The cucurbitacins are of great interest because of the wide range of biological activities they exhibit in plants and animals. We studied the antioxidant properties of cucurbitacin B + E glucosides (cucurbitacin glucoside combination, CGC) and their direct free-radical scavenging properties, using ESR spectroscopy. Antioxidant activity was measured by the ability of the CGC to reduce preformed ...

The aim of this review paper was to summarise some commonly available natural products and their anti-inflammatory activity. We have collected data from MEDLINE, Current Contents and scientific journals, which included 92 publications. There are numerous natural products detailed in this literature; however we have summarized a few of the most commonly available and potent ones. In this paper, ...

Natural products are a great source of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. The present study was conducted to investigate whether cucurbitacin B (CuB), one of the most potent and widely used cucurbitacins, inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in the A549 lung cancer cell line. Furthermore, CuB induced apoptosis of A549 cells in a -concentration-dependent manner, as determined by fluorescenc...

The cytotoxic potential of three cucurbitacins, 2,3,16,20(R),25-pentahydroxy-11,22-dioxo-cucurbita-5-en (cucurbitacin P, 1), 2,3,16,20(R),25-pentahydroxy-22-oxocucurbita-5-en (2) and 2,3,16,20(R),25-pentahydroxy-22-oxocucurbita-5,23(E)-diene (deacetylpicracin, 3), obtained from Cayaponia racemosa was evaluated as their ability to induce brine shrimp lethality, to inhibit the development of sea ...

In a field study conducted in Georgia, cucurbit plants with high (Cucurbita andreana) and low (Cucurbita maxima) concentrations of cucurbitacins were used in combination with two types of fertilizers to investigate their effects on the community of soil nematodes. Ecological measures of soil nematode community structure such as total nematode abundance, number of genera, trophic diversity, trop...

Areawide pest management involves the uniform application of a pest control strategy overwidegeographic areas. Therefore, theseprograms are likely to impose intense selectivepressures, and the risk for resistancedevelopment amongpest species forwhich areawidemanagement programs are implemented is likely tobehigh.Pilot studies for areawidemanagementofwesterncorn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera vi...

Abstract Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad is an important cucurbit plant, commonly distributed in the sandy areas of world. In Indian continent it mainly found North West, Punjab and Central southern India. The plant usually known for its traditional uses as a remedy treatment asthma, diabetes, common cold, leprosy, cough, bronchitis, joint pain, jaundice, cancer, toothache, mastitis, gastroin...

The methanolic crude extract prepared from the fruits of Citrullus colocynthis (MCCF), its fractions and two isolated compounds namely Ursolic Acid, (compound1) and Cucurbitacin E 2-0-β-D-glucopyranoside (compound 2) were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. Broth microdilution and agar disc diffusion methods were used for the investigations. The antimicrobial assays showed that the crud...

The structures of two new cucurbitacin glucosides designated opercurins A (1) and B (2), isolated from the fruit of Luffa operculata, have been confirmed by extensive spectroscopic investigation.