Vernonia polysphaera Baker: Anti-inflammatory activity in vivo and inhibitory effect in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Species of the Vernonia genius are widely distributed across the world. In traditional communities, they are commonly used in popular medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of Vernonia polysphaera Baker hydroalcoholic extract. A λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema and peritonitis model was established in BALB/c mice. The in vitro activity of the extract was measured on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. There was no toxic effect on mice or on the cells treated with the extract. Animals treated with V. polysphaera extract demonstrated inhibition of paw edema in comparison with the untreated animals at all the analyzed doses. In peritonitis, treatment with the extract at a dose of 500 mg/kg resulted in a lower total leukocyte count in the peritoneal fluid and blood and lower levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and PGE-2 than the control group. Cells treated with 50 and 100 µg/mL of the extract exhibited lower levels of nitrite and pro-inflammatory cytokine production and lower COX-2, NF-κB expression. The V. polysphaera extract demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, interfering with cell migration, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and COX-2 expression and consequent interference with PGE-2, as well as inhibiting NF-κB transcription.

In vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Vanillosmopsis arborea Barker (Asteraceae) and its major constituent, α-bisabolol.

Vanillosmopsis arborea Barker (Asteraceae), commonly known as "candeeiro" is an endemic tree to the Caatinga biome, in northeast Brazil. The major component of its essential oil is α-bisabolol, a monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol with several biological activities reported. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of V. arborea was investigated in comparison with its major component α-bisabol. The antimicrobial activity was performed against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12692, Candida albicans (CA) INCQS 40006, Candida krusei (CK) INCQS 40095, Candida tropicalis (CT) INCQS 40042, and multiresistant bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus 03 and Escherichia coli 08 by the microdilution method and direct contact modulation. The results showed that all strains were sensitive to the samples, except E. coli against the essential oil. Both the essential oil and the α-bisabolol had a synergistic effect against all strains, except for ampicillin against S. aureus 03, which did not show any modifications when combined with the oil. These data show the potential of V. arborea essential oil as an antibiotic modulator as well as a source of bioactive compounds with potential for the development of antimicrobial drugs as well as adjuvant to therapy against these pathogens.

The Genus Luehea (Malvaceae-Tiliaceae): Review about Chemical and Pharmacological Aspects.

Popularly known as "açoita-cavalo" (whips-horse), Luehea species (Malvaceae-Tilioideae) are native to America and are used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antiseptic, expectorant, and depurative and against skin infections. Although there are studies showing the chemical constituents of some species, the active substances have not been properly identified. A systematic study was carried out through a computer search of data on CAPES journals, SciELO, ISI Bireme, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ScienceDomain Medline, and Google Scholar from published articles using key words: Luehea, açoita-cavalo, and Malvaceae. Luehea divaricata was the species with the highest number of studies observed. Triterpenes (9), flavonoids (6), and steroids (4), including saponins, organic acids (4), and one lignan, are the main types of secondary metabolites registered and the most cited flavonoids were rutin and quercetin and among triterpenes there was maslinic acid, which might be associated with the popular indication of its anti-inflammatory action. The vitexin, a C-glycosylated flavone, isolated from three different species, is cited as a possible taxonomic marker of the genus. Studies confirm in part the medicinal uses of plants named as "açoita-cavalo" species. Some pharmacological activities, not assigned to the species of the genus Luehea by populations, were observed in laboratory experiments.

In Vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Essential Oil of Vanillosmopsis arborea (Asteraceae) Baker.

The search for new immunopharmacological chemical agents to treat various diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, such as leishmaniasis, for example, has led to the exploration of potential products from plant species and their main active ingredients. Antimonial drugs are the current treatment for leishmaniasis. These drugs cause major side effects and frequent discontinuation of treatment. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro leishmanicidal activity of essential oil of Vanillosmopsis arborea (VAEO) and its major compound α -bisabolol against Leishmania amazonensis. The essential oil and α -bisabolol showed activity against promastigotes (IC50 7.35 and 4.95 µ g/mL resp.) and intracellular amastigotes (IC50 12.58 and 10.70 µ g/mL, resp.). Neither product showed any cytotoxicity on treated macrophages. The ultrastructural analysis of promastigotes incubated with VAEO or α -bisabolol at 30 µ g/mL, showed morphological changes with the accumulation of vesicles electrodense lipid inclusions. The results give evidence that both VAEO and α -bisabolol have potential as new therapeutic agents against leishmaniasis.