Anti-infective potential of marine invertebrates and seaweeds from the Brazilian coast.

This manuscript describes the evaluation of anti-infective potential in vitro of organic extracts from nine sponges, one ascidian, two octocorals, one bryozoan, and 27 seaweed species collected along the Brazilian coast. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) by the disk diffusion method. Antiprotozoal activity was evaluated against Leishmania braziliensis (MHOM/BR/96/LSC96-H3) promastigotes and Trypanosoma cruzi (MHOM/BR/00/Y) epimastigotes by MTT assay. Activity against intracellular amastigotes of T. cruzi and L. brasiliensis in murine macrophages was also evaluated. Antiviral activity was tested against Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1, KOS strain) by the plaque number reduction assay (IC50). Cytotoxicity on VERO cells was evaluated by the MTT assay (CC50). The results were expressed as SI = CC50/IC50. The most promising antimicrobial results were obtained against S. aureus and C. albicans with Dragmacidon reticulatum. Among the seaweeds, only Osmundaria obtusiloba showed moderate activity against P. aeruginosa. Concerning antiprotozoal activity, Bugula neritina, Carijoa riseii, Dragmaxia anomala and Haliclona (Halichoclona) sp. showed the most interesting results, mainly against extracellular promastigote forms of L. braziliensis (66, 35.9, 97.2, and 43.6% inhibition, respectively). Moreover, six species of seaweeds Anadyomene saldanhae, Caulerpa cupressoides, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Dictyota sp., Ochtodes secundiramea, and Padina sp. showed promising results against L. braziliensis (87.9, 51.7, 85.9, 93.3, 99.7, and 80.9% inhibition, respectively), and only Dictyota sp. was effective against T. cruzi (60.4% inhibition). Finally, the antiherpes activity was also evaluated, with Haliclona (Halichoclona) sp. and Petromica citrina showing the best results (SI = 11.9 and SI > 5, respectively). All the active extracts deserve special attention in further studies to chemically characterize the bioactive compounds, and to perform more refined biological assays.

The anti-inflammatory modulatory role of Solidago chilensis Meyen in the murine model of the air pouch.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of an aqueous extract (AE), and its butanolic (BuOH) and aqueous residual (AR) fractions, derived from the rhizome of Solidago chilensis in inflammation caused by carrageenan in mice. Solidago chilensis Meyen rhizome was extracted using hot water at 90 degrees C under infusion. The extract was filtered and lyophilized. Part of the aqueous extract was fractionated with n-BuOH, resulting in butanolic (BuOH) and aqueous residual (AR) fractions. Adult Swiss mice were used in the in-vivo experiments. We evaluated the effect of rhizome aqueous extract of Solidago chilensis and these two derived fractions on the inflammation induced by carrageenan in the mouse model of the air pouch. The aqueous extract and its derived fractions significantly inhibited leucocytes, neutrophils, exudation, myeloperoxidase and adenosine deaminase activity, as well as nitric oxide, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), neutrophil chemokine (KC) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels (P < 0.05). Indometacin and dexamethasone inhibited all the studied inflammatory parameters (P < 0.01) with the exceptions that indometacin did not inhibit TNF-alpha levels and dexamethasone did not inhibit KC levels (P > 0.05). These results indicate that Solidago chilensis has a significant anti-inflammatory action on acute inflammatory responses and that its inhibitory activity may be due not only to the inhibition of proinflammatory mediators, but also to the inhibition of leucocyte infiltration.

Anti-inflammatory evaluation of Solidago chilensis Meyen in a murine model of pleurisy.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and the mechanism of action of the aqueous extracts obtained from rhizomes, leaves and inflorescences of Solidago chilensis in the mouse model of pleurisy. The extracts were prepared by infusion and were lyophilized. RESULTS: The aqueous extracts of rhizomes, leaves or inflorescences inhibited leukocytes, neutrophils and exudation (P<0.05) in the inflammation induced by carrageenan. The rhizomes aqueous extract, butanolic and aqueous residual fractions inhibited leukocytes, neutrophils, myeloperoxidase, adenosine-deaminase, and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in the inflammation induced by carrageenan (P<0.05). The rhizome aqueous extract and butanolic fraction also inhibited exudation, nitric oxide, and interleukin-1 beta levels (P<0.05). The rhizomes aqueous extract and its two derived fractions reduced leukocytes and mononuclears in the pleurisy induced by bradykinin, histamine, or substance P (P<0.05) and neutrophils in the pleurisy induced by histamine or substance P (P<0.05). Only aqueous residual fraction inhibited neutrophils induced by bradykinin (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Solidago chilensis aqueous extracts from leaves, inflorescences and rhizomes demonstrated an important anti-inflammatory effect, inhibiting cells in the inflammation caused by carrageenan. In addition, the rhizomes aqueous extract and its derived fractions also decreased pro-inflammatory mediators release into the site of the inflammatory process. The rhizomes aqueous extract and the butanolic fraction showed more evident anti-inflammatory actions.