Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Medicinal plants – Australia'

It has been identified that triterpenoids saponins extracted from plants can have cardiovascular, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. The Australian Acacia plant has a broad range of triterpenoids saponins. Current methods for separation and isolation of triterpenoids saponins involve using a large amount of organic solvents, which can be a drawback of using the extract as a functional food and nutraceutical.

Chronic wounds are a costly and growing problem to global health care systems and affect the productivity of patients and their quality of life. In all cultures, people have used medicinal plants for the treatment and alleviation of various health issues. This project has shown a new potential role for the primary extracts and isolated compounds of C. terminalis derived-kino and the primary extracts of H. tiliaceus (L.) leaves as wound healing agents in vitro, and hence, potentially paves the way for future novel therapeutics for the treatment of chronic non-healing wounds.

This practice-led visual arts research project uses photography to represent medicinal plants of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), and provides a visual articulation of the actions of decay and regeneration. It draws on natural science and extensive consultations and discussions with members of the Quandamooka community of Minjerribah. I have a particular interest in medicinal plants that stems from my childhood spent growing up in the small town of Janów Lubelski in Southeast Poland. My grandmother had a special knowledge of making infusions from local herbs, and remedies from twigs and berries. In an effort to find a sense of belonging in Australia, I brought this experience of Polish folk medicine into my new locale alongside my ecological concerns for maintaining biodiversity and preserving the natural environment. Focusing on medicinal plants from Minjerribah, this research project is grounded in field trips, and the long process of building precious relationships with the local Quandamooka Peoples. This research emphasises the importance of the protocols and processes involved in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the respectful treatment of cultural property, and the productive outcomes of sharing stories. I have learned much from my regular visits with Minjerribah residents and from literature about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their knowledge systems, traditions, and the significance of their connection to country, particularly in relation to plant culture.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Queensland Colledge of Art
Arts, Education and Law
Full Text

Thesis (PhD) - Environment and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, 2008.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Environment and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology - 2008. Typescript. "July 2008". Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-336).

As part of an investigation into traditional Australian Aboriginal bush medicine a range of Acacia species have been examined. Several species have been reported to be utilised for the preparation of antimicrobial washes and lotions by Aboriginal tribes. Initial bioactivity screening focussed on antimicrobial activity of the polar/and or non-polar extracts of air dried plant material, and a range of interesting activity has been found. Specifically, of the 94 extracts of Acacia species screened, five showed activity against the fungus C.albicans, 47 showed activity showed activity against the gram positive bacteria S.aureus and five showed activity against the gram negative bacteria E.coli. A retrosynthetic analysis and total synthesis of the novel anisidine alkaloid isolated from Acacia trineura was attempted. A variety of methodologies to generate the lithiate of anisidine and subsequently trap with an appropriate electrophile were attempted. While the results only indicated which methods were appropriate, they did give strong leads for future work in this direction

High antioxidant capacities have been linked with a reduction in the incidence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, neurodegeneration, inflammation and cancer. Furthermore, phenolic antioxidants may not only have protective effects against these diseases, but may also have therapeutic potential in reversing them by modulation of the cellular redox state. Thus, plants with high antioxidant capacities have potential in the development of new chemotherapeutic treatments to prevent and treat some cancers. Several native Australian plant species including Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell (Kakadu plum), Tasmannia lanceolata (Poir.) A.C.Sm., (Tasmannian pepper), Syzygium australe (H.L.Wendl. ex Link) B.Hyland (brush cherry), Syzygium luehmannii (F.Muell.) L.A.S.Johnson (riberry), Davidsonia pruriens F.Muell. (Davidson’s plum), Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume (quandong), Kunzea pomifera F.Muell. (muntries), Podocarpus elatus R.Br.ex Endl., (Illawarra plum) and Acronychia acidula F.Muell., (lemon aspen) have recently been reported to have extraordinarily high antioxidant content and were therefore selected to screen for the ability to inhibit proliferation of selected carcinoma cell lines.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Natural Sciences
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

The use of indigenous plants by native healers has been in healthcare system for a long time. It is prevalent in many developing countries because of its wide benefits and rising popularity. But less is known about the chemistry behind the medicinal properties of those indigenous plants. Unraveling the knowledge helps develop drugs based on the indigenous plants and understand their mechanisms of the action. Malaria happens to be a vector borne protozoan parasitic disease which has been reported to affect 229 million people in 2019. Use of indigenous plant for treating malaria is widely practiced and this had led to the development of two anti-malarial drugs, artemisinin, and quinine. Clerodendrum polycephalum, also known as ‘egungun eja’ or ‘ewe agbosa’ or ‘aporo’ by different tribes of Nigeria, is used by native healers as an anti-malarial treatment. However, the anti-malarial effect is not well studied and the chemical compounds responsible for its activity is unknown. The understanding of the chemical composition and their antimalarial activities will provide scientific evidence for its traditional application in malaria treatment. This project was a collaborative research between A/Prof Yunjiang Feng at Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery and Prof. Francis B. Adewoyin at Drug Research and Production Unit, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Prof. Alexander B. Odaibo at Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan; mediated by BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH). The Nigerian group analysed the crude extract of Clerodendrum polycephalum based on its traditional use; but lack of expertise in natural product chemistry led to this collaboration. The overall objective was to use bioassay as a guide to isolate antimalarial natural products against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 drug resistant cell lines. Any novel/new compounds will also be targeted by using 1H NMR guided isolation strategy. Knowing the wide distribution of Clerodendrum around the world, several Australian Clerodendrum sp. were investigated by LC-MS to understand the chemical compositions of samples from different geographic locations. The thesis was started with an introduction chapter which included different concepts such as traditional medicine, malaria, Clerodendrum, bioassay guided fractionation, NMR guided isolation and a brief outline of the project. Traditional medicine (TM) was introduced with a detailed description on African traditional medicine (ATM). It then proceeded with a brief discussion on malaria, its causes, and the current treatment. The chapter then provided a detailed description of genus Clerodendrum, its geographical distribution, traditional use and the biological activity of the plant extract and secondary metabolites. The chapter continued with a brief of bioassay guided fractionation. Finally, the chapter ended with a description of NMR guided isolation of compounds with biological activity. Chapter 2 described detailed experimental procedures involved in this project, including isolation and purification of natural products from the plant species. The chapter also detailed the biological assays as well as the spectroscopic data of the pure compounds. Chapter 3 started with an introduction of Clerodendrum polycephalum, then moved on to the bioassay guided isolation which resulted in four pure compounds, including the new clerodane diterpene lactone A. Considering the difficulties in the isolation process due to the presence of large amount of methyl pheophorbide a, the next batch of crude extract was purified using a revised strategy where the fractionation procedure was modified and 1H NMR was utilized to guide the isolation. This resulted in ten compounds, including four new clerodane diterpene lactone (A-D), one new 12,16-Epoxy-11,14,17-trihydroxy-17(15→16)-abeo- 5,8,11,13,15-abietapentaen-7-one, as well as 5 known compounds, namely, acacetin, methyl pheophorbide a, loliolide, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and 12,16-Epoxy-6,11,14,17- tetrahydroxy-17(15→16)-abeo-5,8,11,13,15-abietapentaen-7-one. The chemical structures were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of 1D-, 2D-NMR and MS spectroscopic data assisted by density functional theory (DFT) calculated NMR and circular dichroism (CD). The in-vitro activity evaluation against P. falciparum 3D7 revealed that methyl pheophorbide a was active with IC50 values of 4.49 M. The compound showed no cytotoxicity against neonatal foreskin fibroblast (NFF) mammalian cells. Our results provided scientific evidence for the traditional use of Clerodendrum polycephalum in malarial treatment. Chapter 4 aims to investigate whether Clerodendrum sp. collected from different geographic location contain similar chemistry. The chapter started with an introduction of Australian Clerodendrum sp., Griffith University’s NatureBank and the use of LC-MS for screening compounds in plant extracts. Fifteen Australian Clerodendrum were extracted and analyzed by LC-MS. Our results suggested that every compound isolated from Clerodendrum polycephalum was detected in the Australian species. Large scale isolation of Nature Bank sample NB020858 yielded verbascoside, diosmetin-5-o-glucuronide, 4-hydroxywogonin-5-oglucuronide and acacetin-5-o-8-hydroxyglucuronide; among these four compounds verbascoside and an analogue of acacetin-5-o-8-hydroxyglucuronide were also detected in the Nigerian plant extract. Based on the results, we conclude that Clerodendrum plant species from Nigeria and Australia contained same classes of compounds, and chemistry can be used as a tool for plant taxonomic identification.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Science (MSc)
School of Environment and Sc
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Chronic wounds are a significant burden to national health services worldwide and a potential reason for patients’ declining quality of life. As such, this project focused on assessing the therapeutic effect of two Australian native plants, Alocasia macrorrhizos and Syncarpia hillii for their potential in chronic wound healing, through investigating their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties.

Indigenous Australians were also known to use plants for medicinal purposes. For thousands of years, Indigenous Australians have used native plants as a source of medicinal agents. Some tribes living in Central Australia still, to this day, prefer to use traditional medicines in favour of the more common and readily available western medicines. A number of plant species endemic to Australia are listed in various Aboriginal pharmacopoeias, with approximately one-third of those species belonging to two genera, Acacia and Eremophila. Of the 1100 recognised species of Acacia, approximately 900 occur in Australia. At least thirty of these species were utilised by the Indigenous Australians as a source of medicine. Extracts of 8 Acacia species were screened using four frontline bioassays. These were the brine shrimp lethality test, the crown gall tumour assays, the disc diffusion antibiotic assay and the seed germination test to determine if any of the species were biologically active. Of all the species screened, Acacia pruinocarpa showed the most promise. The species demonstrated significant activity at concentrations at low as 3.7ppm, which is well below the standard 400ppm exhibited by potassium dichromate (Sam, 1993). Acacia adsurgens and A. dictophleba were the next two promising species exhibiting activity at concentrations of 16.12ppm and 37ppm respectively. This was a trend that was also observed in the Lettuce seed germination test for allelopathy with these three species showing the most promise. Interestingly the potency of A. pruinocarpa extract decreased significantly when it was re- screened after being put through a polyamide column. It can therefore be suggested that as tannins are removed by the polyamide column, the biological activity exhibited by A. pruinocarpa is a result of the tannin content in the species (2%), although more testing is required.Both A. pruinocarpa and A. adsurgens showed promise as anti-tumour activity when used in the Crown Gall Tumour Assay (CGTA). Acacia pruinocarpa and A. adsurgens both exhibited significant activity when compared to the control producing inhibition percentages of 31% and 37% respectively. Surprisingly, only one of the Acacia species tested inhibited pathogenic growth when tested on the common pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogens and Candida albicans. Acacia bivenosa was the only species to exhibit any activity when tested on the pathogens. This activity, however is not considered to be significant, as the species was only active against one of pathogens tested, Staphylococcus aureus. In order to be considered to be significant, a species must be active against two or more pathogens. It is however, worthy of further evaluation. Acacia species are among the large number of plants that have long been regarded sources of biological activity. This study was guided by the indigenous use of Acacia species as sources of medicine, which led to the use of front-line bioassays. All of the species tested exhibited some form of biological activity. Acacia pruinocarpa demonstrated the most promise as a source of novel biologically active compounds exhibiting activity at very low concentrations. Such compounds have not been determined as it was outside the scope of this study to identify the active constituents of this species. However, it has been suggested that tannins are responsible for eliciting some of the activity observed in A. pruinocarpa. All of the species screened in this study are worthy of further evaluation. The bioassays used in this study are good examples of front-line bioassays. All of the tests used in the study fulfil the criterion, which defines a good test.

Orientador : Mary Luci de Souza Queiroz
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-27T16:26:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mirandola_Luciana_M.pdf: 9985145 bytes, checksum: 851a0f6ce0ca7bb51b8fc411415498d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2001
Resumo: Neste trabalho, investigamos os efeitos antitumorais de diferentes doses dos extratos hidroalcoólico, aquoso, butanólico e clorofórmico da Acanthospermum australe utilizando o modelo experimental de inoculação de células do tumor ascítico de Ehrlich. Os parâmetros avaliados consistiram do crescimento e diferenciação de células progenitoras hematopoiéticas da medula óssea e do baço para a série granulócito-macrófago (CFU-GM) e da sobrevida dos animais portadores do tumor e tratados com os diferentes extratos da A. australe. Para realização dos experimentos, inoculou-se o tumor na dose de 6x10 6células/animal. Iniciou-se, 24 horas após a inoculação, o tratamento com os diferentes extratos da A. australe, que consistiu da administração oral (gavagem) de diferentes doses (100, 500 ou 1000mg/kg)por 3 dias consecutivos. Vinte e quatro horas após a administração da última dose do extrato hidroalcoólico da A. australe observamos, no animal normal, não portador de tumor, um aumento no número de CFU-GM da medula óssea com as três doses, enquanto que após, a administração do extrato butanólico observamos um aumento no número de CFU-GM na medula apenas com as duas menores doses ou seja, 100 e 500mg/kg, em relação ao grupo de animais controle. Por outro lado, a administração dos extratos aquoso e clorofórmico não produziu nenhum efeito no número de CFU-GM na medula. Nenhuma alteração foi observada com os diferentes extratos no número de CFU-GM do baço, em relação ao controle não tratado. A inoculação do tumor nos animais produziu uma diminuição no número de CFU-GM na medula óssea e um aumento no número de CFU-GM no baço. Os animais inoculados com células tumorais e tratados com as 3 doses dos extratos da planta apresentaram uma proteção contra a mielossupressão. Essa proteção variou de acordo com o tipo de extrato e com a dose. No caso dos extratos hidroalcoólico e aquoso, as doses de 100 e 500mg/kg foram mais efetivas que a dose de 1000mg/k:gno quanto ao aumento da mielopoiese. Além disso, a administração do extrato hidroalcoólico, na dose de 500mg/kg produziu um efeito mieloestimulador significativamente maior, quando comparados com as doses de 100 e 1000mg/kg. As 3 doses dos extratos butanólico e clorofórmico também induziram a mielopoiese. No entanto, os efeitos produzidos pelas doses de 100 e 1000mg/kg foram significativamente inferiores que ao observado para a dose de 500mg/kg. Quanto à hematopoiese esplênica, observamos que, com as 3 doses dos diferentes extratos, o número de CFU-GM reduziu significativamente em relação aos animais portadores de TAE, porém níveis normais não foram atingidos. Nos animais inoculados com o tumor ascítico de Ehrlich observamos um aumento no peso do baço, que foi revertido pelo tratamento com os diferentes extratos da planta nas doses de 100, 500 e 1000mg/kg. O tratamento dos animais portadores do tumor com 500mg/kg dos extratos hidroalcoólico, aquoso, butanólico e clorofórmico da planta aumentou a sobrevida em 10%, 10%, 25% e 15%, respectivamente, diante da morte de 100% dos animais do grupo não tratado. As doses de 100 e 1000mg/kg dos quatros extratos não aumentaram a sobrevivência dos animais em relação aqueles não tratados. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho, de que os extratos hidroalcoólico, aquoso, butanólico e clorofórmico da A. australe promovem proteção contra os efeitos causados pelo tumor sobre os precursores hematopoiéticos da medula óssea e do baço e são capazes de aumentar a sobrevida dos animais portadores do tumor, sugerem que a A. australe poderia proteger contra a mielossupressão provocada por agentes quimioterapêuticos usados na clínica, além de aumentar a resistência do hopedeiro.resistência do hospedeiro
Abstract: ln this work we have investigated the growth and differentiation of granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) in the bone marrow and spleen of Ehrlich ascites tumour-bearing mice (EAT) treated with Acanthospermum australe extracts. Male BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 6 x 106viable tumor cells/mouse and 100, 500 or 1000mg/kgA. australe hidroalcoholic, aqueous, butanolic and chloroformic extracts were given orally, for 3 consecutive days. The bone marrow and spleen progenitor cells were collected 24 hours after the treatment and the growth and differentiation of colony-forming cells were studied by the donal culture ofhematopoietic cells in semi-solid medium. The number of bone marrow CFU-GM in normal mice treated with the three doses of the hidroalcoholic extract, as well as 100 and 500mg/kg doses of the butanolic extract was significant1yincreased above normallevels. On the other hand, treatment of normal mice with the three doses of the aqueous and chloroformic extracts produced no changes in the number of CFU-GM in bone marrow, when compared to the controls. No statistical differences were observed among the effects ofthe three doses 100, 500 and 1000mg/kg ofthe different extracts LofA. australe on the CFU-GM number in the spleen when compared with the control group. ln tumor-bearing mice, the total number of CFU-GM per femur was significantly reduced whereas in the spleen the number of these progenitors was dramatically increased. Treatment of these animaIs with the three doses of the four extracts reverted the medullar suppression and reduced the increased extramedullar hematopoiesis induced by the tumor. Although, the treatment with 100, 500 and 1000mg/kg of the four extracts reduced the number of CFU-GM in the spleen, these values have not retumed to normallevels. The administration of 100, 500 and 1000mg/kg of the hidroalcoholic and aqueous extracts caused a recovery in the number of bon e marrow CFU-GM, compared to the control and tumor-bearing groups. In addition, statistical difference was observed among the 3 treatment schedules. In relation to the butanolic and chloroformic extracts, the 500mg/kg dose was the most effective to recover the medullar hematopoiesis An increase in spleen weight of the tumor-inoculated animaIs was observed, reverted with the administration of 100, 500 and 1000mg/kg of the different extracts of A. australe. The survival rate of the animaIs was evaluated for 30 days after inoculation of EAT. Whereas all the untreated tumor-bearing mice died within 20 days. Survival rates of 10%, 10%, 25% and 15%, were observed with the administration of 500mg/kg of the hidroalcoholic, aqueous, butanolic and chloroformic extracts, respectively. Treatment ofthese animaIs with the different extracts at the doses of 100 and 1000mg/kgproduced no significant protective effects. These results demonstrated that Acanthospermum australe extracts promote protection against the effects caused by the tumor on the hematopoietic response in the bone marrow and the spleen and increase survival oftumor-bearing mice at a dose of500mg/kg ofall the extracts
Mestrado
Mestre em Farmacologia

In this project, the therapeutic effects of two medicinal plants were assessed for their potential in treatment of chronic wounds. Currently, chronic wounds impose a heavy socio-economic burden on healthcare systems and societies world-wide. As such, the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory effects and human skin cell regenerative properties of the plant extracts and their isolated bio-active compounds, inflicts high potential to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Indigenous Australians were also known to use plants for medicinal purposes. For thousands of years, Indigenous Australians have used native plants as a source of medicinal agents. Some tribes living in Central Australia still, to this day, prefer to use traditional medicines in favour of the more common and readily available western medicines. A number of plant species endemic to Australia are listed in various Aboriginal pharmacopoeias, with approximately one-third of those species belonging to two genera, Acacia and Eremophila. Of the 1100 recognised species of Acacia, approximately 900 occur in Australia. At least thirty of these species were utilised by the Indigenous Australians as a source of medicine. Extracts of 8 Acacia species were screened using four frontline bioassays. These were the brine shrimp lethality test, the crown gall tumour assays, the disc diffusion antibiotic assay and the seed germination test to determine if any of the species were biologically active. Of all the species screened, Acacia pruinocarpa showed the most promise. The species demonstrated significant activity at concentrations at low as 3.7ppm, which is well below the standard 400ppm exhibited by potassium dichromate (Sam, 1993). Acacia adsurgens and A. dictophleba were the next two promising species exhibiting activity at concentrations of 16.12ppm and 37ppm respectively. This was a trend that was also observed in the Lettuce seed germination test for allelopathy with these three species showing the most promise. Interestingly the potency of A. pruinocarpa extract decreased significantly when it was re- screened after being put through a polyamide column. It can therefore be suggested that as tannins are removed by the polyamide column, the biological activity exhibited by A. pruinocarpa is a result of the tannin content in the species (2%), although more testing is required.
Both A. pruinocarpa and A. adsurgens showed promise as anti-tumour activity when used in the Crown Gall Tumour Assay (CGTA). Acacia pruinocarpa and A. adsurgens both exhibited significant activity when compared to the control producing inhibition percentages of 31% and 37% respectively. Surprisingly, only one of the Acacia species tested inhibited pathogenic growth when tested on the common pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogens and Candida albicans. Acacia bivenosa was the only species to exhibit any activity when tested on the pathogens. This activity, however is not considered to be significant, as the species was only active against one of pathogens tested, Staphylococcus aureus. In order to be considered to be significant, a species must be active against two or more pathogens. It is however, worthy of further evaluation. Acacia species are among the large number of plants that have long been regarded sources of biological activity. This study was guided by the indigenous use of Acacia species as sources of medicine, which led to the use of front-line bioassays. All of the species tested exhibited some form of biological activity. Acacia pruinocarpa demonstrated the most promise as a source of novel biologically active compounds exhibiting activity at very low concentrations. Such compounds have not been determined as it was outside the scope of this study to identify the active constituents of this species. However, it has been suggested that tannins are responsible for eliciting some of the activity observed in A. pruinocarpa. All of the species screened in this study are worthy of further evaluation. The bioassays used in this study are good examples of front-line bioassays. All of the tests used in the study fulfil the criterion, which defines a good test.

Inflammation is an important biological process for maintaining the body’s homeostasis and is essential for successfully fighting pathogens as well as the repair of damaged tissue in the body. However, inflammatory processes are also involved in the onset and maintenance of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The currently available list of approved anti-inflammatory agents mainly consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-inflammatory biologics. Despite this arsenal, therapy is often not effective enough or is hampered by severe side effects including stomach ulcers, renal toxicity, and increase in the risk of thrombotic events. Thus, the discovery of safer anti-inflammatory agents with less severe side effects is still extremely desirable for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. This thesis describes the screening of crude ethanolic extracts of 100 Australian rainforest plant samples from the Northern Queensland region of Australia. It goes on to explore the chemical diversity of three selected plants samples with potent anti-inflammatory activity. This study led to the isolation of 14 pure compounds, out of which 7 are reported for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds have been demonstrated as their potential to downregulate nitric oxide production in LPS/IFN-γ activated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line.

The aim of this study was to isolate and characterise novel anti‐inflammatory compounds from native Australian plants which were important to the D’harawal Aboriginal people for antiinflammatory and related activities. A total of thirty two plants were screened for their antiinflammatory and neuroprotective activity. In chapter 2, ethanolic extracts of seventeen Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae) were screened for their nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) downregulation activity and cytotoxicity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Extracts from seven Eucalyptus spp. demonstrated strong activity with IC50 values between 7.58 ‐ 19.77 µg/mL for NO inhibition and IC50 values for suppression of TNF‐α production were between 2.06 – 19.02 µg/mL. These extracts also showed a wide range of cytotoxicity with LC50 values between 22.34 – 236.5 µg/mL. In chapter 3, two of the highly active Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae), E. viminalis and E. bosistoana were sequentially extracted and screened to find out the most active extracts which were then fractionated to identify bioactive compounds. From E. viminalis a new chromone (compound 1) has been identified together with two known compounds 8‐β‐C‐glucopyranosyl‐5,7‐dihydroxy‐2isobutylchromone and globuluside. The anti‐inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of all three compounds were evaluated against RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line. In RAW 264.7 macrophage, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 44.0, 47.0 and 37.6 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 41.0, 38.3 and 43.2 µg/mL for compound 1, 8‐β‐Cglucopyranosyl‐5,7‐dihydroxy‐2‐isobutylchromone and globuluside respectively. In N11 microglia, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 43.4, 34.1 and 21.8 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 20.4, 34.3 and 19.0 µg/mL for compound 1, 8‐β‐C‐glucopyranosyl‐5,7‐dihydroxy2‐isobutylchromone and globuluside respectively. In both cell lines all of the compounds were nontoxic up to the highest concentration (36 µg/mL) tested. Oleuropeic acid which was obtained as a hydrolyzed product of compound 1 was also tested for its anti‐inflammatory activity. The NO inhibitory IC50 values were 18.7 and 10.2 µg/mL and TNF‐α inhibitory IC50 values were 21.5 and 17.0 µg/mL for oleuropeic acid against RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line respectively. From E. bosistoana (chapter 3a) one known metabolite, 4‐coumaroylquinic acid was identified whose anti‐inflammatory and cytotoxic activities were evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line as well. In RAW 264.7 macrophages the compound exhibited IC50 values of 95.74 and 52.56 µg/mL for NO and TNF‐α inhibition respectively. Whereas in N11 microglia the NO and TNF‐α inhibitory IC50 values were 44.31 and 35.50 µg/mL. In both cell line the compound was nontoxic up to the highest concentration (36 µg/mL) tested. In chapter 4, ethanolic extracts of fifteen plant species from 8 different families and 11 different genera were screened for their NO and TNF‐α downregulation activity and cytotoxicity in LPS and IFN‐γ activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Extracts from four of the plants, Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera, Melaleuca linariifolia, Baeckea ramosissima subsp. ramosissima and B. imbricata exhibited very strong activity with IC50 values between 8.25 – 16.78 µg/mL for NO inhibition and IC50 values for suppression of TNF‐α production were between 8.31 – 23.30 µg/mL. These extracts were found less toxic compared to plants from Eucalyptus spp. with LC50 values between 52.09 – 130.0 µg/mL. xxi In chapter 5, Melaleuca linariifolia was extracted sequentially with low to high polar solvents and the sequential extracts were screened for their anti‐inflammatory activity to identify the most potent one, which was then purified using HPLC. From this plant, two known flavonoids 3, 3', 4', 5, 7pentahydroxyflavan and 3, 3’, 5, 5’, 7‐ pentahydroxyflavan were identified along with one known triterpenoid betulinic acid. The anti‐inflammatory activities as well as cytotoxicity of all three compounds were evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line. In RAW 264.7 macrophage, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 72.81, 39.69 and 2.73 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 58.88, 80.70 and 4.11 µg/mL for 3, 3', 4', 5, 7pentahydroxyflavan, 3, 3’, 5, 5’, 7‐ pentahydroxyflavan and betulinic acid respectively. In N11 microglia, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 66.27, 58.05 and 2.23 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 17.34, 21.84 and 6.76 µg/mL for 3, 3', 4', 5, 7‐pentahydroxyflavan, 3, 3’, 5, 5’, 7‐ pentahydroxyflavan and betulinic acid respectively. In chapter 6, Syncarpia glomulifera subsp. glomulifera was extracted sequentially with low to high polar solvents and the sequential extracts were screened for their anti‐inflammatory activity to identify the most potent one, which was then purified using HPLC. From this plant, two new compounds compound 6.1 and 6.4 were identified along with three known compounds tetragocarbone B (compound 6.2), sideroxylin (compound 6.3) and lumaflavanone A (compound 6.5). The anti‐inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of all five compounds were evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line. In RAW 264.7 macrophage, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 3.91, 35.15, 2.76, 29.42 and 7.84 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 16.90, 32.12, 20.80, 37.57 and 33.35 µg/mL for compound 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 respectively. In N11 microglia, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 4.52, 21.17, 3.87, 39.64 and 4.51 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 6.50, 27.01, 13.66, 33.06 and 5.46 µg/mL for compound 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 respectively. In chapter 7, Baeckea ramosissima subsp. ramosissima and B. imbricata leaves were extracted sequentially with low to high polar solvents and the sequential extracts were screened for their antiinflammatory activity to identify the most potent one. Sequential EtOAc extract from both plants showed highest anti‐inflammatory activity for NO inhibition (IC50 = 9.33 and 8.98 μg/mL for Baeckea ramosissima subsp. ramosissima and B. imbricata respectively) in LPS + IFN‐γ activated 264.7 RAW macrophages and subjected to HPLC for fractionation. From Baeckea ramosissima subsp. ramosissima, two known flavonoids quercetin and kaemferol were identified and evaluated for antiinflammatory and cytotoxic activities in RAW 264.7 macrophage and N11 microglial cell line. In RAW 264.7 macrophage, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 10.95 and 9.18 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 17.35 and 11.26 µg/mL for quercetin and kaemferol respectively. In N11 microglia, the IC50 values for NO down regulation were 19.71 and 16.06 µg/mL whereas the IC50 of TNF‐α suppression were 8.84 and 8.12 µg/mL for quercetin and kaemferol respectively. Isolation and characterization of other active constituents are in progress.

Collaborative community-university partnerships are an ethical approach to conduct research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, to achieve outcomes relevant to these communities. In 2016, a research project was conducted in collaboration with, and directed by, the Yirralka Miyalk (Women’s) Rangers (YMR) of Laynhapuy Homelands, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia and the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University. As a continuation of this collaboration, the research documented in this thesis investigates the bush products manufactured by YMR and the related traditional medicinal plants used to produce them- Eucalyptus tetrodonta, Melaleuca dealbata and Litsea glutinosa through a mixed method research strategy. Apart of the participatory action research and community-university partnerships framework adopted for this research, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with YMR members and Laynhapuy staff to identify focus areas for further study. The medicinal and therapeutic value of E. tetrodonta, M. dealbata and L. glutinosa were identified as areas of interest and guided the subsequent research reported in this thesis. To assess the medicinal and therapeutic value of the three species, qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative methods were employed. Through the observations made in this thesis, and through continued collaboration following participatory action research (PAR) frameworks and mixed method research, it is hoped that the scientific evidence gained will continue to support the YMR members and their bush products.

In the absence of a clear understanding of the aetiology of diseases and measurable parameters for the attributes of drugs described in the traditional systems of medicine, an approach encompassing a broad spectrum of biological activities on the whole body that may be ascribable to the attributes of the drugs and aetiology of a disease described in the traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda, taken to investigate putative anticancer plants, is presented. Extracts of the putative anticancer plants, Euphorbia peplus L. (petty spurge) and Viola odorata L. (sweet violet), which grow in Australia, were investigated for in vitro anticancer activity using DPPH free radical scavenging, Fe-(III)-TPTZ reducing (FRAP) and linoleic peroxidation inhibitory (TBARS and FTC) antioxidant activities; human complement inhibitory (CP and AP), anti-platelet aggregating (impedance method), COX-2 inhibitory immunomodulatory activities as well as the conventional in vitro anticancer activities using CEM (3H] thymidine uptake, MTS and US-NCI's sulforhodamine B assay using 60 cell line humour tumour screen. Results were compared with relevant standards. Isolation of active extracts and chemical studies were carried out using HPLC-PDA, UV-VIS, TLC, GC-MS, ESI-MS, and AAS. Although the two plants have failed in the NCI's conventional in vitro anticancer screen, our results showed that the extracts of both plants indicated a combination of biological activities. These results raise the possibility that broad-spectrum approach comprising a number of different biological systems may help to explain the purported in vivo anticancer activity of Euphorbia peplus L. and Viola odorata L. Preliminary chemical studies showed the presence of the flavonoid, quercetin among other compounds, in the antioxidant extracts of both plants. The ESI-MS and GC-MS profiles may be used to characterise the active extracts. Presented results may be used to design further in vivo studies towards utilising natural resources as anticancer agents.

Thesis (PhD)-- Macquarie University, Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science. 2006.
Bibliography: p. 229-249.
Ch. 1. Introduction -- ch. 2. An ethnobotanical study with the Kamilaroi and Muruwari Aboriginal communities and relationship building -- ch. 3. Biological assay methods and optimisation -- ch. 4. Ethnopharmacological study of Eremophila sturtii -- ch. 5. Ethnopharmacological study of Exocarpos aphyllus -- ch. 6. General conclusions -- Appendices.
This study covered the documentation of first-hand medicinal plant knowledge of Aboriginal communities in northern New South Wales through the isolation and characterisation of bioactive compounds from Aboriginal medicinal plants.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xx, 249 p. col. ill., maps, ports

Tese de mestrado em Química (Química, Saúde e Nutrição), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2011
Na I Parte deste trabalho aborda-se o estudo fitoquímico de duas plantas medicinais da Serrade Montemuro: Erica australis e Iris germanica.A empresa ERVITAL, sediada na Serra de Montemuro, para alem da produção própria, procede a recolha de algumas plantas espontâneas da região, que e o caso de Erica australis, uma planta que apresenta flores com tonalidades diversas, e no qual lhe são atribuídas propriedades biológicas. Com o objetivo de estabelecer uma relação entre a composição química e a cor da flor, foi realizado um estudo comparativo do perfil fitoquímico de tres amostras de E. australis apresentando flores de coloração distinta. A analise dos óleos essenciais de E. australis, obtidos por hidrodestilação, foi efetuada por CG e GC/MS, enquanto que a composição fenólica da fração aquosa foi determinada por HPLCDAD. O ácido gálico aparece como o constituinte maioritário (6.0-7.0%) do extrato aquoso. No que respeita ao perfil químico dos óleos essenciais, foram identificados 43 compostos, sendo o oct-1-en- 3-ol o constituinte predominante (32.8-38.3%). Não foram observadas diferenças significativas na composição química das três amostras estudadas, tanto no que respeita a fração volátil como a fração aquosa, sugerindo que o polimorfismo da cor não afeta significativamente o perfil fitoquímico da planta. Relativamente a Iris germanica, procedeu-se a manufatura de uma pomada, com comprovada eficácia no alivio de queimaduras. Os constituintes químicos foram extraídos do rizoma com solventes de diferentes polaridades: hexano, diclorometano e etanol. A analise por cromatografia em camada fina analítica permitiu concluir que o etanol e o melhor solvente para a extração, apresentando o melhor rendimento (3.9%). A II Parte desta dissertação aborda o Estudo Etnobotanico realizado nos concelhos da Serra de Montemuro. Foram entrevistadas 98 pessoas de 45 aldeias, distribuídas por 23 freguesias. No total, foram mencionadas cerca de 350 plantas, pertencendo grande parte a família Lamiaceae, sendo a malva a planta mais citada pelos inquiridos.
The first part addresses the phytochemical study of two medicinal plants from Serra de Montemuro: Erica australis and Iris germanica. The company ERVITAL, based in Serra de Montemuro, in addition to his own production, collects also some spontaneous plants in the region, which is the case of Erica australis, a plant that has flowers with several tonalities, and is known as having biological properties. With the aim of establishing a relationship between chemical composition and the color of the flower, a comparative study was made of the phytochemical profile of three samples of E. australis presenting flowers of distinct coloration. The analysis of the essential oils of E. australis, obtained by hydrodistillation was performed by CG and GC/MS, while the phenolic composition of the aqueous fraction was determined by HPLC-DAD. Gallic acid appears to be the majority constituent (6.0-7.0%) of the aqueous extract. As regards the chemical profile of essential oils, 43 compounds were identified, with the oct-1-en-3- ol as the predominant constituent (32.8-38.3%).There was no observed significant differences in the chemical composition of the three samples studied, as much in terms of the volatile fraction as the aqueous fraction, suggesting that the polymorphism of the color does not significantly affect the phytochemical profile of the plant. With regard to the species Iris germanica, an ointment was manufactured, with proven efficacy in relieving of burns. The chemical constituents were extracted from the rhizome with solvents of different polarity: hexane, dichloromethane and ethanol. The analysis by analytical thin layer chromatography allowed the conclusion that ethanol is the best solvent for extraction, showing the best yield (3.9%). The second part of this dissertation deals with the Ethnobotanical Study conducted in several counties of the Serra de Montemuro. Interviews were held with 98 people from 45 villages, spread over 23 civil parishes. In total, about 350 plants were mentioned, mostly belonging to the family Lamiaceae, the mallow was the plant most commonly cited by respondents.

Current quality control (QC) of herbal medicines mainly focus on safety concerns– there is mandatory testing for herbal identity, pesticides, heavy metals, bacterial contamination and toxic components if an herb has been known to contain it. There is no requirement to quantify putative active components unless the supplier makes a label claim. Therefore while there is no concern about safety, the consumer is mostly uninformed about herbal quality regarding the amount of putative active components. Quantifying the putative actives is a twostep process – firstly the analytes that reflect herbal quality for the consumer have to be selected and secondly the analytical method has to be developed and validated. The complexity in quantifying the putative actives in a multi herb formulation increases with the number of herbs used. This study demonstrates how to estimate the quality of an eight herb formulation; Qi Ju Di Huang Wan (QJDHW) (Lycium, Chrysanthemum and Rehmannia Formula) described in the Chinese Pharmacopeia for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders. Nine analytes were systematically selected for monitoring by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. The MS/MS detector is particularly suitable for complex matrices because it is highly selective and the chances of peak misidentification is minimised. The developed analytical method was then applied to analyse a total of eleven samples of QJDHW to estimate variability of the medication in the marketplace. There was significant concentration variation of the analytes studied which ranged from 4.4 to 28.9 fold (average 12.6 fold). Due to the large analyte concentration variation observed, it was decided to study the concentration of putative actives of one herb, namely Lycium barbarum. This herb is also of interest because two species, L. barbarum and L. chinense are readily available in the marketplace and it is also consumed as a so called ‘super food’. The two Lycium berries are similar physically and the question arose as to whether the two species have distinguishing chemical profiles. Seven analytes were quantified in the two Lycium species and the fold variation in concentration ranged from 1.8 to 7.8 (average 4.9) across twelve samples obtained from the marketplace. The extracts were also analysed by LC with photodiode array detection and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Our results indicate that the chemical compositions of the two Lycium species are not significantly different (eight L. barbarum and four L. chinense samples examined) and that the two should be interchangeable. In addition to targeted analysis where the selected analytes were quantified, untargeted analysis (where all detectable constituents are considered) was also carried out where the chromatographic profile of the test samples (QJDHW and Lycium) were compared and statistically analysed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). The conclusions reached by statistical analysis are similar to those reached by targeted analysis – that is, there is significant compositional variation in the QJDHW formulation with no obvious clustering of samples into similarity groups. With L. barbarum and L. chinense there is also no species clustering indicating that there is no compositional difference between the two species.