Matricaria chamomilla CH12 is a phytotherapeutic or homeopathic product, which has been used to reduce stress. Here, we examined its effect on preventing handling stress in bovines. Sixty Nelore calves were randomly distributed into two equal groups. One group was administered Matricaria chamomilla CH12 in diet and the other the 'control' was not. Animals in both groups were maintained unstressed for 30 days to adjust to the feeding system and pasture, and were then stressed by constraint on the 31th, 38th, 45th and 60th experimental days. Blood samples were taken on these days after animals had been immobilization in a trunk contention for 5 min. Stress was followed by analyzing serum cortisol levels. These peaked on the 45th day and then decreased, but not to baseline, on the 60th day. On the 45th day cortisol levels were significantly lower in animals fed Matricaria chamomilla CH12, suggesting that this product reduces stress. These effects may be a consequence of its inhibiting cortisol production and its calming and anxiolytic effects.
Animal Feed ; Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*drug therapy ; Diet ; Matricaria/*chemistry ; Plant Preparations/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Stress/drug therapy/*veterinary

This study evaluated the effect of Matricaria chamomilla and vaccination frequency on cattle immunization against rabies. Four groups (n = 15 /group) were treated with or without Matricaria chamomilla CH(12) and vaccinated with one or two doses of rabies vaccine (30 day interval). No effect of chamomile was found on cattle immunization against rabies; however, antibody titers were protective in cattle vaccinated twice, while 93.3% of cattle vaccinated only once had titers under 0.5 UI/ml after 60 days. In conclusion, the use of chamomile did not alter the humoral immune response in cattle, and two vaccine doses are suggested for achieving protective antibody titers.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Cattle ; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Interactions ; Matricaria/*chemistry ; Plant Extracts/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Rabies Vaccines/administration & dosage/*immunology

In the present work, the potential of acaricidal activity of chamomile flowers' extract was studied against engorged Rhipicephalus annulatus tick under laboratory condition. For this purpose, the engorged females of Rhipicephalus annulatus were exposed to two-fold serial dilutions of chamomile flowers' extract (0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 4.0% and 8.0%) using "dipping method" in vitro. The engorged ticks were immersed in different plant dilutions (five ticks for each dilution) for 1 min and they were immediately incubated in separate Petri dishes for each replicate at 26 degrees C and 80% relative humidity. Mortality rate for each treatment was recorded 5 d after incubation. The mortality rate caused by different dilutions of chamomile flower' extract ranged from 6.67% to 26.7%, whereas no mortality was recorded for non-treated control group. The mass of produced eggs varied form 0.23 g (in 8.0% solutions) to 0.58 g (in control), with no statistical differences between the treatments and control (P>0.05). Also the chamomile flowers' extract in highest concentration used (8.0%) caused 46.67% failure in egg laying in engorged females while non failure was observed for non-treated control group. Macroscopic observations indicated that in effective concentrations of plant (4.0% and 8.0%), patchy hemorrhagic swelling appeared on the skin of treated ticks. The results presented for the first time in this study imply that chamomile may be considered as a promising plant for biocontrol of cattle fever tick disease in the field condition.
Acari ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Insecticides ; administration & dosage ; Matricaria ; chemistry ; Oviparity ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo compare the antioxidant active components from two species of chamomile-matricaria and Roman chamomile produced in Xinjiang.

METHODThe TLC-bioautography was used, with 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical as the experimental model. The peak areas of various antioxidant components were obtained by TLC-scanning for analyzing antioxidant active components contained in volatile oil extracts and flavone extracts from the two species of chamomiles. The total peak area was taken as the indicator for comparing the antioxidant capacities of the two types of extracts, and comparing them with the total antioxidant activity of flavone extracts of the two species of chamomiles.

RESULTSAccording to the result of TLC-bioautography in volatile oil extracts from the two species of chamomiles, volatile oil extracts from chamomile showed four white antioxidant spots, including en-yne-dicycloether, and volatile oil extracts from Roman chamomile showed only one white antioxidant spot. The TLC-scanning result showed that the peak area of antioxidant spots of volatile oil extracts from chamomile was significantly larger than that of volatile oil extracts from Roman chamomile. According to the test on the antioxidant activity of the two species of chamomiles with ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, the concentration of chamomile after scavenging 50% of DPPH radicals was 0.66 g x L(-1), whereas the figure for Roman chamomile was 0.33 g x L(-1). According to the result of TLC-bioautography in flavone extracts from the two species of chamomiles, flavone extracts from chamomile showed seven yellowish antioxidant spots, including apigenin and apigenin-7-glucoside, and flavone extracts of Roman chamomile showed eight yellowish antioxidant spots, including apigenin and apigenin-7-glucoside. The TLC-scanning results showed that the peak area of antioxidant spots of flavone extracts from Roman chamomile was significantly larger than that of flavone extracts from chamomile.

CONCLUSIONVolatile oil extracts from the two species of chamomiles have significant difference in the antioxidant activity in TLC-bioautography. Specifically, the antioxidant activity of volatile oil extracts from chamomile is stronger than volatile oil extracts from Roman chamomile; the known antioxidant active components in volatile oil extracts from chamomile is en-yne-dicycloether, while all of the other three antioxidant active components as well as antioxidant active components in volatile oil extracts from Roman chamomile are unknown components and remain to be further determined. Considering the significant difference in the number of antioxidant active spots in volatile oil extracts from the two species of chamomiles, the result can be applied to distinguish the two species of chamomiles. The antioxidant activity determination result for flavone extracts from two species of chamomiles was consistent with the result of TLC-bioautography, showing that flavone extracts from chamomile and Roman chamomile are more antioxidant active, while that of Roman chamomile is stronger than chamomile. Flavone extracts from both of the two species of chamomiles contain apigenin and pigenin-7-glucoside, which are known, while all of the other five antioxidant active components contained in flavone extracts from chamomile and the other six antioxidant active components contained in flavone extracts from Roman chamomile are unknown and remain to be further identified. The method lays a foundation for further identification of antioxidant active components contained in chamomile.

Antioxidants ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Apigenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Biphenyl Compounds ; metabolism ; Chamaemelum ; chemistry ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; methods ; Flavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Free Radical Scavengers ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Matricaria ; chemistry ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Picrates ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Oils ; chemistry ; isolation & purification