Anchusa italica extract: phytochemical and neuroprotective evaluation on global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

Abstract Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality and disability in industrial countries. Treatment with herbs with antioxidant properties has been reported to be an alternative to the conventional treatments. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Anchusa italica extract on hippocampal injury induced by transient global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in the rat. To do so, 50 rats were randomly assigned to five groups; control, sham, ischemia, and 50 or 100 mg/kg of Anchusa italica treated animals. Ischemia was induced by occlusion of carotid artery for 30 minutes. Afterward, behavioral tests and biochemical analyses were conducted. Induction of ischemia/reperfusion caused a decline in learning and passive avoidance memory in rats. Moreover, Anchusa italica caused an increase in learning and improved the passive avoidance memory. Induction of ischemia/reperfusion caused a decrease in the antioxidant capacity of the brain and serum as well as an increase in the malondialdehyde of the brain and serum. Anchusa italica led to an increase in the antioxidant capacity of the brain and serum and decrease in the malondialdehyde of the brain and serum. Overall, because of its protective effects on spatial memory, passive avoidance learning, antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation during ischemia/reperfusion, Anchusa italica might be beneficial in ischemic patients.

Schinus terebinthifolius administration prevented behavioral and biochemical alterations in a rotenone model of Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor impairment, cognitive decline and psychiatric symptoms. Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae, had been studied for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and in this study, the stem bark was evaluated for the neuroprotective effects on behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by administrations of rotenone in rats. Behavioral evaluations were performed using open-field and rotarod. The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities were determined by the DPPH radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation method respectively. The administration of rotenone (3 mg/kg, s.c.) produced hypolocomotion, increase of immobility and muscle incoordination, while the treatment with S. terebinthifolius stem bark extract (150, 300 and 600 mg/kg p.o.) for seven days prevented rotenone-induced dysfunctional behavior. Biochemical analysis of the substantia nigra, striatum and cortex revealed that rotenone administration significantly increased lipid peroxidation, which was inhibited by treatment with all doses of S. terebinthifolius. The results suggested neuroprotective effect of S. terebinthifolius possibly mediated through its antioxidant activity, indicating a potential therapeutic benefit of this species in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Estresse oxidativo e aumento da apoptose em neutrófilos de cães com azotemia pré-renal / Oxidative stress and increase in apoptosis index of neutrophils from dogs with prerenal azotemia

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo testar a hipótese de que, à semelhança do que ocorre na uremia, cães com azotemia pré-renal sofrem estresse oxidativo, o qual está relacionado com alterações do metabolismo oxidativo e apoptose dos neutrófilos. Para tal, foi determinada a peroxidação lipídica pela quantificação do malondialdeído (MDA) e o status antioxidante total do plasma de 15 cães normais e 10 com azotemia pré-renal, correlacionando-os com a produção de superóxido e o índice apoptótico dos neutrófilos. As determinações do MDA e do status antioxidante total foram estabelecidas empregando-se um conjunto de reagentes comerciais. Por meio de citometria de fluxo capilar, a produção de superóxido e a apoptose de neutrófilos isolados de sangue periférico foram determinadas utilizando-se a sonda hidroetidina e o sistema anexina V-PE, respectivamente. Cães azotêmicos (26,29±5,32g/L) apresentaram menor concentração (p=0,0264) do antioxidante albumina em relação ao grupo-controle (30,36±3,29g/L) e também uma menor (p=0,0027) capacidade antioxidante total (2,36±0,32 versus 2,73±0,24mmol/L), enquanto não houve alteração da peroxidação lipídica plasmática e da produção de superóxido neutrofílica. Concluiu-se que, à semelhança do que ocorre na uremia, condições azotêmicas pré-renais no cão causam estresse oxidativo e aceleração da apoptose dos neutrófilos.

This study aims to test the hypothesis that, similarly to what occurs in uremia, dogs with prerenal azotemia suffer oxidative stress associated with changes in oxidative metabolism and apoptosis in neutrophils. For this purpose, fifteen normal dogs and ten with prerenal azotemia had lipid peroxidation determined by quantifying the malondialdehyde (MDA) and had plasma total antioxidant status evaluated, correlating them with the superoxide production and apoptotic index of neutrophils. MDA and plasma total antioxidant status were determined using commercial reagents. Using capillary flow cytometry, superoxide production and apoptosis were determined from isolated neutrophils of peripheral blood using the hydrithidine and Annexin V-PE probe system, respectively. Azotemic dogs (26.29±5.32g/L) had a lower concentration (p=0.0264) of the plasma antioxidant albumin than the control group (30.36±3.29g/L) and also had lower (p=0.0027) total antioxidant status (2.36±0.32 versus 2.73±0.24mmol/L), while no alterations were observed in plasma lipid peroxidation and superoxide production. It was concluded that, similarly to what occurs in uremia, prerenal azotemia causes oxidative stress and acceleration of neutrophil apoptosis in dogs.

Efeito antioxidante da ficocianina em pescado salgado-seco / Antioxidant effect of phycocianin on dried-salted fish

A conservação e o armazenamento de alimentos com elevados teores lipídicos podem conduzir ao desencadeamento do processo oxidativo, causando modificações nas características sensoriais e redução da vida útil dos mesmos. A ficocianina é um pigmento extraído da microalga Spirulina platensis que apresenta propriedades antioxidantes, por isso, objetivou-se verificar o efeito antioxidante da ficocianina durante o armazenamento do pescado salgado. O pescado salgado foi produzido com o peixe Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus, Holmberg, 1887), o qual foi submetido a 5 tratamentos (T1: sem adição de antioxidante, T2: com adição de antioxidante sintético BHT na concentração de 0,01 por cento, T3, T4 e T5: com a adição de ficocianina nas concentrações de 0,5 por cento, 1 por cento e 1,5 por cento, respectivamente). As amostras foram analisadas nos tempos: zero, 30 d e 60 d de armazenamento através do índice de TBA. Pelos resultados observou-se que a presença do antioxidante natural ficocianina ocasionou uma inibição no processo de oxidação lipídica, com índices de TBA, estatisticamente iguais (p>0,05) ao tratamento com uso de antioxidante sintético.

Conservation and storage of food with a lipidic content may unchain oxidative processes, causing modifications of sensorial characteristics and reduction of useful life. Phycocianin is a pigment of Spirulina platensis, which presents antioxidant proprieties. The objective of this work was to verify the antioxidant effect of phycocyanin during the storage of salted fish. The salted fish was produced with the pacu species (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887), which was submitted to 5 treatments (T1: without addition of antioxidant; T2: with addition of synthetic antioxidant BHT in the concentration of 0.01 percent, T3, T4 and T5: with addition of phycocianin at concentrations of 0.5 percent, 1 percent and 1.5 percent respectively). Samples were analyzed at zero (0), 30 and 60 days of storage determining the physics-chemical quality through the index of TBA. The results showed that the addition of the natural antioxidant phycocianin caused the inhibition of the process of oxidation, with TBA index statistically equal (p>0.05) of that obtained with the use of synthetic antioxidant.