• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.19-21
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• 2007

Myristica fragrans has been used for the treatment of stomachache in East Asia. It is very important to determine the amount of myristicin in Myristica fragrans, because excess myristicin causes side effects. In this study, we developed and validated the method for determination contents of myristicin in Myristica fragrans which was purchased from various regions of Korea. The average content of myristicin in Myristica fragrans was 2.10% with the validated HPLC analysis method.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.98-101
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• 2002

The phytochemical study of nutmeg, the seeds of Myristica fragrans Houttuyn (Myristicaceae) led to the isolation of three lignans, safrole (I), macelignan (III), and a 3,4 : 3',4'-bis(methylenedioxy)lignan (II). The compound II was identified by a mixture (1:1) of (8S, 8'R)- and (8S, 8'S)-forms of bis(3, 4-methylenedioxy)-8, 8'-neolignan by $^1$H-, $^{13}$ C-NMR and $^1$H-$^1$H COSY spectral data. The compound II was isolated for the first time from Myristica fragrans.

• 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.23 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2017

In our program to search for new AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators from plants that exert potential anticancer property, we found that an EtOAc extract of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) activated AMPK enzyme in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Two major diarylbutane-type lignans, macelignan and meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDGA), were isolated as active principles from this extract. Treatment of breast cancer cells with two compounds induced cellular apoptosis, evidenced by cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and Ser 15 phosphorylation of p53. Moreover, macelignan and MDGA significantly inhibited the colony formation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells on soft agar. Intraperitoneal injection of macelignan and MDGA (20 mg/kg) suppressed the tumor growth of 4T1 mammary cancer cells. These results indicate that the chemopreventive effects of two major diarylbutane-type lignans from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) may be associated with induction of apoptosis presumably through AMPK activation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.760-765
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• 1989

The change of volatile flavor components In nutmeg (Kernels of the fruits of Myristica fragrans Houttuyn) during aging at $37^{\circ}C$ were studied by using a fused silica capillary GC & GC/MS. Volatile flavor components having the low boiling point showed a general decrease during aging, but those of the middle and high boiling point showed a reactionary tendency Myristicin and myristic acid among volatile flavor components showing the high boiling point had the amount increased considerably, and those were composed of 24.50% and 18.69% in aging for 6 months, respectively. The amount of whole volatile flavor concentrate showed the increased tendency till the aging period for 4 months, and then subsequently decreased.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2015

Five phenylpropanoids (1-5), a benzofuran neolignan (6), two 8-O-4'-neolignans (7-8), and five tetrahydrofuran lignans (9-13) were isolated from a methanol extract of Myristica fragrans seeds. The structures of 1-13 were determined by $^1H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopic data analyses and a comparison with the literature data. Compound 3 was isolated for the first time from this plant. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against tyrosinase. Among them, safrole (1) showed significant inhibitions against both the monophenolase ($IC_{50}=32.11{\mu}M$) and diphenolase ($IC_{50}=27.32{\mu}M$) activities of tyrosinase. The kinetic analysis shows that safrole (1) is competitive inhibitors for both monophenolase and diphenolase. The apparent inhibition constant ($K_i$) for safrole (1) binding with free enzyme was determined to be 16.05 and $13.66{\mu}M$ for monophenolase and diphenolase, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 1986

The single treatment of mice with steam distillate, non-volatile ether extract and methanol extract from mace (Arils of Myristica fragrans) caused a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis and increase in strychnine toxicity as well as a significant decrease in hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activities. On 7 consecutive daily administrations, however, the duration of hypnosis was markedly shortened and significant increases in the hepatic enzyme activities were shown. With systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column chromatography of non-volatile ether fraction monitoring by animal tests a new lignan (mp $70{\sim}72^{\circ}$, MW 328, $[{\alpha}]^{20}_D+5.28$) was isolated as an active principle and its structure was elucidated as (2R, 3S)-1-(3,4-methylendioxyphenyl)-2,3 dimethyl-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) butane.