Phytocompounds from Amazonian Plant Species against Acute Kidney Injury: Potential Nephroprotective Effects.

There are several Amazonian plant species with potential pharmacological validation for the treatment of acute kidney injury, a condition in which the kidneys are unable to adequately filter the blood, resulting in the accumulation of toxins and waste in the body. Scientific production on plant compounds capable of preventing or attenuating acute kidney injury-caused by several factors, including ischemia, toxins, and inflammation-has shown promising results in animal models of acute kidney injury and some preliminary studies in humans. Despite the popular use of Amazonian plant species for kidney disorders, further pharmacological studies are needed to identify active compounds and subsequently conduct more complex preclinical trials. This article is a brief review of phytocompounds with potential nephroprotective effects against acute kidney injury (AKI). The classes of Amazonian plant compounds with significant biological activity most evident in the consulted literature were alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, and terpenoids. An expressive phytochemical and pharmacological relevance of the studied species was identified, although with insufficiently explored potential, mainly in the face of AKI, a clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality.

Effect of the Association of Fixed Oils from Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, Euterpe oleracea Martius, Bixa orellana Linné and Chronic SM® on Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in Wistar Rats.

Dyslipidemia presents high levels of serum cholesterol and is characterized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, especially for the development of atherosclerosis. E. oleracea oil (OFEO), A. esculentus oil (OFAE), B. orellana oil (OFBO), and Chronic SM® granules (CHR) are rich in bioactive compounds with the potential to treat changes in lipid metabolism. This study investigated the effects of treatments with oils from A. esculentus, E. oleracea, B. orellana, and Chronic SM® on Cocos nucifera L. saturated-fat-induced dyslipidemia. The chromatographic profile showed the majority presence of unsaturated fatty acids in the tested oils. The quantification of tocotrienols and geranylgeraniol in OFBO and CHR was obtained. Treatments with OFEO, OFAE, OFBO, and CHR were able to significantly reduce glycemia, as well as hypertriglyceridemia, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol, besides increasing HDL-cholesterol. The treatments inhibited the formation of atheromatous plaques in the vascular endothelium of the treated rats. The obtained results suggest that the OFEO, OFAE, OFBO, and CHR exhibit antidyslipidemic effects and antiatherogenic activity.

Secondary Metabolites Found among the Species Trattinnickia rhoifolia Willd.

Plant-derived products may represent promising strategies in the treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). From this perspective, it is observed that the Amazon phytogeographic region contains the tribe Canarieae of the Burseraceae family, composed of trees and shrubs supplied with resin channels. Its uses in folk medicine are related to aromatic properties, which have numerous medicinal applications and are present in reports from traditional peoples, sometimes as the only therapeutic resource. Despite its economic and pharmacological importance in the region, and although the family is distributed in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world, most of the scientific information available is limited to Asian and African species. Therefore, the present work aimed to review the secondary metabolites with possible pharmacological potential of the species Trattinnickia rhoifolia Willd, popularly known as "Breu sucuruba". To this end, an identification key was created for chemical compounds with greater occurrence in the literature of the genus Trattinnickia. The most evident therapeutic activities in the consulted studies were antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, anesthetic and antiparasitic. An expressive chemical and pharmacological relevance of the species was identified, although its potential is insufficiently explored, mainly in the face of the NTDs present in the Brazilian Amazon.