Botanical, chemical and pharmacological investigation on Cissampelos species from Paraíba (Brazil)

RESUMO

In our continuing search for biologically active compounds of local medicinal flora, we have investigated the genus Cissampelos (Meninspermaceae) whose species are used in ethnomedicine mainly for treatment of the diseases of the respiratory system. From the three species found in Paraiba C. sympodialis, C. glaberrima and C. ovalifolia, only the first one was analyzed more extensively due to its greater availability and the high yield of warifteine, a bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from it. The water soluble fractions of the ethanolic extracts of the root, leaf and warifteine obtained from either of the fractions caused nonspecific smooth muscle relaxation in tissues such as the guinea pig trachea. The leaf fraction also showed bronchodilatory activity in whole animal experiments and inhibited human neutrophil degranulation induced by the peptide formyl-methionine-leucine-proline. The mechanism of action of the fraction involves on increase in intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels possibly as a result of the inhibition of nucleotide phosphodiesterase enzymes. The antiasthmatic use of the plant Cissampelos sympodialis may have scientific justification.