutes before UVA irradiation via a feeding tube with the dose of 16mg/kg. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with 50mg/kg of BrdU immediately after PUVA and at 12, 24, 48, 72 hours, and 7 days after PUVA. The skin biopsies were taken and the specimens were stained by BrdU immunohistochemistry. Positively labeled cells were counted per 5mm epidermis. RESULT: The results can be summerized as follows : 1. The mean numbers of BrdU labeled cells of each groups according to time after tape stripping were 11.0+/-4.4 at immediate, 24.0+/-9.7 at 6 hours 31.4+/-18.1 at 12 hours, 55.0+/-16.1 at 14 hors, 25.8+/-9.7 at 16 hors, 44.2+/-15.7 at 18 hors, 47.6+/-15.6 at 20 hors, 33.4+/-12.3 at 22 hors, 38.0+/-16.3 at 24 hors, and 22.0+/-8.2 at 48 hors group. The mean number of BrdU labeled cells was observed at 14 hors after tape stripping (p<0.05). So by tape stripping DNA synthesis was enhanced maximally at 14 hours after tape stripping. 2. The man numbers of BrdU labeled cells of each groups according to time after PUVA were 11.0+/-7.5 at immediate, 32.2+/-13.2 at immediate, 32.2+/-13.2 at 6hors, 26.4+/-13.4 at 24 hours, 18.0+/-3.4 at 48 hours, 40.3+/-8.3 at 72 hours, and 27.8+/-11.0 at 7 days group. The lowest number of BrdU labeled cells was observed immediately after PUVA(p<0.05). The decreasein the number of BrdU labeled cells significantly persisted 48 hours after PUVA(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis of PUVA might be sustained 48 hours after PUVA. DNA synthesis was recovered at 72 hours after PUVA and sustained for 7 days.
Adhesives ; Animals ; Autoradiography ; Biopsy ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; DNA* ; Epidermis ; Ficusin ; Immunohistochemistry* ; Methoxsalen ; Mice ; Skin ; Thymidine ; Ultraviolet Rays

OBJECTIVETo establish a convenient and rapid method of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) for the extraction of psoralen and isopsoralen in Psoralea corylifolia.

METHODThe effects of various parameters on the MAE were investigated with several single-factor tests, and compared with the traditional extraction.

RESULTThe optimal conditions of MAE were as follows: the extractine time was 3 min, and the ratio of solvent to material was 400 mL x g(-1) by using methanol as the solvent. Compared with soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction, MAE needed only 3 min to give the highest yield of psoralen and isopsoralen, while the other extraction methods needed several hours and gave lower yield.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method has greatly shortened extraction time and improved extraction yield, so it provides a neotype, simple and rapid measure for the separation of psoralen and isopsoralen from P. corylifolia.