ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial activity and neuroprotective capacity of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Tarenaya spinosa (T. spinosa) as well as to determine and quantify some of its polyphenols by high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Methods: The bacterial Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, grown in Heart Agar Infusion, were tested. The drugs gentamicin, norfloxacin and imipenem were used to evaluate the modulating or antagonistic capacity of the T. spinosa extracts. The extract was analysed by HPLC-DAD to determine the main phenolic compounds. For the cell viability tests, individual heads of the Nauphoeta cinerea arthropod model were removed, homogenized in Trifluoromethyl ketone and centrifuged afterwards. Subsequently, 20 μL of NaNO