Biological activities and cytotoxicity of diterpenes from Copaifera spp. Oleoresins.

Copaifera spp. are Amazonian species widely studied and whose oleoresins are used by local people for various medicinal purposes. However, a detailed study of the activity of the main phytochemical components of these oleoresins remains to be done. Here, we studied the cytotoxicity and in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of six diterpene acids: copalic, 3-hydroxy-copalic, 3-acetoxy-copalic, hardwickiic, kolavic-15-metyl ester, and kaurenoic, isolated from the oleoresins of Copaifera spp. The diterpenes did not show cytotoxicity in normal cell lines, nor did they show significant changes in viability of tumoral line cells. The 3-hydroxy-copalic was able to inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase (64% ± 1.5%) at 250 µM. The kolavic-15-metyl ester at 200 µM showed high inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase (89.5% ± 1.2%). Among the diterpenes tested, only kaurenoic and copalic acids showed significant hemolytic activities with 61.7% and 38.4% at 100 µM, respectively. In addition, it was observed that only the copalic acid (98.5% ± 1.3%) and hardwickiic acid (92.7% ± 4.9%) at 100 mM inhibited nitric oxide production in macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide. In this assay, the diterpenes did not inhibit tumor necrosis factor-α production. The acids inhibited the production of IL-6, 3-acetoxy-copalic (23.8% ± 8.2%), kaurenoic (11.2% ± 5.7%), kolavic-15-methyl ester (17.3% ± 4.2%), and copalic (4.2% ± 1.8%), respectively, at 25 µM. The kaurenoic, 3-acetoxy-copalic and copalic acids increased IL-10 production. This study may provide a basis for future studies on the therapeutic role of diterpenic acids in treating acute injuries such as inflammation or skin disorders.

Dores e lesões na coluna vertebral, hábitos e costumes em acadêmicos de fisioterapia / Spine pains and lesions, habits and behavior in physical therapy students

Um estudo do perfil das alterações posturais, relatadas por estudantes universitários, evidencia um índice bastante elevado de reclamações, acarretadas por más posturas, sendo a maioria dessas ocorrências, evitáveis, através de um profissional de fisioterapia. Objetivo: O interesse despertado pelo tema ocorreu no intuito de saber se os acadêmicos de fisioterapia, tendo conhecimento dos benefícios da ciência fisioterapêutica, estabelecidos na área traumato-ortopédica e, em especial, na área da coluna vertebral, recorrem a tratamentos nesse campo. Material e Método: Entre os meses de setembro e outubro de 2003 foram entrevistados 300 alunos que cursam a graduação de fisioterapia na Universidade Estácio de Sá, Campus Nova Friburgo/RJ. O instrumento de pesquisa constitui-se de um questionário com perguntas objetivas relacionadas à idade, peso, altura, sexo, tipos de lesões, tipos de tratamento fisioterapêutico, tempo e resultados obtidos no tratamento. Análises estatísticas, através do método Qui quadrado, foram utilizadas para definir a significância da dependência entre as variáveis (p < 0,05). Resultados: Dos entrevistados, 61% eram do sexo feminino e 39% do sexo masculino, com idade entre 18 e 60 anos, sendo, em sua maioria de 18 a 24 anos, 64% do total. Foram relatadas 191 ocorrências de lesões na coluna vertebral, das quais apenas 38 receberam o tratamento. Destes, cerca de 69% submeteu-se ao tratamento apenas na fase aguda, por cerca de 21 dias. RPG foi o tratamento mais procurado. Conclusão: A pesquisa realizada foi de grande importância para analisar as lesões encontradas na coluna vertebral dos estudantes e concluiu que a maioria não se submeteu a tratamento fisioterapêutico.

One of the most common complaints from students is back pain, originated by spine disorders, like scoliosis, lordosis and kyphosis. The present study analyzes the postural alterations, told by university students, as a quite elevated index of complaints. Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of spine lesions involving physical therapy students and its behavior upon treatments. Material and Method: The sampling was obtained on 2003 September and October, from 300 physical therapy graduation students registered at the Universidade Estácio de Sá, Campus Nova Friburgo/RJ. The research instrument was constituted of a questionnaire with objective questions related to the age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), sex, types of lesions, types of physical therapy treatment and results obtained in the treatment. Statistical analysis were performed using test c2 (p < 0,05). Results: 61% of the students were female and 39% male, with age between 18 and 60, being, in its majority of 18 to 24 years, 64% of the total. From 191 occurrences of spine lesions, only 38 received treatment. Conclusion: This study was of great importance to analyze the lesions found in students spines and concluded that most of them did not undergo physical therapy treatment.

In vivo and in vitro studies on the anticancer activity of Copaifera multijuga hayne and its fractions.

Copaiba oil resin (COR) obtained from Copaifera multijuga Hayne has been used in popular medicine as an antinflammatory and for the treatment of bronchitis, ulcers and cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of COR and its fractions on the inhibition of lung metastasis and tumour growth induced by B16F10 melanoma cells in mice and cytotoxicity in vitro using Trypan Blue exclusion method and MTT conversion. Mice which have received subcutaneously B16F10 cells developed a solid tumour that reached a peak at 17 days. Together with the increase in tumour growth we also observed an increase in the number of lung nodules. There was a positive correlation between the in vitro cytotoxic assay and in vivo antitumour activity. The oral administration of COR (at 2 g/Kg in the days 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 14 after inoculation of tumoral cells) reduced tumour growth by 58% and tumour weight by 76%. At the same dose COR reduced the number of lung nodules by 47.1%. In vitro experiments showed that COR incubated with the melanoma cell line reduced cell viability in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Diterpenic and sesquiterpenic fractions or reconstituted oil induced cytotoxicity. Our results shows that COR and its fractions have tumouricidal activity in the melanoma cell line in both models in vivo and in vitro.