Effects of Gender and Geographical Origin on the Chemical Composition and Antiradical Activity of Baccharis myriocephala and Baccharis trimera.

This study aimed to characterize and compare essential oils and ethyl acetate fractions obtained in basic and acidic conditions from both male and female Baccharis species (Baccharis myriocephala and Baccharis trimera) from two different Brazilian regions. Samples were characterized according to their chemical compositions and antiradical activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Principal component analysis (PCA) provided a clear separation regarding the chemical composition of essential oils from the samples obtained from different regions by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with flame-ionization detection (GC-MS-FID). PCA also revealed that gender and region of plant collections did not influence the chemical composition and antiradical activity of ethyl acetate fractions, which was corroborated with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) data. High performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) identified significant quantities of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the fractions obtained in basic and acidic fractions, respectively. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that the geographical region of plant collection influenced the chemical composition of essential oils from the studied Baccharis species. Moreover, the obtained fractions were constituted by several antiradical compounds, which reinforced the usage of these species in folk medicine.

Antidepressant-like effects of fractions, essential oil, carnosol and betulinic acid isolated from Rosmarinus officinalis L.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of fractions from Rosmarinus officinalis L.: ethyl acetate 1 and 2 (AcOEt1 and 2), hexane (HEX), ethanolic (ET), and essential oil-free (EOF) fractions, as well as essential oil, the isolated compounds carnosol and betulinic acid in the tail suspension test, a predictive test of antidepressant activity. Swiss mice were acutely administered by oral route (p.o.) with fractions, essential oil or isolated compounds, 60 min before the tail suspension test or open-field test. All of them produced a significant antidepressant-like effect: AcOEt1, ET, EOF fractions and essential oil (0.1-100mg/kg, p.o); HEX (0.1-10mg/kg, p.o) and AcOEt2 fraction (0.1-1mg/kg, p.o), carnosol (0.01-0.1mg/kg, p.o.) isolated from the HEX fraction and betulinic acid (10mg/kg, p.o.), isolated from the AcOEt1 and AcOEt2 fractions. No psychostimulant effect was shown in the open-field test, indicating that the effects in the tail suspension test are specific. This study suggests that carnosol and betulinic acid could be responsible for the anti-immobility effect of extracts from R. officinalis.

Protected effect of Esenbeckia leiocarpa upon the inflammatory response induced by carrageenan in a murine air pouch model.

UNLABELLED: This study was conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of Esenbeckia leiocarpa against the inflammation caused by the carrageenan using a murine air pouch model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The effects of the crude hydroalcoholic extract (CHE), fractions (n-hexane (Hex) and ethyl acetate (AcOEt)), subfractions (polar (Pol) and nonpolar (Nonpol)), or isolated compounds (dihydrocorynantheol (DHC) and beta-sitosterol (ß-Sit)) isolated from CHE upon leukocytes, exudate, myeloperoxidase (MPO) adenosine-deaminase (ADA), nitrate/nitrite (NO(x)), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and inhibitory kappa-B-alpha (IκB-α) degradation were evaluated. The CHE, Alk, Pol, Nonpol, DHC and ß-Sit, inhibited leukocytes, exudate, MPO and ADA, NO(x), IL-1ß, and TNF-α (P<0.05). The Hex and AcOEt fractions inhibited all of the proinflammatory parameters, except the exudate. The compound DHC prevented the IκB-α degradation. CONCLUSION: E. leiocarpa possesses important anti-inflammatory properties. These inhibitory effects occurred along with the downregulation of nitric oxide, IL-1ß and TNF-α levels. The isolated compounds DHC and ß-Sit may be partially responsible for these anti-inflammatory effects.

Lotus corniculatus regulates the inflammation induced by bradykinin in a murine model of pleurisy.

This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the crude extract (CE), the fractions derived from hexane (HEX), ethyl acetate (AcOEt), n-butanol (BuOH), and aqueous (Aq) and isolated compounds (oleanolic acid or kaempferitrin) obtained from the aerial parts of Lotus corniculatus var. São Gabriel in mice with bradykinin-induced pleurisy. Swiss mice were used for the In Vivo experiments. Inflammatory parameters [leukocytes; exudate concentrations; myeloperoxidase and adenosine-deaminase activities, and nitric oxide and interleukin-17 levels] were evaluated 4 h after pleurisy induction. The crude extract of Lotus corniculatus, its derived fractions, and isolated compounds inhibited leukocytes and the exudate. This inhibitory effect was associated with decreased of myeloperoxidase and adenosine-deaminase activities, nitric oxide products, and IL-17A levels. Lotus corniculatus presented important anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting leukocyte influx and exudate concentrations. This effect was directly related to the inhibition of nitric oxide and interleukinin17 levels. Oleanolic acid and kaempferitrin can account for these anti-inflammatory effects.