Hypolipidemic and reduced nitrergic effects of p-hydroxycinnamic diesters extracted from Copernicia prunifera in mice challenged by a high-fat diet.

Dyslipidemia is a chronic non-transmissible condition that has increased due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Statins have been used as the standard treatment to control hyperlipidemia. However, side effects and high costs may be associated with its prolonged treatment, so plants derivatives have been an attractive therapy to overcome these problems. Among the compounds extracted from plants, the p-hydroxycinnamic diesters (HCE), present in carnauba wax (CW), have been found with good pharmacological properties. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-hypercholesterolemic and possible toxicological effects of HCE in C57BL/6J mice under a high-fat (HF) diet. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed during 60 days under the HF diet and therefore were either treated with HCE (200 and 400 mg/kg) or simvastatin (20 mg/kg) or received saline (controls) by gavage for 30 days under the same diet. HCE treatment was able to reduce serum total cholesterol and LDL levels. Besides, this compound increased liver X receptor (LXR) and but not significantly affected IL-1ß and TNF-α liver mRNA transcription activity. In conclusion, HCE treatment was found safe and may attenuate the deleterious effects of dyslipidemia due to chronic feeding with western diets.

Corrigendum to "Antihypercholesterolemic Effects of Fruit Aqueous Extract of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore in Mice Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/6376173.].

Antihypercholesterolemic Effects of Fruit Aqueous Extract of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore in Mice Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia.

The present objective of the investigation is to evaluate the antihypercholesterolemic activity of the aqueous fruit pulp extract (APE) of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae family). Various chemical characterization methods like thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR, and molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography have been employed to characterize the extracted pectin. The present study demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) created hypercholesterolemia, caused significant increases in body weight, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, and caused decreases in high-density lipoprotein in serum compared with SD group. Two doses (APE 150 and 300 mg/Kg b.w./day) were administered to hyperlipidemic mice for 90 days. APE reversed body weight changes, changed serum lipids to normal values, and significantly inhibited the changes of lipid peroxidation and inflammation in the liver tissues. The renal parameters analyzed (urea and creatinine) altered by diet were reverted to normal values. Our results revealed that aqueous fruit pulp extracts of carnauba reduced hypercholesterolemia showing a potential preventive effect against cardiovascular diseases without side effects cause.

Screening of Bioactivities and Toxicity of Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl.

The caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome, is one of the most endangered vegetation systems in the planet. To be exploited rationally, its potential needs to be scientifically demonstrated. Among these is the faveleira, used in northeastern Brazil. It stands out for its extraordinary drought resistance and medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to assess the therapeutic potential of compounds extracted from Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl in preventing disease and its rational use as a herbal therapeutic tool. The methodology began with the collection and herborization of the plant material, to obtain the chemical compounds, preliminary phytochemical analysis, and extraction of the constituents of the active extracts. To determine the biological activities the authors conducted investigation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, inhibition capacity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, and initial assessment of toxicity of the extracts. The results demonstrated great potential as an antimicrobial agent, an important antioxidant capacity, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition response with no significant difference compared with the reference drug. The authors expect to develop a new herbal product, resulting in lower production costs and that, consequently, could be commercialized in more accessible form to the population, highlighting the risk reduction of contraindication of this category of medications.

Antiviral and Antioxidant Activities of Sulfated Galactomannans from Plants of Caatinga Biome.

Dengue represents a serious social and economic public health problem; then trying to contribute to improve its control, the objective of this research was to develop phytoterapics for dengue treatment using natural resources from Caatinga biome. Galactomannans isolated from Adenanthera pavonina L., Caesalpinia ferrea Mart., and Dimorphandra gardneriana Tull were chemically sulfated in order to evaluate the antioxidant, and antiviral activities and the role in the inhibition of virus DENV-2 in Vero cells. A positive correlation between the degree of sulfation, antioxidant and antiviral activities was observed. The sulfated galactomannans showed binding to the virus surface, indicating that they interact with DENV-2. The sulfated galactomannans from C. ferrea showed 96% inhibition of replication of DENV-2 followed by D. gardneriana (94%) and A. pavonina (77%) at 25 µg/mL and all sulfated galactomannans also showed antioxidant activity. This work is the first report of the antioxidant and antiviral effects of sulfated galactomannans against DENV-2. The results are very promising and suggest that these sulfated galactomannans from plants of Caatinga biome act in the early step of viral infection. Thus, sulfated galactomannans may act as an entry inhibitor of DENV-2.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of two Spondias species from Northeastern Brazil.

CONTEXT: The leaves of Spondias tuberosa Arr. Cam. (Anacardiaceae) and Spondias mombin L. have been traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Some studies reveal their antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. OBJECTIVE: Determine the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of Spondias species to justify its ethnopharmacological use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spondias species extracts were prepared with methanol:water 80:20 and analyzed by silica gel column chromatography and reversed phase liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by scavenging the radicals 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) and measuring antimicrobial activity (agar well diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentrations). RESULTS: The HPLC analysis of Spondias extracts demonstrated the occurrence of high yield of flavonoids. Found in S. mombin were quercetin (2.36 ± 0.01 mg/g) and ellagic acid (41.56 ± 0.01 mg/g) and in S. tuberosa species rutin (53.38 ± 1.71 mg/g), quercetin (24.46 ± 0.87 mg/g), and ellagic acid (169.76 ± 0.17 mg/g). The antibacterial activity of the extracts against the various bacteria strains varied from 8.8 to 20.1 mm. MIC values from 62.5 to 125 µg/mL were satisfactory when compared with other plant products. Medium DPPH scavenging activity IC50 for Spondias extracts varied from 0.042 to 0.558 mg/mL and for ABTS from 0.089 to 0.465 mg/mL. DPPH scavenging activity for constituent ellagic acid IC50 = 0.042 mg/mL and for quercetin IC50 = 0.081 mg/mL. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The chemical study of Spondias leaf extracts showed the occurrence of quercetin, rutin and ellagic acid, substances with relevant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.