Phytochemical and pharmacological studies of Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae)

The interest for the Chelidonium majus L. species is still high, but in Romania the species is poorly valorized. The plant material was collected in Tirgu Mures, in 2014. Our own collection have been qualified according to pharmacopoeia. The preliminary analyses were performed by TLC, foreign matter, loss on drying, alkaloid content expressed in chelidonine. The total content in alkaloids was in normal limits with content recommended by the Pharmacopoea. Analgesic activity of the celandine ethanolic extract was tested using hot-plate test on mice [1]. Basal reaction time has been determined, and two doses of the extract (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight) were administrated to two groups. Extracts with Chelidonii herba in a dose of 100 mg/kg in every 60' or 90' showed a lower analgesic effect than that of aspirin (reference) at a dose of 200 mg/kg, but the extracts in dose of 200 mg/kg showed similar effects to aspirin and after 90' was greater than aspirin at a dose of 200 mg/kg.

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of Chelidoniii herba extract have been screened against 5 pathogenic bacterial and 3 opportunistic pathogenic Candida species using the well diffusion test. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus proved to be sensitive for up to 20-times dilution of the herbal extract, while Candida glabrata was only partially inhibited by this dilution rate. Minimal bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations of the extract for the sensitive species were determined in microplate cultures.

The existence of antinociceptive and antimicrobial effects of Chelidonii herba extracts could lay the scientific basis of future clinical trials and open a new clinical perspectives.

References:

[1] Gîlca M, Gaman L, Panait E, Stoian I, Atanasiu V: Chelidonium majus- an integrative review: Traditional knowledge versus modern findings, Forschende Komplementarmedicin, 2010, 17:241 – 248