Phytochemical study of the plant species Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae) and Croton floccosus (Euphorbiaceae).

Background: Given the chemical richness of medicinal plants ( Bidens pilosa L. and Croton floccosus) in Ecuador, they are considered the natural source of numerous medicines. Methods: The leaves were dried at 40°C and 50°C and the extracts were characterized by means of phytochemical screening, verifying the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, reducing sugars, phenols, flavonoids, tannins and saponins. Three extraction processes were carried out, with two solvents of different polarities: hexane and ethanol. The extraction methods that were applied to the leaves of the plants were Soxhlet, ultrasonic bath and maceration, the latter two at room temperature and Soxhlet at the boiling temperature of the solvent. Determination of the total content of phenols and flavonoids is carried out using the Follin-Ciocalteau colorimetric reaction, Quercetin standard, Aluminum Chloride solution measured with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The antioxidant activity was performed with the DPPH radical and measured with the same equipment. Results: The highest content of total phenols obtained by employing the Soxhlet method for extraction when the material was dried at 50°C was 48.609 ± 0.370 mg GAE/g of dry sample for Bidens pilosa L. while in the case of Croton floccosus it was 128.212 ± 0.601 mg GAE/g of dry sample obtained from the extraction by means of maceration. Finally, the antioxidant activity against the 1.1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical was determined, and it was found that the Bidens pilosa L. species performed better and responded better to the test, with an IC 50 value of 239.33 µg/mL, than Croton floccosus (IC 50 of 644.125 µg/mL). Conclusions: The following preliminary phytochemical study of the Bidens pilosa L. and Croton floccosus plants provided important information on the content of secondary metabolites and response to the DPPH radical reported for the first time in Ecuador, which may be future use for medicinal application.

Efecto hipoglucémico del extracto acuoso de Chuquiraga jussieui J.F. Gmel en ratas con diabetes inducida / Hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract from Chuquiraga jussieui J.F. Gmel in rats with induced diabetes

Introducción: la Chuquiraga Jussieui J.F. Gmel es una planta silvestre que crece en los Andes ecuatorianos y es utilizada ampliamente por las culturas ancestrales y la población común como medicina folclórica, especialmente como antidiabético, antinflamatorio y febrífugo. Objetivos: evaluar el efecto hipoglucémico del extracto acuoso de la Chuquiraga jussieui, en ratas con diabetes inducida. Métodos: para la determinación del efecto hipoglucémico, se utilizaron ratas de la línea isogénica Wistar con hiperglicemia inducida. Se trabajó con 6 grupos (control normal sin tratamiento, control hiperglicémico con estreptozotocina, control hiperglicémico tratado con fármaco hipoglucemiante glibenclamida, y 3 concentraciones del extracto acuoso 100, 200 y 400 mg/kg de peso corporal, del extracto de Chuquiraga jussieui. Los resultados fueron evaluados estadísticamente, mediante pruebas de distribución normal con el test de Shapiro wilk y homogeneidad de varianza por el test de Levene, análisis de varianza entre los grupos y comparaciones múltiples (Tukey). Resultados: el grupo con estreptozotocina bajo el efecto solamente de la hiperglicemia inducida y sin tratamiento alguno, mostró aumentos significativos de las medias de glicemia durante todo el tiempo del estudio; El grupo con glibenclamida presentó una disminución significativa en más de 8 mmol L-1 de diferencia, igualmente sucedió con los grupos de tres concentraciones de extracto 100, 200 y 400 mg/Kg tratados con los diferentes niveles de extracto de la planta en estúdio, y resultó mayor el contraste en el último grupo. Conclusiones: se determinó que el extracto acuoso de Chuquiraga jussieui J. F Gmel presenta efecto hipoglucemiante a partir de 400 mg Kg-1 frente a un fármaco en un modelo para diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

Introduction: Chuquiraga jussieui J.F. Gmel is a wild plant species that grows in the Ecuadorian Andes. It is broadly used by ancestral cultures and the common population as folk medicine, particularly as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. Objectives: Determine the hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract from Chuquiraga jussieui in rats with induced diabetes. Methods: Determination of the hypoglycemic effect was conducted in rats from the Wistar isogenic line with induced hyperglycemia. Six groups were formed: normal control without treatment, hyperglycemic control with streptozotocin, hyperglycemic control treated with the hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide, and aqueous extract from Chuquiraga jussieui at three concentrations (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight). Statistical assessment of results included normal distribution by the Shapiro­Wilk test, variance homogeneity by Levene's test, analysis of variance between the groups, and multiple comparisons by Tukey's tests. Results: The streptozotocin group with induced hyperglycemia and no treatment showed a significant mean glycemia increase throughout the study. The glibenclamide group showed a significant decrease of over 8 mmol/l, and so did the three extract groups (concentrations of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) treated with various volumes of extracts from the study plant, the contrast being greater in the latter group. Conclusions: It was determined that aqueous extract from Chuquiraga jussieui J.F. Gmel displays hypoglycemic activity as of 400 mg/kg versus a drug in a model for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Efecto antioxidante de la Chuquiraga jussieui J. F. Gmel en el ensayo de hemólisis / Antioxidant effect of the Chuquiraga jussieui J. F. Gmel using the hemolysis test

Se realizó la evaluación del efecto hemolítico y antioxidante del extracto acuoso de la Chuquiraga jussieui utilizando el ensayo de hemólisis del eritrocito humano producido por el dodecilsulfato de sodio. Se evaluaron cinco concentraciones del extracto (7,5, 15, 30, 60 y 120 mg/L). Se validó el efecto hemolítico producido por el dodecilsulfato en una solución que contiene eritrocitos, dodecilsulfato de sodio y solución amortiguadora fosfato salino; se obtuvo la concentración de hemoglobina en la suspensión utilizando espectroscopia ultravioleta visible, y se determinó el efecto antioxidante del extracto de Chuquiraga jussieui. Se obtuvo una concentración de hemoglobina media (CH50) del dodecilsulfato de sodio de 35,35 mg/L; mientras que para el extracto de Chuquiraga jussieui, la CI50 fue de 64,89 mg/L y la CI90 fue de 86,96 mg/L. Estos resultados sugieren la posible utilización del extracto de esta planta como antioxidante.

The evaluation of the hemolytic and antioxidant effect of the aqueous extract of C. jussieui was carried out using the hemolysis test with the human erythrocyte produced by the sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Five concentrations of the extract (7, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 mg/L) were evaluated. The hemolytic effect produced by the dodecyl sulphate was validated in a solution that contains erythrocytes, SDS and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the hemoglobin concentration was obtained in the suspension using ultraviolet- visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), the one that was used to determine the antioxidant effect of the extract of C. jussieui. The average concentration of hemoglobin (CH50) of SDS obtained was of 35,35 mg/L; while for the extract of C. jussieui, the (CI50) was of 64,89 mg/L and the (CI90) was of 86,96 mg/L. These results suggest the possible use of the extract of this plant as an antioxidant.