Avaliação da qualidade de amostras de plantas medicinais comercializadas no Brasil / Quality assessment of samples of medicinal plants marketed in Brazil

Apart from constituting the raw material used to manufacture phytomedicines, plant drugs are commonly used by people as a therapeutic resource. Thus, the market in plant natural products has become an attractive target for investments of pharmaceutical companies. The aim of this study was to test the quality of commercial plant drugs in Brazil, employing simple and low-cost methods. Anatomical and microchemical tests were performed on commercial samples of "centela" (Asian pennywort or centella), "chá verde" (green tea) and "espinheira santa", to assess their quality and check their identity. The anatomical study revealed that all 3 samples of centella consisted of Centella asiatica leaves, but some were poorly conserved. The majority of contaminants consisted of other parts of C. asiatica, leaves of Poaceae and other species, and unidentified stalks. Two samples of green tea revealed leaves of the correct species (Camellia sinensis), with twigs of the same as contaminants, while the third consisted mainly of Ilex paraguariensis (mate tea) with some Bambusoideae (Poaceae) leaves. One of the 3 samples of "espinheira santa" contained Sorocea bonplandii leaves (cincho), and the others revealed leaves and stem fragments of Maytenus ilicifolia. The 3 samples of centella showed triterpene saponins. All samples of "green tea" revealed methylxanthines, but only those with C. sinensishad flavonoids. The samples of "espinheira santa" showed condensed tannins. Thus, the proposed analytical methods provided complementary results, which may be applied to quality control of plant drugs...

Drogas vegetais constituem uma das matérias-primas utilizadas na fabricação de fitoterápicos, além de serem largamente utilizadas pela população como recurso terapêutico. O mercado de produtos derivados de matéria-prima vegetal, com isso, se tornou alvo de investimentos de empresas do setor farmacêutico. O presente trabalho objetivou verificar a qualidade de drogas vegetais comercializadas no mercado brasileiro, utilizando-se conjuntamente métodos de análise simples e de baixo custo.Para tanto , foram usadas amostras de "centela", "chá verde" e "espinheira santa", obtidas em estabelecimentos comerciais, sendo sua identidade e qualidade avaliadas por meio de análises anatômicas e microquímicas. O estudo anatômico demonstrou que as três amostras de centela continham Centella asiatica, estando algumas em mau estado de conservação. Os contaminantes desta amostra eram principalmente outras partes do corpo vegetativo de C. asiatica, além de folhas de Poaceae e de outras espécies vegetais. Duas amostras de chá verde foram identificadas como Camellia sinensis e apresentavam caules da mesma espécie como contaminantes. A terceira amostra de chá verde era constituída por Ilex paraguariensis, sendo que folhas de Bambusoideae (Poaceae) também foram encontradas. Uma das amostras de espinheira santa era constituída de Sorocea bonplandii. As demais continham folhas e fragmentos de caule de Maytenus ilicifolia. As três amostras de centela apresentaram saponinas triterpênicas. Todas as amostras de chá verde possuíam metilxantinas. Dessas, apenas aquelas constituídas por C. sinensis demonstraram a presença de flavonoides. As amostras de espinheira-santa apresentaram taninos condensados. Desse modo, as metodologias propostas forneceram resultados complementares que podem ser empregados no controle de qualidade de drogas vegetais...

Diversity of foliar endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Sapindus saponaria L . and their localization by scanning electron microscopy

Endophytic fungi inhabit vegetable tissues or organs, without causing them any harm. Endophytes can co-evolve with plant hosts and possess species-specific interactions. They can protect the plant from insect attacks and diseases, and are also able to produce substances of biotechnological interest. In folk medicine, the bark, roots and fruits of Sapindus saponaria is used to produce substances with anxiolytic, astringent, diuretic and expectorant properties, as well as tonics, blood depuratives and cough medicine. This study evaluated the diversity of endophytic fungi present in the leaves of S. saponaria L. and observed the colonization of host plants by endophytes, using light and scanning electron microscopy. We verified that these fungi are found in intercellular and intracellular spaces. The genera of some isolates of S. saponaria were identified mainly by sequencing of ITS region of rDNA and, when possible, also by their microscopic features, as follows: Cochliobolus, Alternaria, Curvularia, Phomopsis, Diaporthe and Phoma. Phylogenetic analysis showed the existence of genetic variability of the genera Phomopsis and Diaporthe and interspecific variation among the Curvularia, Alternaria and Phoma, belonging to family Pleosporaceae.

Standrdization of Zuroor-e-Qula. A polyherbal formulation

Zuroor-e-Qula, one of the traditional polyherbal formulations is used as anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory drug. It contains mixtures of various powdered ingredients like kathsafaid [Acacia leucophloea], tabasheer [Bambusa bambos], kafoor [Cinnamomum camphora], dana heel khurd [Elettaria cardamomum], gulnarfarsi [Punica granatum], gul-e-surkh [Rosa damascena], kabab-e-khandan [Zanthoxylum armatum]. The present study involves the pharmacognostical and phytochemical standardization of this polyherbal formulation. For microscopic, diagnostic characters like epidermis of testa, endospermic cells, characteristic long fibres and other specific features were observed in the formulation. Physicochemical characters like ash values, extractive values and loss on drying were also evaluated. The preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of tannins, fixed oils, volatile oils, phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Alcoholic, petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous extracts of the formulation were subjected to thin layer chromatographic analysis in different solvent systems and the presence of four components with different R[f] values were observed. The fluorescence analysis was also studied. Phytochemical assay for different constituents was also done

Pollen morphology as an aid to the identification of medicinal plants: Trianthema portulacastrum L., Boerhaavia procumbens banks ex Roxb., and alternanthera pungens Kunth

Trianthema portulacastrum, Boerhaavia procumbens and Alternanthera pungens have similarity in their leaf morphology. Pollen morphology has proved useful to distinguish all the three species. The pollen of Trianthema portulacastrum is 3-colpate, Boerhaavia procumbens is 5-colpate and Alternanthera pungens is fenestrate. Pore length, polar and equatorial diameter and P/E ratio are the main characters to help in the identification of these species

Morphological and physico-chemical analysis of some anthelmintic drugs of repute

The diagnostic morphological and physico-chemical characters of five important anthelmintic drugs of the indigenous system have been studies on the basis of their morphological characters, ash and extractive values, chemical constituents and T.L.C. analysis

Morfodiagnose da droga conhecida como cipo-almecega-Mikania malacolepsis Robinson / Morphological and histological diagnosis of crude drug know as cipo-almecega-Mikania malacolepsis Robinson

A droga constituida de partes aereas de mikania malacolepsis Robinson, conhecida vulgarmente por cipo-almecega, foi estudada morfologica e anatomicamente, de modo a fornecer subsidios a sua identificacao. Desenhos acompanham as descricoes

El Chayote, Sechium edule Swartz (Cucurbitaceae) / The chayote, Sechium edule Swartz (Cucurbitaceae)

El chayote, Sechium edule, es una cucurbitácea de la tribu Sivcyoeae. La rápida transición de cultivo doméstico a producto no tradicional de exportación, ha puesto en evidencia la falta de información sobre la planta y la tecnología de cultivo. Este trabajo recopila, reinterpreta o describe por primera vez, aspectos relativos a la taxonomía y origen del chaiote, así como la morfología, ecología y cultivo de la especie

Ultrastructural evidence of abscisic acid binding sites in guard cells of Vicia faba

Se presenta el uso de una técnica citoquímica que utiliza anticuerpo contra ácido abscísico (ABA) unido al complejo peroxidasa-antiperoxidasa (PAP) por globulina de oveja anti-conejo, para localizar sitios de unión de ABA a nivel de la membrana plasmática, mediante microscopía electrónica. La identificación de las características moléculas cíclicas de PAP confirma, en alta resolución, la tinción específica en secciones ultrafinas, a lo largo de la membrana plasmática de protoplastos de células estomáticas de Vicia faba. La intensidad de la tinción inmunocitoquímica sobre la membrana plasmática que enfrenta al apoplasto fue mayor en especímenes incubados con ABA 10**4 M, así como en aquellos sometidos a estrés hídrico, en comparación con los controles. Mediante el uso de este método sensible, se presenta evidencia ultraestructural del hipotético sitio de acción del ABA en las células estomáticas