Ecballium elaterium

Staphylococcus aureus Lactobacillus plantarum Pseudopleuronectes americanus Corynespora cassiicola Ecballium elaterium Staphylococcus epidermidis Helianthus annuus... 

The seeds of squash plants are rich in a family of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors that are approximately 35 amino acids in size and have been extensively investigated not only for their enzyme inhibitory activity, but also because they are very stable mini-protein scaffolds with applications in protein engineering. The best studied examples are Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor (EETI-II) and Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor (CMTI). Both X-ray and NMR have been used to characterise their structures, which incorporate a cystine-knot motif formed by three conserved disulphide bonds.93 We will describe this motif in more detail in a later section describing the plant cyclotides. 

D-Glucopyranosylcucurbitacin I (25) and 2-0-/3-D-glucopyrano-sylcucurbitacin E (26) have been isolated from Citrullus lanatus.30 Several new cucurbitacins from Ecballium elaterium have been reported.31 They include cucur-bitacin R (dihydrocucurbitacin D) (27), anhydro-22-deoxo-3-epi-isocucurbitacin D (28), hexanorcucurbitacin (29), and 16-deoxy-A16-hexanorcucurbitacin O (30). 

Cucurbitacin E Ecballium elaterium (Cucurbitaceae), other Attractant feeding... 

Arvenins III (36) and IV (37) are two further cucurbitacin glucosides from Anagallis arvensis. The former was reported last year from Ecballium elaterium (see Vol. 9, p. 193) while the latter has been isolated, together with the related glucosides (38) and (39) and iso-23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D (40), from the roots of Bryonia alba. °... 

Ecballium elaterium (squirting cucumber) contains toxic cucurbitacins, which are violent purgatives. It is used in the Mediterranean as a purgative and in treating sinusitis. 

Kloutsos G, Balatsouras DG, Kaberos AC, Kandhoros D, Ferekidis E, Economou C. Upper airway edema resulting from use of Ecballium elaterium. Laryngoscope 2001 lll(9) 1652-5. 

Citrullus colocynthis (colocynth) Ecballium elaterium (squirting cucumber)... 

Hop Humulus lupulus Squirting cucumber Ecballium elaterium... 

Ecballii fructus Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.RICH. Cucurbitaceae Tetracyclic triterpenes Cucurbitacin glucosides and aglycones... 

Some species containing cucurbitacins are used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatories in different pathologies. In general, they are used in topical applications as they have a certain level of toxicity when applied per os (p.o.). In one paper, Miro [2] compiled the data on this subject that had been published up to 1995. The review cited only the antiinflammatory activity of cucurbitacin B isolated from the juice of Ecballium elaterium, as well as its possible mechanism of action by means of a modification in leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production. 

Some of the pharmacological data reported for cucurbitacin B have been corroborated in different studies. In one paper, Yesilada et al. [52] reported on the isolation of cucurbitacin B from the fruit juice of Ecballium elaterium. They further showed how the compound significantly reduced the vascular permeability induced by acetic acid in mice, giving an effective dose-50 (ED50) of 6.1 mg/kg however, the... 

Bryonia alba, White bryony Bryonia dioica, Red bryony Ecballium elaterium. Squirting cucumber Citrullus colocynthis, Bitter apple... 

The name of about 50 naturally abundant cucurbitanes stems from Cucurbitaceae, the Latin term of cucurbitaceous plants such as cucumbers and pumpkins, known since antiquity for their beneficial and toxic properties. One of the most frequently isolated representatives is the bitter substance (+)-cucurbitacin B from Phormium tenax and Ecballium elaterium (Cucurbitaceae), also found in Iberis species (Cru-ciferae), Euphorbiaceae and Scrophulariaceae. (+)-Cucurbitacin F from Cucumis angolensis and C. dinteri is reported to inhibit the growth of human tumor cells. Toxic cucurbitacines shape the unpleasant bitter taste of salads prepared from spoiled cucumbers Cucumis sativus some representatives are reported to be antihypertonic, antirheumatic, and also active against HIV. 

The list includes three asparagine derivatives, all of which are found in species of Cucurbitaceae. Their biosynthesis in seedlings of Ecballium and Bryonia has been studied and the compounds have been shown to be produced by a transferase reaction between asparagine and the appropriate amine 63). The formation of ethylamine, present in N -ethylasparagine (Table 10), by decarboxylation of alanine has been demonstrated in Ecballium elaterium 30). 

In another case, a 22-year-old man developed a headache, shortness of breath, and a sore throat 1.5 hours after aspirating an unknown amount of the undiluted juice of Ecballium elaterium intranasally [47 ]. He responded to oxygen, methylprednisolone 1 g intravenously, and adrenaline 2 mg subcutaneously. 

Mazokopakis EE, Karefilakis CM, Starakis IK. The safety and efficacy of the fruit juice of Ecballium elaterium in the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis. J Altem Complement Med 2009 15(12) 1273-. ... 

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