Obesity is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammation, which has been shown to be involved in the development of comorbidities such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and liver damage. Phytochemicals found in plants may modulate inflammation and improve health problems associated with the excess of adiposity. Teas prepared with many plants are used in Brazil for losing weight. In this study, we evaluated the potential of Rudgea viburnoides (Cham.) Benth. on metabolic and inflammatory disarrangement induced by high refined carbohydrate (HC)-containing diet in mice. BALB/c mice were fed with chow or HC diet for 8 weeks. After this period, the HC diet was supplemented for 4 weeks with three different doses, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg, of crude extract of R. viburnoides. Ethanol extract at the lowest dose (40 mg/kg) reduced adipocyte size, and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. A lower concentration of proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and CCL2 in the liver and adipose tissue, and reduced levels of cholesterol and resistin in the serum were also observed. High concentrations of chlorogenic and caffeic acids, and the flavonoids, rutin and quercetin, were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detector. Therefore, these data confirm the potential of R. viburnoides leaves as nutraceutical agents for the treatment of metabolic and inflammatory changes associated with obesity.
Inflammation/prevention & control , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Rubiaceae , Adipose Tissue/drug effects , Adipose Tissue/metabolism , Animals , Dietary Carbohydrates , Dietary Supplements , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Obesity, Abdominal/prevention & control , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plant Leaves
Brazil has the greatest vegetal biodiversity in the world, but products derived from native species are not optimally utilized. Oxalis cordata and Xylopia aromatica are two underutilized species whose leaves and fruits, respectively, have been used as food in the 19th century. In this study, we used chemical and in vitro assays to evaluate the potential of these species as functional foods. The inhibitory activity on pancreatic lipase and DPP-IV were evaluated using the crude extracts and fractions ethyl acetate, butanol and water of these two species. For polyphenols determination, samples were prepared with different solvents and these were analysed by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Finally, fatty acids profile was determinated by gas chromatography. The crude extract (IC50=0.84mg/ml), ethyl acetate extract (IC50=0.88mg/ml) an aqueous fraction (IC50=0.63mg/ml) of C. cordata were inhibitory on pancreatic lipase but inactive against dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV). Extracts from X. aromatica were inactive against the lipase pancreatic enzyme, but a butanolic fraction inhibited DPP-IV (IC50=0.71±0.05mg/ml). The phenolic acids orientin/isorientin, chlorogenic acid (0.32g/100g) and the flavonoid derivatives rutin (0.27g/100g), quercetin and luteolin were observed in all products. Additionally, fatty acid quantification showed that oleic (7.5g/100g) and linoleic acid (6.5g/100g) were predominant in X. aromatica fruit. This study confirms the potential for the use of both plants as functional foods due to their nutritional value, biological activity and important phytochemical content.
Anti-Obesity Agents/pharmacology , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/pharmacology , Functional Food/analysis , Lipase/antagonists & inhibitors , Nutritive Value , Oxalidaceae/chemistry , Pancreas/enzymology , Xylopia/chemistry , Anti-Obesity Agents/chemistry , Anti-Obesity Agents/isolation & purification , Brazil , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemistry , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/isolation & purification , Fruit/chemistry , Grassland , Lipase/isolation & purification , Lipase/metabolism , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Solvents/chemistry
Roots of Smilax species (Smilacaceae), named as salsaparrilha, have been used for centuries in Asia and Americas as depurative (=for "cleaning blood"), diuretic and sudorific. In southeast of Brazil, roots of Herreria salsaparrilha Mart. (Agavaceae) are also named as salsaparrilha and are used for the same purpose. In this study, we have evaluated the antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic effects of extracts from roots of Smilax brasiliensis and H. salsaparrilha in mice fed with high-refined carbohydrate diet (HC). The chemical composition of the products was determined by LC-DAD and LC-MS. Groups of mice that received the HC diet showed an increase in plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides and total cholesterol, compared to control group, without treatment (p<0.05). Triglycerides were reduced significantly (p<0.05) in HC diet group that received 100 and 200mg/kg BW/day of both salsaparrilha extracts. Glucose and total cholesterol levels were reduced significantly (p<0.05) in the groups that received the higher doses (200mg/kg BW/day) of both extracts of salsaparrilha. Extracts of S. brasiliensis, at this dose also showed a higher reduction in triglycerides levels (p<0.001) and promoted a significant reduction in the adipocyte area (p<0.05). Both extracts showed the presence of saponins in LC analysis but S. brasiliensis has a higher concentration of phenolics, mainly chlorogenic acid. The presence of steroidal saponins might be responsible for the reduction of the cholesterol levels, while phenolics in S. brasiliensis by the metabolism of triglycerides and better fat distribution. The result is according with the traditional use of these plants and shown their potential for use as functional foods.
