Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of a triterpene-rich fraction from Himatanthus drasticus

Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel belongs to the Apocynaceae family and the latex from its trunk bark (Hd) is known as "janaguba milk". This latex is widely used in Northeast Brazil, mainly in the Cariri region, for its gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. The objective of this study was to investigate a triterpene-rich fraction (FJNB) from H. drasticus latex on acute models of nociception and inflammation and to clarify its mechanisms of action. Wistar rats or Swiss mice were subjected to the carrageenan-induced paw edema test or the formalin test, respectively, after the acute oral treatment with FJNB. The inflamed paws from the carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin tests were processed for histological and immunohistochemical assays, respectively. The results were analyzed by ANOVA and considered significant at P<0.05. FJNB (10 mg/kg) decreased the paw edema by 25% at the 3rd h after the carrageenan injection. Indomethacin, used as reference, inhibited the paw edema by 59% at the same time-point. In the formalin test, FJNB inhibited the 1st phase by 27, 49, and 52% and the 2nd phase by 37, 50, and 67%, at the doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, FJNB significantly inhibited the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) expression and the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa (NF-kB) were also inhibited at the same doses. In conclusion, the FJNB inhibitory actions on iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, HDAC, and NF-kB could be involved with the drug anti-inflammatory activity.

Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas medicinais em área de Caatinga na comunidade do Sítio Nazaré, município de Milagres, Ceará, Brasil / Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in the Caatinga area in the community of Sitio Nazaré, Milagres, Ceará, Brazil

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento das plantas medicinais nativas no bioma Caatinga na comunidade do Sítio Nazaré, no município de Milagres, Ceará. Foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 100 informantes entre 25 a 85 anos registrando informações de 62 espécies medicinais sobre o uso, parte utilizada, indicação terapêutica, e formas de preparo dos remédios caseiros, além de coleta do material botânico e produção de exsicatas. As famílias com maior representatividade na pesquisa foram Fabaceae (16 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (7 spp.), Cucurbitaceae e Malvaceae (3 spp.), e as demais com duas ou uma espécie cada. Nas preparações dos remédios caseiros verificou-se que todas as partes da planta são utilizadas, predominando as raízes (33,77%) e as cascas (29,87%). Observaram-se várias formas de preparo, sendo o chá a mais indicada (49,21%), seguida do lambedor (40,69%). Os dados encontrados revelaram que o conhecimento popular sobre as plantas medicinais é de extrema importância para o controle das afecções e contribui para a realização de estudos etnofarmacológicos.

The present study aimed to survey the native medicinal plants in the biome Caatinga in the community of Sítio Nazaré from Milagres, in Ceará, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews with 100 persons, from 25 to 85 years old, were recorded. Sixty-two species were pointed for medical information on use, used plant part, therapeutic indication and methods of preparation of home remedies. We also prepared the collection of botanical material and production of exsiccates. The most representative families reported in this study were: Fabaceae (15 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (7 spp.), Cucurbitaceae and Malvaceae (3 spp.). On the preparation of remedies, we found that all parts of the plants were used, predominantly the roots (33.77%) and the barks (29.87%). The most common way of preparation observed was tea (49.21%), followed by syrup (40.69%). These collected data revealed that popular knowledge on medicinal Caatinga plants were important for disease control in the local population and it has contributed to other ethnopharmacology studies.

Efeito in vitro do extrato etanólico das folhas do melão-de-São-Caetano (Momordica charantia L. ) sobre ovos e larvas de nematóides gastrintestinais de caprinos / In vitro effect of the ethanolic extract of "melão de São Caetano" (Momordica charantia L. ) leaves on the eggs and larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes from goats

O experimento in vitro foi realizado para avaliar a ação do extrato etanólico das folhas do melão-de-São-Caetano (Momordica charantia L.) sobre o desenvolvimento de ovos e motilidade de larvas de nematóides gastrintestinais de caprinos. As larvas foram obtidas de coproculturas e a recuperação de ovos foi feita pela técnica dos quatro tamises, a partir de fezes de caprinos naturalmente infectados da mesorregião do Sertão Paraibano. O extrato foi utilizado nas diluições de 50; 25; 12,5; 6,25 e 3,12 por cento para ambos os testes e como controle positivo e para controle negativo, utilizou-se água destilada estéril. As placas foram examinadas ao microscópio óptico para contagem dos ovos em desenvolvimento e larvas móveis e imóveis, após 24, 48 e 72 horas de incubação. As concentrações do extrato etanólico de M. charantia e os tratamentos controle negativo e positivo diferiram quanto ao número de ovos inviáveis. No teste de motilidade larval as concentrações acima de 12 por cento apresentaram médias significativas quanto ao número de larvas inviáveis. Nas condições ensaiadas a M. charantia apresentou atividade ovicida e larvicida.

The experiment in vitro was performed to evaluate the action of the ethanolic extract of "melão de São Caetano" (Momordica charantia L.) leaves on the development of eggs and motility of larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes from goats. The nematode larvae were obtained from coproculture and the recovery of eggs was done in sieves, from feces of naturally infected goats from the Mesoregion of Paraíba State. The extract was used at the dilutions of 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.12 percent for both tests and as positive control; for negative control, sterile distilled water was used. The plates were examined under optical microscope to count the eggs in development and mobile larvae after 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation. The concentrations of M. charantia ethanolic extract and the negative and positive controls differed as to the number of eggs that were not viable. In the larval motility test, concentrations higher than 12 percent had significant means as to the number of larvae that were not viable. Under the tested conditions, M. charantia showed larvicidal and ovicidal activity.

Avaliação da atividade antibacteriana e prospecção fitoquímica de Solanum paniculatum Lam. e Operculina hamiltonii (G. Don) D. F. Austin & Staples, do semi-árido paraibano / Evaluation of antibacterial activity and phytochemical prospection of Solanum paniculatum Lam. and Operculina hamiltonii (G. Don) D. F. Austin & Staples from the semi-arid region of Paraíba State, Brazil

Devido ao aparecimento de populações de parasitos resistentes, as drogas farmacêuticas, alternativas de controle, estão sendo pesquisadas utilizando plantas medicinais. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a atividade antibacteriana e realizar a análise fitoquímica do extrato etanólico de duas espécies do semi-árido paraibano, Solanum paniculatum Lam. e Operculina hamiltonii (G. Don) D. F. Austin & Staples. As referidas espécies são muito utilizadas pela população rural contra verminoses gastrintestinais de ovinos. A prospecção fitoquímica foi obtida a partir dos extratos etanólicos para análise dos constituintes químicos existentes nas duas espécies. As análises dos extratos indicaram a presença de taninos flobabênicos, flavononóis, flavononas e alcalóides em ambas as espécies. A atividade antibacteriana foi determinada inicialmente pelo método de difusão em cavidade. A espécie S. paniculatum apresentou atividade contra Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12692), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) e Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), no entanto O. hamintonii não demonstrou atividade contra as linhagens bacterianas testadas.

The emergence of resistant parasite populations has led to the study of pharmaceutical drugs, which represent an alternative control. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity and to perform the phytochemical analysis of the ethanol extract from two species belonging to the semi-arid region of Paraíba State, Brazil: Solanum paniculatum Lam. and Operculina hamiltonii (G. Don) D. F. Austin & Staples. Such species have been largely used by the rural population against ovine gastrointestinal helminthes. Phytochemical prospection was obtained from ethanol extracts for analysis of chemical compounds present in both species. Extract analyses indicated the presence of condensed tannins, flavonols, flavanones, and alkaloids in both species. The antibacterial activity was initially determined by the cavity method. The species S. paniculatum had activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12692), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442); however, O. hamintonii did not present activity against the tested bacterial strains.

Estudo químico-biológico dos óleos essenciais de Hyptis martiusii, Lippia sidoides e Syzigium aromaticum frente às larvas do Aedes aegypti / Chemical-biological study of the essential oils of Hyptis martiusii, Lippia sidóides and Syzigium aromaticum against larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus

O interesse pelos bioensaios frente à larvas de Aedes aegypti e Culex quinquefasciatus deve-se ao fato de que estas espécies estão distribuídas por todo o território nacional, sendo portanto uma atividade realizada por inúmeros pesquisadores do Brasil. Os óleos essenciais de Syzigium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry, Lippia sidoides Cham.,e Hyptis martiusii Benth.,foram testados no combate ao transmissor da dengue e da filariose. As larvas de terceiro estádio foram expostas em triplicatas a diferentes concentrações (1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, 25 e 10 ppm). As análises foram observadas após dez minutos do início do tratamento, e mostraram resultados bastante significativos, com potencialidade de mortalidade de até 100 por cento das larvas testadas, indicando acentuados efeitos tóxicos de alguns constituintes voláteis presentes nos óleos. Para os óleos de S. aromaticum, L. sidoides e H. martiusii foram constatadas, frente à Aedes aegypti, valores respectivos de CL50 de 21,4; 19,5 e 18,5 ppm e frente ao Culex quinquefasciatus, 14,5; 16,6 e 27,5 ppm, respectivamente.

The interest for a biological assay against larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus is due to the fact that these species are distributed by the whole national territory, being therefore an activity carried out by countless researchers of Brazil. The essential oils of Syzigium aromaticum, Hyptis martiusii and Lippia sidoides were tested in the combat of the transmitter of the dengue and of the filariosis, using larvae of third stadium were exposed in triplicate to different concentrations (1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, 25 and 10 ppm). The larvicidal activity was observed after ten minutes of the beginning of the treatment, in the end showed very significant results, with mortality potentials of up to 100 percent of the tested larvae, indicating accentuated toxical effects in some representatives of the volatile compounds present in the oils. For the oils of S. aromaticum, L. sidoides and H. martiusii DL50 of 1,0; 1,0 and 8,0 ppm, respectively, were observed.