The Use of Medicinal Plants in Maceió, Northeastern Brazil: An Ethnobotanical Survey.

Background: The purpose of this study was to record and analyze the knowledge of medicinal plant use in the community in urban areas of Maceió city, Brazil. Methods: A total of 113 patients from the basic healthcare unit were assessed. Results: Approximately 95% of the interviewed stated that the plants were used for medicinal purposes. The majority of respondents were women (94.7%) who were between 51-60 years of age. Forty-eight plant species belonging to 28 families were cited as useful for medicinal purposes. The main families encountered were Lamiaceae (16.6%), Asteraceae (8.3%), Myrtaceae (6.2%), Fabaceae (6.2%), Annonaceae (4.1%), Laureaceae (4.1%), Rutaceae (4.1%), and Zingiberaceae (4.1%). These plants were used to treat a wide range of disturbances, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the respondents used decoctions of leaves that were cultivated in house (58.4%) to make their herbal preparations. The respondents revealed that medicinal plant preparations were safe and unaware of that are risks associated with their use. Conclusions: Medicinal plants still play an important role in the medical practices of the urban population from Maceió, Brazil. Our results highlight the importance of these plants for local people and indicate the need for further scientific investigations to validate their use as a complementary therapy for disease control.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of octacosanol from the leaves of Sabicea grisea var. grisea in mice.

Sabicea species are used in the Amazon for treatment of fever and malaria, which suggests that its chemical constituents may have some effect on pain and inflammation. Phytochemical analysis of the hexane fraction obtained from the crude ethanol extract from Sabicea grisea var. grisea Cham. & Schltdl (Rubiaceae), an endemic plant in Brazil, resulted in the isolation of octacosanol. This study investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the octacosanol in different experimental models. The crude ethanolic extract and hexane fraction obtained from the leaves of S. grisea produced an inhibition of acetic acid-induced pain. Moreover, octacosanol isolated from the hexane fraction produced a significant inhibition of pain response elicited by acetic acid. Pre-treatment with yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, notably reversed the antinociceptive activity induced by octacosanol in the abdominal constriction test. Furthermore, mice treated with octacosanol did not exhibit any behavioral alteration during the hot plate and rota-rod tests, indicating non-participation of the supraspinal components in the modulation of pain by octacosanol with no motor abnormality. In the formalin test, octacosanol did not inhibit the licking time in first phase (neurogenic pain), but significantly inhibited the licking time in second phase (inflammatory pain) of mice. The anti-inflammatory effect of octacosanol was evaluated using carrageenan-induced pleurisy. The octacosanol significantly reduced the total leukocyte count and neutrophils influx, as well as TNF-α levels in the carrageenan-induced pleurisy. This study revealed that the mechanism responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the octacosanol appears to be partly associated with an inhibition of alpha 2-adrenergic transmission and an inhibition of pathways dependent on pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally, these results demonstrated that the octacosanol from the leaves of S. grisea possesses antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, which could be of relevance for the pharmacological control of pain and inflammatory processes.

Larvicidal activity of 94 extracts from ten plant species of northeastern of Brazil against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae).

In an effort to find effective and affordable ways to control of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae), the larvicidal activities of 94 extracts from ten plant species belonging to eight families [Guettarda grazielae and Spermacoce verticillata (Rubiaceae), Coccoloba mollis and Triplaris americana (Polygonaceae), Eschweilera ovata (Lecytidaceae), Merremia aegyptia (Convolvulaceae), Ouratea nitida (Ochnnaceae), Protium heptaphyllum (Burseraceae), Rourea doniana (Connaraceae), and Tovomita brevistaminea (Guttiferae)], widely found in the northeast of Brazil, were initially screened at 250 microg/mL. Nineteen of the 94 extracts from six plant species (C. mollis, G. grazielae, M. aegyptia, R. doniana, S. verticillata, and T. americana) showed significant activity (>75% mortality) against the fourth instar larvae. Some of these extracts showed 100% mosquito larvae mortality, with LD(50) values lower 200 microg/mL. When compared to synthetic insecticide Temephos (LD(50) 8.7 microg/mL), two of them, hexane (LD(50) 12.1 microg/mL) and ethyl acetate (LD(50) 51.6 microg/mL) extracts from stems of R. doniana and G. grazielae, respectively, were the most effective. The isolation and purification of these extracts are in progress and evaluation of these compounds will be needed to identify the active component.

Triterpenos de Guettarda grazielae M.R.V. Barbosa (Rubiaceae) / Triterpenes from Guettarda grazielae M.R.V. Barbosa (Rubiaceae)

O presente trabalho descreve o isolamento e a identificação estrutural de seis triterpenos (acetato de ±-amirina, cicloartenona, 3²,19±,23-triidroxi-urs-12-eno e os ácidos ursólico, 3-²-O-²-D-glicopiranosilquinóvico e 3²,6²,19±,23-tetraidroxi-urs-12-en-28-óico), além de um fitoesteróide (sitostenona) de extratos das folhas, cascas do caule e caule de Guettarda grazielae M.R.V. Barbosa (Rubiaceae). Os compostos isolados, exceto o ácido 3-²-O-²-D-glicopiranosilquinóvico, estão sendo descritos pela primeira vez no gênero Guettarda e foram identificados com base na análise de dados espectrais de RMN, incluindo APT e DEPT, bem como pela comparação com dados da literatura.

This work describes the isolation and structural identification of six triterpenes (a-amyrin acetate, cycloartenone,3²,19±,23-trihydroxyurs-12-ene,andursolic,3-²-O-²-D-glucopyranosylquinovic, 3²,6²,19±,23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acids), beside a phytosteroid (sitostenone) from leaves, stem barks and stems of Guettarda grazielae (Rubiaceae). All isolated compounds, except 3-²-O-²-D-glucopyranosylquinovic acid, are being described for the first time in the genus Guettarda and were identified on basis of the spectral NMR data, including APT and DEPT, as well as by comparison with data of the literature.

Terpenóides e avaliação do potencial antimalárico, larvicida, anti-radicalar e anticolinesterásico de Pouteria venosa (Sapotaceae) / Terpenoids and evaluation of the antimalarial, larvicidal, anti-radicalar and anticholinesterase potential of Pouteria venosa (Sapotaceae)

O presente trabalho descreve o isolamento de quatro triterpenos (taraxerol, ácido ursólico, ácido 3b,19a,23-triidroxiurs-12-en-28-óico e ácido 2a,3a,19a,23-tetraidroxiurs-12-en-28-óico) e um fitoesteróide (espinasterol), bem como a avaliação do potencial antimalárico (cepa NK-65 do Plasmodium berghei), larvicida (larvas do 4º instar do Aedes aegypti), anti-radicalar (2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazila, DPPH) e anticolinesterásico de extratos das folhas, cascas do caule e caule de Pouteria venosa (Mart.) Baehni. Todos os compostos isolados estão sendo descritos pela primeira vez nesta espécie e foram identificados com base na análise de dados espectrais (IV e RMN, incluindo APT e DEPT), bem como pela comparação com dados descritos na literatura.

This work describes the isolation of four triterpenes (taraxerol, ursolic acid, 3b,19a,23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid and 2a,3a,19a,23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid) and a phytosteroid (spinasterol), as well as a preliminary evaluation of antimalarial (NK-65 strains of Plasmodium berghei), larvicidal (4th instar of Aedes aegypti), anti-radicalar (2,2-diphenyl-1-pycryl-hydrazyl, DPPH) and anticholinesterase activities of Pouteria venosa (Mart.) Baehni extracts from leaves, stem barks and stems. All isolated compounds are being described for the first time in this species and were identified on basis of the spectral data (IR and NMR, including APT, DEPT), as well as by comparison with literature data.