Cardioprotector Activity of an Esteroidal Saponin: A Scientific and Technological Prospection.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels that account for a major cause of premature death worldwide. Diosgenin saponin is a steroid for therapeutic application in different clinical settings such as cardiovascular diseases, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia control, antimicrobial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agent. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review of Diosgenin, its pharmaceutical applications and perspectives on the application in the cardiovascular system diseases. METHODS: Periodic basis ScienceDirect, PubMed and Virtual Health Library were used as well as the European Office of the technological bases Patent Office, World Intellectual Property Organization, the Office US Patent and Trademark Office and the Brazilian database National Institute of Industrial Property. The keywords used were Diosgenin, cardiovascular system, hypertension, atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia and their correlations in English and Portuguese, with publications from January 2010 to June 2015. RESULTS: After analysis of the technological and scientific bases, the results show that there is a limited number of patents showing that the Diosgenin action on the cardiovascular system is centered in the areas for chemical studies of steroid Diosgenin. In the scientific basis, the results show that there is an interesting Diosgenin action on the cardiovascular system. CONCLUSION: Therefore, studies with Diosgenin are promising on account of its significant pharmacological potential from scientific and technological viewpoints, reaching for a technology transfer to generate economic and industrial growth.

Abarema cochliacarpos extract decreases the inflammatory process and skeletal muscle injury induced by Bothrops leucurus venom.

Snakebites are a public health problem, especially in tropical countries. However, treatment with antivenom has limited effectiveness against venoms' local effects. Here, we investigated the ability of Abarema cochliacarpos hydroethanolic extract (EAc) to protect mice against injection of Bothrops leucurus venom. Swiss mice received perimuscular venom injection and were subsequently treated orally with EAc in different doses. Treatment with EAc 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg reduced the edema induced by B. leucurus in 1%, 13%, and 39%, respectively. Although lower doses showed no antihypernociceptive effect in the Von Frey test, the higher dose significantly reduced hyperalgesia induced by the venom. Antimyotoxic activity of EAc was also observed by microscopy assessment, with treated muscles presenting preserved structures, decreased edema, and inflammatory infiltrate as compared to untreated ones. Finally, on the rotarod test, the treated mice showed better motor function, once muscle fibers were preserved and there were less edema and pain. Treated mice could stand four times more time on the rotating rod than untreated ones. Our results have shown that EAc presented relevant activities against injection of B. leucurus venom in mice, suggesting that it can be considered as an adjuvant in the treatment of envenomation.

Phytochemical prospection and modulation of antibiotic activity in vitro by Lippia origanoides H.B.K. in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The Lippia origanoides H.B.K. ethanol extract (LOEE) and hexane (LOHEX), dichloromethane (LODCM), and ethyl acetate (LOEA) fractions were tested for their antimicrobial activity alone or in combination with antibiotics against a methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain. The natural products did not show antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant strain at the clinically significant concentrations tested. However, a modulatory effect in the antibacterial activity of the neomycin and amikacin was verified when LOEE, LOHEX and LODCM were added to the growth medium at subinhibitory concentrations. A similar modulation was found when the natural products were changed for chlorpromazine, an inhibitor of bacterial efflux pumps, suggesting the involvement of resistance mediated by efflux system in the MRSA tested. The fractions LOHEX and LODCM showed a modulatory activity bigger than their majority compounds (carvacrol, thymol, and naringenin), indicating that this activity is not due to their majority compounds only, but it is probably due to a synergism between their chemical components. These results indicate that L. origanoides H.B.K. can be a source of phytochemicals able to modify the phenotype of resistance to aminoglycosides in MRSA.