Biotechnological processes to obtain bioactive secondary metabolites from some Mexican medicinal plants.

The consumption of medicinal plants has increased in recent decades due to the fact that they biosynthesize compounds with many biological activities; thus, some plant species with biological potential are being utilized as raw material by the industries for preparation of drugs, phytodrugs, or food supplements. This has the consequence of overexploitation and deforestation, which endangers plant species-of-interest. In recent years, alternatives have been sought to eradicate this problem. A solution that was given and is maintained is plant biotechnology, which favors the production of secondary metabolites (SMt) with important biological activity. Plant biotechnology allows us to increase the yield of a compound-of-interest, reduces its production times and costs, and allows constant and controlled production of the raw material, while aiding in the protection of medicinal plants that are found in danger of extinction. In the scientific literature, procuring the SMt by means of biotechnological processes is described, highlighting the study of five species from Mexican traditional medicine (Lopezia racemosa, Galphimia glauca, Cnidoscolus chayamansa, and Buddleja cordata), and the main biological activities are as follows: anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotector, neuroprotector, anxiolytic, antitumoral, antibacterial, and antioxidant, among others. KEY POINTS: • Secondary metabolites produce by biotechnology processes • Active secondary metabolites isolated from Mexican medicinal plants • Recent advances on the production of some bioactive secondary metabolites.

Anti-inflammatory evaluation and acute toxicity of three food supplements that contain Moussonia deppeana.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the anti-inflammatory activity through two murine models and in the median Lethal Dose (LD50) of three dietary supplements that contain Moussonia deppeana. METHODS: The anti-inflammatory activity of three dietary supplements (Cicatrisan/Gastricus®, Gastinol®, and Gastrovita®) EtOH extracts was evaluated by TPA and by carrageenan murine models; also, median Lethal Dose (LD50) was determined. Verbascoside was quantified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. ß-sitosterol, stigmasterol and the mixture of ursolic and oleanolic acids were identified in all supplements by TLC; however, none of these dietary supplements contain verbascoside. RESULTS: For the TPA model, Cicatrisan/Gastricus® generated a notable effect with 38.24% inhibition. While in the carrageenan model, it also exhibited noteworthy anti-inflammatory activity of ear edema with 66.39% of paw edema inhibition at 150 mg/kg, followed by Gastinol® and Gastrovita® with ≈50% at 300 mg/kg. Finally, LD50 was >2 g/kg for all supplements, when was administered intragastrically and Body Weight (BW) gain in mice was not altered after 14 days. CONCLUSIONS: Of the three food supplements containing M. deppeana, only the EtOH extract from Cicatrisan/Gastricus® formulation (tablets) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in both experimental models and the LD50 was >2 g/kg.

Anti-inflammatory and toxicological evaluation of Moussonia deppeana (Schldl. & Cham) Hanst and Verbascoside as a main active metabolite.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Moussonia deppeana, known as Tlachichinole, is a Mexican medicinal plant used for treatment of inflammatory diseases, influenza, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders and arthritis. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this paper the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as well as the acute and sub-acute toxicological effects were evaluated for the ethanolic extract from aerial parts of M. deppeana, also its phytochemical analysis is described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytochemical analysis and compound isolation were performed with thin layer chromatography. The chemical identification of the main compound was performed by (1)H NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC) spectra. In vitro antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content for the ethanolic extract and its primary fractions was determined by DPPH and Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Acute and subacute toxicity tests were evaluated on Balb/C mice. Finally acute anti-inflammatory evaluation was tested for a local (TPA) and systemic (carrageenan) murine model. RESULTS: The main compound isolated from the ethanolic extract of M. deppeana was Verbascoside, which was isolated from F3 and was identified by (1)H NMR and COSY data. Furthermore oleanolic and ursolic acids were isolated from primary fractions F1 and F2. Ethanolic extract showed IC50 = 6.71mg/mL for DPPH test and 664.12µg QE/mL for the total phenolic content. The LD50 value was >2g/kg by i.g. route in male and female mice. Sub-acute administration (28 days) of the ethanolic extract (1g/kg) did not cause lethality or alter any hematological and biochemical parameters, in addition, histological analysis of the major organs exhibited no structural changes. Anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract showed an ED50 = 1.5mg/ear and 450mg/kg for TPA and carrageenan test, respectively. Primary fractions generated moderate local and systemic anti-inflammatory activity. CONCLUSION: The ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of M. deppeana did not cause any lethality or adverse effect in either of the acute and sub-acute toxicity tests. This exhibited an important local and systemic anti-inflammatory activity and also moderate antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the primary fraction F2 was more active for the TPA model while the primary fraction F3 was most active in the carrageenan model in vivo. The main compound isolated from F3 was verbascoside; on the other hand also ursolic and oleanolic acids were isolated from F1 and F2.