{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.04986149584487535, 'fraction_numerical': 0.039242843951985226, 'mean_word_length': 5.0700280112044815, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 1, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
EFFECT OF NYPA FRUTICANS STEM AND LEAF EXTRACT ON GLUCOSE TOLERANCE IN GLUCOSE-INDUCED HYPERGLYCEMIC MICE

Leuzea carthamoides (Willd.) DC. (syn. Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin, Asteraceae) has adaptogenic [1], anticancer [2] and immunomodulating [3] effects. The plant –traditionally hydroethanolic extracts- and its main ecdysteroid 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-E) are increasingly offered as natural anabolics for animal and human use. Considering the central involvement of the nuclear factor NF-kappa B within the cellular immune response [4] we investigated the effect of pure 20-E and Leuzea extracts using a reporter gene luciferase based model with a transfected HeLa cell line. Cytotoxicity and proliferative effects were controlled by the MTT assay and HPLC fingerprints including 20-E determination recorded. 20-E alone showed a minor inhibitory effect between 5 and 50 iM upon PMA or TNFa stimulation. In contrast, the stronger effects by standard inhibitors such as parthenolide or dexamethasone were attenuated. Crude hydroethanolic/methanolic herb extracts lowered (IC50 around 20ig/ml), whereas root extracts increased NF-kappa B activation (plus 50% at 10 i g/ml). Hydrophilic fractions both from root/herb containing 20-E and higher amounts of phenolcarbonic acids activated, whereas some of the medium polar fractions with higher portion of flavonoids and sesquiterpenlactones inhibited NF-kappa B more effectively (IC50 < 5 i M). All effects were lowered by the transcription inhibitor dexamethasone. Spiking of the extracts with 20-E attenuated the effect of inhibitors and further increased those of activating extracts in most cases. Leuzea NF-kappa B effects are for the first time reported here. The results show that the standard marker 20-E alone is not primarily responsible, but may modify the effects exhibited by other compounds in either direction. 
Acknowledgements: A. Kump, Linz (AT) for material provision References: 1Slama et al. (1996) Experientia 52(7):702-6, [2] Hamburger et al. (2006) Planta Med 2006; 72: 992 [3] Kormosh et al.(2006) Phytother Res. 20(5):424-5, [4] Li Q, Verma IM. (2002) Nat Rev Immunol. 2(10):725-34