HORSE CHESTNUT

HORSE CHESTNUT

Castano de Indias; al. Robkastanien (Samen) English. Horse Chesnut tree.

Rind and seeds.

The leaves of this tree are composed large - Palma, with 5 - 7 leaflets. The flowers, zigomorfas, with white petals and pink spots, with 3 ovarian 5 - 8 carpels and stamens, are grouped in inflorescences complex. The fruit is a capsule thick and thorny, usually monosperma.

Source.

The species of Aesculus hippocastanum grows spontaneously in northern Greece and the Balkans. His presence is very common in parks and avenues. The same goes for the horticultural hybrids obtained by crossing with other American species of red flowers.

Chemical composition.

Cotyledons of the seeds contain starch, lipids and derivatives flavones, but the components are the most studied saponosides. The same applies to the proantocianidoles tegument seminal. As for the crust, the main ingredients are heterósidos coumarin, of which the most important thing is the schools, the esculetol glucoside, which is a potent factor vitamin P.

Saponósidos.

Triterpenic in nature, are derived from Olean - 12 (13) ene, representing 10% of the total weight of the drug. Whole is called ESCIN. Its structures are complex and stem from two Genina polihidroxiladas: the protoescigenina (hydroxymethyl 4) and barringtogenol - C (methylated in 4) In both cases, the hydroxyl side in 21 and 22 are esterified by aliphatic acids (acetic, E and Z - methyl - 2 oic 2buten) The hydroxyl in 3 is part of a link with the hydroxyl hemiacetal 1 in an acid glucuronic establishing a non - linear trisaccharides. Along with the ESCIN have been isolated from cytotoxic, esters of barrigenol - R1 and barringtogenol - C.

Proantocianidoles.

This is oligomers of 3 - R (epicatecol: dimers connected by a link (B2 - B5) for two links (A2, A5) trimer simple (C1) esculitaninos AG. All have in common a chain of the type "A" (4ß? 8 ', 2ß? O? 7')

The bark of the tree is rich in cumarinas (2 - 3%) especially in schools, accompanied by fraxósido and flavonoids.

Pharmacological data.

The pharmacology of the factors vitamin P has been widely studied. Its main activities include an increase in vascular resistance, decreased capillary permeability and an anti - inflammatory action.

The ESCIN was reabsorbe badly at the gastro - intestinal tract, is anti - inflammatory as evidenced by numerous experiments on the leg of a rat which causes a different players irritant edema on the generalized edema with ovalbumin (ip) and on the cerebral edema caused derivative of tin. ESCIN acts in the initial phase of inflammation. These experiments show that ESCIN opposes the formation of edema (antiexudativa action) It is possible to normalize the permeability of the vessel wall that is enhanced by inflammation, also has been considered a possible action adrenal dependent. The results are better if the administration is for illustrative purposes only prophylactic.

The ESCIN (5 - 10 mg / ml) increases venous tone (portal vein of rabbit saphenous human) Their action is inhibited by indomethacin. This activity could be linked to an increase in the synthesis of prostaglandin F2a. Injected in rats by ip, increases in plasma ACTH and corticosterona, no doubt due to a pituitary stimulation. On the other hand, has shown that this saponosides increases capillary resistance and has significant diuretic properties.

The esculósido reduces the permeability of the capillaries and increases their resilience.

Observations on the Man.

Preparations chestnut of Indian and ESCIN been used a lot of time in therapy, having conducted numerous studies and observations with this molecule. These studies confirm their action antiexudativa and antiedematosa in several areas: trauma, bruises and brain edema, phlebitis, varicose vein and other pathologies. A double - blind trial showed that the daily per os administration of Indian horse chestnut extract reduces the activity of enzymes responsible for the degradation of proteoglycan, ensuring the cohesion of the vessel walls in patients with varicose veins untreated, these enzymes lisosomial - of - origin increase considerably.

Employment.

The Indian horse chestnut is used to a significant degree of preparations Galenical (excerpts, criomolturados, gels) alone or in partnership, in the treatment of the subjective venous insufficiency and the functional disorders of the capillary fragility, as well as the treatment of hemorrhoid symptoms. The ESCIN are advised orally (40 - 60 mg / day) in the treatment of insufficient venolinfática and in the hemorrhoidal crisis. By strictly intravenously, the escinato be advised of Sodium (10 mg / day) as antiedematoso in proctología, Phlebology (phlebitis, chronic ulcers) in surgery and traumatology. The toxicity of saponosides is not negligible, but the therapeutic safety is important and good tolerance. His administration via i. v. is contraindicated during pregnancy or kidney failure.

In Spain authorizing the use of this plant for the treatment of manifestations of venous insufficiency and hemorrhoidal symptoms. Treatment of cutaneous capillary fragility, as petechiae (Cardinals) and so on. Antihaemorrhagics. Varices, reabsorption of edema, thrombophlebitis, varicose ulcers. Cramps at night. Preventive vascular accidents.

Precautions.

Contraindicated in renal failure. The bark of horse chestnut Indies has no side effect. The seed, for its content ESCIN can cause severe poisoning. In the latter case was recommended for use under strict clinical control.

The drug.

The seeds of Indian horse chestnut, contained in a capsule globulosa, thorny and dehiscent, are more or less globose or ovoid and are fitted with a shiny brown seed coat. The bars form a large white stain. The two cotyledons, fleshy, oily and starchy, are well - soldiers. The flavor is unpleasant. Flavonoids and saponosides can be studied through CCF of the tincture can be utilized different valuation methods: colorimetry after extraction, Densitometric in crude extract.

Bibliography.

R. R. PARIS H. et Moyse.

Summary of Matter Médicale, Masson, 2, 2nd ed. P. 310 - 313, Paris, 1981.

S. SHIBATA.

Saponins with biological and pharmacological activity. In: New natural products and plant drugs with pharmacological, biological or Therapeutical activity, H. WAGNER and P. WOLFF, eds. Berlin, Springer - Verlag, p. 177 - 196, 1977.

T. KONOSHIMA - H and K. LEE.

Antitumor agents, 82. Cytotoxic sapogenols from Aesculus hippocastanum.

J. Nat. Prod. 49, 650 - 656, 1986.

S. MORIMOTO, G. I. Nonaka and I. Nishioka.

Tannins and related compounds. LIX. Aesculitannins, proanthocyanidins with novel doubly - bonded structures from Aesculus hippocastanum L.

Chem. Pharm. Bull. 35, 4717 - 4729, 1987.

R. W. HEMINGWAY, L. Y. FOO and L. J. PORTER.

Linkage isomerism in trimeric and polymeric 2, 3 - cis - procyanidins.

J. Chem. Soc. Perkin I, 1209 - 1216, 1982.

A. BONATI.

Les Dérivés du marronnier d'Inde dans le traitement des maladies vasculaire.

Plantes Méd. Phytother. 11, 174 - 180, 1977.

H. J. JACK.

Zur Pharmakologie der Rosskastanie.

Zbl. Pharm. 116, 959 - 968, 1977.

J. Totta and A. J. VLIETINCK.

Produits et Phytothérapeutique system cardiovasculaire.

J. Pharm. Belg. 41, 330 - 361, 1983.

D. LONGIAVE, C. OMINI, S. NICOSIA and F. BERTI.

The mode of action of aescin on isolated veins: relationship with the 2nd PGF.

Pharmacol. Res. Commun. 10, 145 - 152, 1978.

S. HIAI, H. Yokoyama and H. Oura.

Effect of ESCIN on adrenocorticotropin and plasma corticosterone levels in Rat.

Chem. Pharm. Bull. 29, 490 - 494, 1981; see also: YOKOHAMA et al. Yakugata Zasshi, 102, 555 - 559, 1982.

H. W. KREYSEL, H. P. NISSEN and E. ENGHOFER.

A possible role of lysosomal enzymes in the pathogenesis of Varicosis and the reduction in their serum activity by Venostatin ®.

VASA, 12, 377 - 382, 1983.

P. PAUSCHINGER, H. BISLER, R. PFEIFER, N. KLÜKEN and Zwerg.

Die Klinische Wirksamkeit eines ödelprotektiven Aescin - haltigen. Venen - Therapeutikums.

Z. für Phytother. 9, 1 - 6, 1988.

M. WICHTL, "Roßkastaniensamen, " in DAB 9 - Kommentar, Deutsches Arzneibuch, K. et HARTKE E. MUTSCHLER, eds. Stuttgart, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellshaft mbH, 3, p. 3008 - 3013, 1986.

M. VANHAELEN et R. VANHAELEN - FASTRÉ.

Quantitative determination of biologically active constituents in crude medicinal plant extracts by thin - layer chromatograpphy densitometry.

J. Chromatogr. 281) 263 - 271, 1983.

Diseases whose treatment is appropriate in this plant.

Iinsuficiencia venous.

Varices.

Hemorrhoids.

Premenstrual syndrome.

Related Products