ABSTRACT
Ten Psychotria species were collected in two fragments of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro: Psychotria pubigera (P1A and B), P. ruelliifolia (P2), P. suterela (P3), P. stachyoides (P4), P. capitata (P5), P. glaziovii (P6), P. leiocarpa (P7), P. nuda (P8), P. racemosa (P9) and P. vellosiana (P10). Ethanol extracts of these species were evaluated for their antimycobacterial activity, in an attempt to find new antituberculosis agents. Psychotria pubigera (P1A), P. ruelliifolia (P2) and P. stachyoides (P4) were the most active against Mycobacterium. The anti-inflammatory potential of these extracts was also evaluated in vitro to learn if they inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages and if they have free-radical scavenging properties, because inflammation is a severe problem caused by tuberculosis, especially when the infection is from M. bovis or M. tuberculosis. Psychotria suterela (P3), P. stachyoides (P4) and P. capitata (P5) were the most active in inhibiting macrophage NO production but they were not the most antioxidant species. This suggests that NO inhibitory activity is not due to the scavenging of NO generated but due to a specific inhibition of iNOS activity or expression. In addition, cytotoxicity was tested in the macrophages (the host cells of the Mycobacterium) and it was verified that the extracts selectively killed the bacteria and not the host cells. When analyzing antimycobacterial, cytotoxicity and NO inhibitory activities in combination, P. stachyoides (P4) was the most promising anti-TB extract tested. Further, indol alkaloids were detected in P. suterela and P. nuda, and 5,6-dihydro-ß-carboline alkaloids in all of the species studied, with the highest amounts found in P. capitata and P. racemosa.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Psychotria/chemistry , Alkaloids/chemistry , Alkaloids/isolation & purification , Alkaloids/pharmacology , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/isolation & purification , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Antitubercular Agents/chemistry , Antitubercular Agents/isolation & purification , Brazil , Cell Line, Tumor , Indoles/chemistry , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Macrophages/drug effects , Mice , Mycobacterium/drug effects , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , TuberculosisABSTRACT
The infusion of aerial parts (EI) of Eleusine indica Gaertn (Poaceae) is used in Brazil against airway inflammatory processes like influenza and pneumonia. Pre-treatment with 400 mg/kg of crude extract inhibited 98% of lung neutrophil recruitment in mice exposed to aerosols of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, in a dose-dependent manner. At 400 microg/kg, schaftoside (6-C-beta-glucopyranosyl-8-C-alpha-arabinopyranosylapigenin) and vitexin (8-C-beta-glucopyranosylapigenin), isolated from EI, inhibited 62% and 80% of lung neutrophil influx, respectively. These results may justify the popular use of E. indica against airway inflammatory processes.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology , Eleusine , Lung Diseases/drug therapy , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Flavones/administration & dosage , Flavones/pharmacology , Flavones/therapeutic use , Lipopolysaccharides , Lung Diseases/chemically induced , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Plant Components, Aerial , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Blutaparon portulacoides (St. Hil.) Mears (= Philoxerus portulacoides St. Hil.) (Amaranthaceae) is a species occurring in the Brazilian coast in two botanical varieties. The chemical study of an ethanolic extract led to the isolation of spinacetin 3- O-robinobioside as well as an unique glycosylated pseudo-dimeric flavonoid identified as 8,8""-methylene bis(spinacetin 3- O-robinobioside) mainly by NMR analyses (1H, 1H- 1H COSY, 13C, HMQC, HMBC) and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
