Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell) Brenan: Ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan is an endemic tree to South America and different parts of it are used by the population for the treatment of various diseases, as well as in indigenous rituals. This species has high pharmacological potential but may present toxic potential due to the presence of psychotropic compounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: To review published studies with the species A. colubrina regarding ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects, as well as discuss perspectives for new research and protection of this species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was performed by accessing published articles on databases such as: PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, Scopus, Taylor and Francis online, Springer Link, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), ACS Publications, Chemspider and Google Scholar. The keywords used were: "Anadenanthera colubrina" or "Mimosa colubrina" or "Piptadenia colubrina" or "Piptadenia macrocarpa" or "Piptadenia grata" or "Anadenanthera macrocarpa" and "medicinal plants" or "pharmacological" or "phytochemicals" or "traditional use" or "toxicological" or "ethnobotanical" or "pre-clinical trial" or "clinical". Articles found by database searches and search engines were screened at four stages: (i) title screening, (ii) locality screening, (iii) abstract screening, and (iv) full text. Other articles found through supplementary searches were screened in the full text whenever available. Each article was assessed by three reviewers at the title and abstract screening stages, except for those found in Portuguese databases that were assessed by the native reviewer. RESULTS: This robust tree has been popularly useful for agroeconomic, medicinal and as a hallucinogen in religious rituals. According to the published studies, the main parts of the plant are the bark and seeds that are mostly used for respiratory conditions and as entheogens, respectively. It is a rich traditional herbal medicine with many pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antidiarrheal, wound healing, antimicrobial, antitumoral, antioxidant, antiaddictive, insecticide and allelopathic that were described in in vitro and in vivo assays, and approximately 56 compounds were identified, suggesting a therapeutic potential for this species. Although most relate to medicinal uses, these are preliminaries and do not show the mechanism of action. The phytochemical assays showed the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids and alkaloids. Some of the compounds are anadanthoflavone, which is exclusive to this species, and no pharmacological or toxicological studies have yet demonstrated this compound. Another important compound is bufotenine which was isolated from seeds and is related to hallucinogenic and antiviral activity. The extracts made from leaves, bark, gum, and fruits appear to be safe, according to both in vivo and in vitro toxicology testing, which all shown low toxicity. Due to the presence of bufotenine in the seeds, it can be toxic, however, it was not found in toxicological assays with the seed extracts. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, part of the studies confirms the popular use of A. colubrina, however, more assays with isolated compounds and with the different extracts are necessary to corroborate other uses and the mechanism of action of their pharmacological effects needs to discuss in more detail. Therefore, the present review would be identified the gaps and suggests further studies oriented to validate the popular use. Thus, it must be noted that the use of this species must be controlled in order to minimize the environmental impact, as most of the pharmacological potential was shown with the bark and seeds. Due to its wide use in folk medicine, it is part of the Brazilian medicinal species with priority for conservation.

Anadenanthera colubrina (Fabaceae) logs in the Atlantic Forest biome: first host plant for Thoracibidion lineatocolle (Col: Cerambycidae) and a new host for Temnopis megacephala (Col: Cerambycidae) / Troncos de Anadenanthera colubrina (Fabaceae) no bioma da Mata Atlântica: primeira planta hospedeira de Thoracibidion lineatocolle (Col: Cerambycidae) e uma nova planta hospedeira para Temnopis megacephala (Col: Cerambycidae)

Wood-boring beetles develop in live trees and dead wood, performing ecological services such as decomposition and regulation of forest resources. Species of the Cerambycidae family, widely distributed in the world, bore into the trunks of trees and dead wood in native and cultivated areas. The objective is to report the first host plant for Thoracibidion lineatocolle (Thomson, 1865) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and a new host plant for Temnopis megacephala (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. Three logs, with one-meter-long by 20 cm in diameter, were cut from the trunk of a healthy Anadenanthera colubrina (Fabaceae) tree in October 2013 and tied in the understory at 1.5m high in the Rio Doce State Park, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The logs, exposed in the forest, were each removed after 40, 80 and 120 days and stored individually in a cardboard box in the "Laboratório de Campo do Projeto de Ecologia de Longa Duração (PELD-CNPq)" in the Rio Doce State Park. A total of 94 individuals of T. lineatocolle and 228 of T. megacephala emerged from the A. colubrina logs. This is the first report of a host plant for T. lineatocolle and a new host plant for T. megacephala.

Besouros broqueadores se desenvolvem em árvores vivas e madeira morta, realizando serviços ecológicos como decomposição e regulação de recursos da floresta. Espécies da família Cerambycidae, amplamente distribuídas no mundo, perfuram o caule de árvores e madeira morta em áreas nativas e cultivadas. O objetivo é relatar a primeira planta hospedeira de Thoracibidion lineatocolle (Thomson, 1865) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) e uma nova planta hospedeira para Temnopis megacephala (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) no bioma da Mata Atlântica brasileira. Três toras, com um metro de comprimento por 20 cm de diâmetro, foram cortadas de uma árvore sadia de Anadenanthera colubrina (Fabaceae) em outubro de 2013 e amarradas no sub-bosque a 1,5m de altura no Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. As toras, expostas na floresta, foram removidas, cada uma, após 40, 80 e 120 dias e armazenadas, individualmente, em caixas de papelão no "Laboratório de Campo do Projeto de Ecologia de Longa Duração (PELD-CNPq)" no Parque Estadual do Rio Doce. Um total de 94 indivíduos de T. lineatocolle e 228 de T. megacephala emergiu das toras de A. colubrina. Esse é o primeiro registro de uma planta hospedeira para T. lineatocolle e o de uma nova planta hospedeira para T. megacephala.

Two new bioactive triterpenoids from the roots of Colubrina asiatica.

Two new ceanothane triterpenes, 3,7-O,O-dibenzoyl ceanothic acid methylester (1) and 3-O-acetyl-7-O-benzoyl ceanothic acid methylester (2), along with nine known compounds (3-11), were isolated from the roots of Colubrina asiatica. The isolated compounds were identified by spectroscopic evidence. Compounds 1 and 2 showed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 values of 4.67 and 3.07 µg/mL, respectively. Compound 2 also showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC 6.25 µg/mL). In addition, compounds 1, 2, 10 and 11 showed cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines (KB, NCI-H187 and MCF-7) with IC50 values ranging from 8.32 to 46.72 µg/mL.

Interrogation of ethnomedicinal plants for synthetic lethality effects in combination with deficiency in the DNA repair endonuclease RAD1 using a yeast cell-based assay.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Plant materials used in this study were selected based on the ethnobotanical literature. Plants have either been utilized by Thai practitioners as alternative treatments for cancer or identified to exhibit anti-cancer properties. AIM OF THE STUDY: To screen ethnomedicinal plants using a yeast cell-based assay for synthetic lethal interactions with cells deleted for RAD1, the yeast homologue of human ERCC4 (XPF) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethanolic extracts from thirty-two species of medicinal plants utilized in Thai traditional medicine were screened for synthetic lethal/sick interactions using a yeast cell-based assay. Cell growth was compared between the parental strain and rad1∆ yeast following exposure to select for specific toxicity of plant extracts. Candidate extracts were further examined for the mode of action using genetic and biochemical approaches. RESULTS: Screening a library of ethanolic extracts from medicinal plants identified Bacopa monnieri and Colubrina asiatica as having synthetic lethal effects in the rad1∆ cells but not the parental strain. Synthetic lethal effects for B. monneiri extracts were more apparent and this plant was examined further. Genetic analysis indicates that pro-oxidant activities and defective excision repair pathways do not significantly contribute to enhanced sensitivity to B. monneiri extracts. Exposure to B. monneiri extracts resulted in nuclear fragmentation and elevated levels of ethidium bromide staining in rad1∆ yeast suggesting promotion of an apoptosis-like event. Growth inhibition also observed in the human Caco-2 cell line suggesting the effects of B. monnieri extracts on both yeast and human cells may be similar. CONCLUSIONS: B. monneiri extracts may have utility in treatment of colorectal cancers that exhibit deficiency in ERCC4 (XPF).

Chemical constituents and biological activities from branches of Colubrina asiatica.

Sixteen compounds were isolated from a Thai medicinal plant, Colubrina asiatica. The isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods (IR, 1D and 2D NMR) as six triterpene acids (1-6), five steroids (7-11), one benzoic acid derivative (12), two peptides (13 and 14), one sesquiterpenoid (15) and one jujubogenin (16). Compounds 3 and 10 showed antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Compound 5 showed antimycobacterial activity. Moreover, compounds 3, 5, 6, 10 and 14 exhibited weak cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines. Compounds 1-15 have been isolated for the first time from this plant.

Uso de protetor físico na semeadura direta para recuperação de áreas degradadas / Use of physical protector in tillage for recovery of degraded areas

A semeadura direta apresenta-se como uma técnica viável economicamente e de fácil implantação para recuperação de áreas degradadas, no entanto problemas na emergência e crescimento inicial das plântulas são fatores limitantes para sua aplicação. Portanto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência do uso de protetor físico na emergência e crescimento inicial de três espécies arbóreas, Anadenanthera colubrina, Leucaena leucocephala e Sena pendula. Para a proteção das espécies foram utilizados copos plásticos de 400 mL com o fundo removido, sendo que, no período de 45 dias foram avaliadas a emergência, sobrevivência e altura das plântulas. Observou-se que, a utilização de protetor físico não foi significativo para a sobrevivência e emergência das espécies estudadas, porém o crescimento inicial em altura das plantas apresentou melhores resultados nas sementes com protetores quando comparadas às sem proteção, para as espécies L. leucocephala e A. colubrina. Pode-se concluir que, dispensa-se o uso de protetor para aumentar a emergência e sobrevivência das espécies em estudo, mas este é indicado quando deseja-se obter um maior incremento em altura.

The direct seeding is presented as an economically viable technique for easy deployment and recovery of degraded areas, however problems in the emergence and early seedling growth are limiting factors for their application. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using physical protector in the emergence and early growth of three tree species, Anadenanthera colubrine, Leucaena leucocephala e Sena pendula. For the protection of the species used were 400 mL plastic cups with the bottom removed, and, within 45 days were examined emergence, survival and seedling height. It was observed that the use of physical protector was not significant for the survival and emergence of the species, but the initial growth of plant height showed the best results with floating seeds when compared to no protection for the species L. leucocephala and A. colubrina. It can be concluded that dismissal is the use of protective emergency and to increase the survival of the species studied, but this is indicated when it is desired to obtain a greater increase in height.

The control of hypertension by use of coconut water and mauby: two tropical food drinks / El Control de la Hipertensión Mediante el uso del Agua de Coco y el Mauby: Dos Bedidas Tropicales Naturales

In this study, the authors investigated the effect of regular consumption of two tropical food drinks, coconut (Cocos nucifera) water and mauby (Colubrina arborescens), on the control of hypertension. Twenty-eight hypertensive subjects were assigned to four equal groups and their systolic and diastolic blood pressures recorded for two weeks before and then for another two weeks while receiving one of four interventions. One group (the control) received bottled drinking water, the second group received coconut water, the third received mauby and the fourth group, a mixture of coconut water and mauby. Significant decreases in the mean systolic blood pressure were observed for 71, 40 and 43 respectively of the groups receiving the coconut water, mauby and the mixture (p < or = 0.05). For these groups, the respective proportions showing significant decreases in the mean diastolic pressure were 29, 40 and 57. For the group receiving the mixture, the largest decreases in mean systolic and mean diastolic pressure were 24 mmHg and 15 mmHg respectively; these were approximately double the largest values seen with the single interventions

En el presente estudio, los autores investigaron el efecto del consume regular de dos bebidas tropicales naturales: el agua de coco (Cocos nucifera) y el mauby (Colubrina arborescens) sobre el control de la hipertensión. A veintiocho sujetos hipertensos asignados a cuatro grupos iguales, se les hizo un registro de su presión sanguínea sistólica y diastólica por espacio de dos semanas antes, y luego otras dos semanas mientras que recibían una de cuatro intervenciones. Un grupo (de control) recibió agua mineral embotellada; un segundo grupo recibió agua de coco; un tercer grupo recibió mauby; y finalmente el cuarto grupo recibió una bebida mixta de agua de coco y mauby. Se observaron disminuciones significativas de la presión sistólica media en el 71%, el 40% y el 43% respectivamente, de los grupos que recibieron el agua de coco, el mauby, y la bebida combinada (p ≤ 0.05). Para estos grupos, las proporciones respectivas que mostraron disminuciones significativas de la presión diastólica media fueron 29%, 40% y 57%. Para el grupo que recibió la bebida mixta, las disminuciones mayores en las presiones medias sistólica y diastólica fueron 24 mmHg y 15 mmHg respectivamente - aproximadamente el doble de los valores observados en cada una de las intervenciones.