SCREENING OF WILD FRUIT TREES WITH GASTROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL MODELS.

BACKGROUND: Given the increase of people with gastrointestinal disorders, the search for alternative treatments with fewer side effects is vital, as well as the demand for food or plants that can help protect the stomach. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the gastroprotective action of the extracts of wild fruit trees of Myrcianthes pungens (guabiju); Inga vera Willd. (ingá-banana) and Marlierea tomentosa Cambess. (guarapuruna) in in vivo pharmacological models. METHODS: The different parts of the fruits were separately subjected to a process of extraction by methanol. Two experimental pharmacological models were conducted in mice; the gastric ulcer model induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (indomethacin), and the gastric ulcer model induced by ethanol/HCl, which allowed us to evaluate the gastroprotective activity of the extracts at a dose of 250 mg/kg. Subsequently, the total lesion area (mm2) and relative lesion area (%) were determined. RESULTS: The results showed significant gastroprotective activity against the aggressive agents used - ethanol and indomethacin - for all the extracts tested. CONCLUSION: It is assumed that the fruits have bioactive compounds such as antioxidant substances that act on the prostaglandin levels, protecting them from the damage caused by ethanol and indomethacin. These results prompt further studies to isolate and identify the active properties.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity of Biflavonoids from Branches of Garcinia gardneriana (Clusiaceae).

Garcinia gardneriana is chemically characterized by the presence of biflavonoids. Taking into account that flavonoids are able to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, in the present study, the chemical composition of the branches' extract of the plant is described for the first time and the MAO inhibitory . activity of the isolated biflavonoids was evaluated. Based on spectroscopic and spectrometric data, it was possible to identify volkesiflavone, morelloflavone (1), Gb-2a (2) and Gb-2a-7-Ο-glucoside (3) in the ethyl acetate fraction from ethanol extract of the branches. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated in vitro and demonstrated the capacity to inhibit MAO-A activity with an IC50 ranging from 5.05 to 10.7 µM, and from 20.7 to 66.2 µM for MAO-B. These inhibitions corroborate with previous IC50 obtained for monomeric flavonoids, with a higher selectivity for MAO-A isoform. The obtained results indicate that biflavonoids might be promising structures for the identification of new MAO inhibitory compounds.

Metabolic Profile and Root Development of Hypericum perforatum L. In vitro Roots under Stress Conditions Due to Chitosan Treatment and Culture Time.

The responses of Hypericum perforatum root cultures to chitosan elicitation had been investigated through (1)H-NMR-based metabolomics associated with morpho-anatomical analyses. The root metabolome was influenced by two factors, i.e., time of culture (associated with biomass growth and related "overcrowding stress") and chitosan elicitation. ANOVA simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) modeling showed that these factors act independently. In response to the increase of biomass density over time, a decrease in the synthesis of isoleucine, valine, pyruvate, methylamine, etanolamine, trigonelline, glutamine and fatty acids, and an increase in the synthesis of phenolic compounds, such as xanthones, epicatechin, gallic, and shikimic acid were observed. Among the xanthones, brasilixanthone B has been identified for the first time in chitosan-elicited root cultures of H. perforatum. Chitosan treatment associated to a slowdown of root biomass growth caused an increase in DMAPP and a decrease in stigmasterol, shikimic acid, and tryptophan levels. The histological analysis of chitosan-treated roots revealed a marked swelling of the root apex, mainly due to the hypertrophy of the first two sub-epidermal cell layers. In addition, periclinal divisions in hypertrophic cortical cells, resulting in an increase of cortical layers, were frequently observed. Most of the metabolic variations as well as the morpho-anatomical alterations occurred within 72 h from the elicitation, suggesting an early response of H. perforatum roots to chitosan elicitation. The obtained results improve the knowledge of the root responses to biotic stress and provide useful information to optimize the biotechnological production of plant compounds of industrial interest.

The plants of the genus Phyllanthus as a potential source of new drugs

The plants of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) comprise about 550 to 750 species which are widely distributed in most tropical and subtropical countries. About 200 species are believed to occur in the Americas, mainly in the Caribbean and Brazil. The plants of the genus Phyllanthus have long been used in folk medicine to treat, among others, kidney and urinary bladder disorders, intestinal infections, diabetes and hepatitis B. In recent years, substantial progress in chemical and pharmacological studies, and a few clinical studies of some Phyllanthus species, were made. This review discusses the current knowledge gained by the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological and biochemical studies performed with the extracts and the main active constituents isolated from different species of plants of the genus Phyllanthus. Data available in the literature strongly support the idea that the extract and some constituents isolated from these plants, including flavanoids, tannins, alkaloids, coumarins, lignans and terpenes, account for their reported antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antispasmodic and antiallergic properties. In addition, some of these compounds were found to interact with most key enzymes, such as aldose reductase, angiotensin converting enzyme, mitochondrial ATPase, both cyclo- and lipooxygenases, phospholipase A2, tyrosine kinase, reverse transcriptase, and phosphodiesterases. The complex mechanism of action of such compounds could explain, at least in part, the wide therapeutic use of the plants of the genus Phyllanthus in folk medicine. Thus, the plants of the genus Phyllanthus present potential therapeutic interest as a source of new drugs.