• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.415-423
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• 2004

Myristica fragrans seed from Myristica fragrans Houtt (Myristicaceae) has various pharmacological activities peripherally and centrally. The present study aims to investigate the effect of the methanol extract of Myristica fragrans seed (MF) on kainic acid (KA)-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultured rat cerebellar granule neuron. MF, over a concentration range of 0.05 to $5\;{\mu}g/ml$ inhibited KA $(500\;{\mu}M)-induced$ neuronal cell death, which was measured by trypan blue exclusion test and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. MF $(0.5\;{mu}g/ml)$ inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by KA $(500\;{\mu}M)$, which was measured by HPLC. Pretreatment of MF $(0.5\;{mu}g/ml)$ inhibited KA $(500\;{\mu}M)-induced$ elevation of cytosolic calcium concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_c)$, which was measured by a fluorescent dye, Fura 2-AM, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggest that MF prevents KA-induced neuronal cell damage in vitro.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.289-295
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• 2004

Myristica fragrans seed from Myristica fragrans Houtt (Myristicaceae) has various pharmacological activities peripherally and centrally. The present study aims to investigate the effect of the methanol extract of Myristica fragrans seed (MF) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultured rat cerebellar granule neuron. MF, over a concentration range of 0.05 to $5\;{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited NMDA (1 mM)- induced neuronal cell death, which was measured by trypan blue exclusion test and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. MF $(0.5\;{\mu}g/ml)$ inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by NMDA (1 mM), which was measured by HPLC. Pretreatrnent of MF $(0.5\;{\mu}g/ml)$ inhibited NMDA (1 mM)-induced elevation of cytosolic calcium concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_c)$, which was measured by a fluorescent dye, Fura 2-AM, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggest that MF prevents NMDA-induced neuronal cell damage in vitro.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.240-243
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• 1988

The hexane extract from Nutmeg, the seed of Myristica fragrans significantly inhibited hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activity. Through systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column and vacuum liquid chromatography monitoring by bioassay, three components, myristicin, (I), licarin-B (II) and dehydrodiisoeugenol (III) were isolated as active principles. Compounds II and III, with a single treatment (200mg/kg, i.p.) showed not only a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced sleeping time but also a significant inhibition of aminopyrine N-demethylase and hexobarbital hydroxylase activities in mice. Compounds I and II provoked a sleep episode at a subhypnotic dose of HB, suggesting that they possess CNS-depressant properties.

• CELLMED
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.6.1-6.7
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• 2018

Myristica fragrans Houtt is commonly known as "nutmeg", it produces two spices: mace and nutmeg. Mace and nutmeg are strongly aromatic in nature and known as jowzabuwa and javetri/bisbasah respectively in the Unani system of medicine. M. fragrans was used as early as 700 BCE by Indian, however, ancient Greeks and Romans were not aware of it. Later Arab traders introduce M. fragrans into Europe followed by Portuguese and Dutch merchants. Mace is very useful medicine in the Unani system of medicine because of its therapeutic uses in salasal al-bawl (urinary incontinence), amrad-i-qalb (cardiac diseases), amrad-i-dimagh (central nervous system), zo'fe bah (sexual debility), amrad al-rahim (uterine diseases), and su-i-hazim (indigestion). The most important constituents of mace essential oil are ${\alpha}-pinene$, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, myristicin, ${\gamma}-terpinene$, and safrole. The seed and mace extract of nutmeg contain quite high tannins, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Mace has pharmacological functions such as antibacterial and antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiarrhea, antioxidant, chemoprotective, neuropharmacologic, and antidiabetic properties. To explore the correlation between the traditional uses and the same proven by recent researches, a comprehensive review is highlighted in this paper. Further, pharmacological activities which are not reported in classical texts are also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.3 s.142
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• pp.240-244
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• 2005

The methanol extract of the seed of Myristica fragrans (myristicaceae) demonstrated a potent inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2(melanoma), XF498 (central nerve system) and HCT-15(colon). The MeOH extract was fractionated into three portions by serial solvent partition i,e., EtOAc soluble part, BuOH soluble part and remaining water layer. Among them, the EtOAc soluble part of the extract demonstrated a potent inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells, Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOAc soluble part led to the isolation of six lignan constituents, i.e., safrole(1), machilin A (2), licarin B (3), macelignan (4), mesodihydroguaiaretic acid (5) and myristargenol A (6) as well as a large amount of myristic acid as active ingredients. Structures of the isolated active components (1-6) were established by chemical and spectroscopic means.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.206-211
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• 2006

The methanol extract from seed of Myristica fragrans (Myristicaceae) demonstrated a potent inhibition on the pro-liferation of cultured human tumor cells such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), XF498 (central nerve system) and HCT-15 (colon) in vitro. By the continuous effort to purify the active components responsible far the anti-proliferative effect on tumor cell lines, we have isolated eleven kinds of lignan components, i. e., safrole (1), machilin A (2), licarin B (3), macelignan (4), mere-dihydroguaiaretic acid (5), mγnstargenol A (6), methoxyeugenol (7), machilin F (8), licarin A (9), nectandrin B (10), and 2-(4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propan-1-ol (11) together with a novel furan fatty acid, (E)-3-(3-methyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl) acrylic acid (12) from seed extract of M. fragrans. Chemical structures of the isolated components (1-12) were established bγ the aid of NMR spectroscopic analyses, i. e., COSY HMQC and HMBC. Each of the Isolates demonstrated a potent inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OY-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma) and HCT-15 (colon) in vitro.