ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tropaeolum majus L. (Tropaeolaceae) is a medicinal herb popularly used in Brazil for treatment of inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Despite some published data on its efficacy, there are still few toxicological data describing the safety of this plant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the (anti)estrogenic and (anti)androgenic activity of the hydroethanolic extract obtained from Tropaeolum majus L. (HETM), as well as its possible effects on uterine contractility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three experimental protocols were performed, (a) uterotrophic assay, (b) Hershberger assay and (c) an ex vivo test to investigate the effects of maternal administration of HETM on uterine contractility at the end of pregnancy. In all protocols three doses of the HETM were administered to Wistar rats: 3, 30 and 300mg/kg. RESULTS: In vivo tests for detection of (anti)androgenic and (anti)estrogenic activities did not show any significant alterations. Similarly, no alterations were observed on uterine contractility induced by oxytocin and arachidonic acid. CONCLUSIONS: HETM was unable to produce (anti)estrogenic or (anti)androgenic activities in the short-term in vivo screening assays performed. In addition, there was no evidence that HETM can affect uterine contractility following gestational exposure of rats.
Subject(s)
Androgen Antagonists/pharmacology , Androgens/pharmacology , Estrogen Receptor Modulators/pharmacology , Estrogens/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Tropaeolaceae , Uterine Contraction/drug effects , Androgen Antagonists/administration & dosage , Androgen Antagonists/isolation & purification , Androgens/administration & dosage , Androgens/isolation & purification , Animals , Estrogen Receptor Modulators/administration & dosage , Estrogen Receptor Modulators/isolation & purification , Estrogens/administration & dosage , Estrogens/isolation & purification , Ethanol/chemistry , Female , Gestational Age , Male , Maternal Exposure , Orchiectomy , Oxytocics/pharmacology , Penis/drug effects , Penis/growth & development , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plants, Medicinal , Pregnancy , Prostate/drug effects , Prostate/growth & development , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Seminal Vesicles/drug effects , Seminal Vesicles/growth & development , Solvents , Tropaeolaceae/chemistry , Uterus/drug effects , Uterus/growth & developmentABSTRACT
Compounds 1-6 were isolated from the AcOEt soluble fraction of leaves of the Brazilian medicinal plant, Cordia multispicata, and their structures were elucidated to be 3beta,25-epoxy-21beta-acetoxy-3alpha,22beta-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-al (1), 3beta,25-epoxy-28-acetoxy-3alpha,21beta,22beta-trihydroxyurs-12-ene (2), 21beta-acetoxy-22beta-hydroxy-3-oxours-12-en-28-al (3), 28-acetoxy-6beta, 21beta,22beta-trihydroxy-3-oxours-12-ene (4), 21beta,22beta-dihydroxy-3-oxours-1 2-en-28-al (5) and 3beta,21beta,22beta-trihydroxyurs-I2-en-28-al (6), respectively, by means of spectral data, especially two dimensional NMR techniques. Triterpenes having the hemiketal structure at the A-ring, an acyloxy group at C-22 and/or ketone at C-3 showed potent anti-androgenic activity.
Subject(s)
Androgen Antagonists/chemistry , Androgen Antagonists/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Triterpenes/chemistry , Triterpenes/pharmacology , 3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/metabolism , 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors , Androgen Antagonists/isolation & purification , Brazil , Flavonoids/chemistry , Flavonoids/isolation & purification , Flavonoids/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Triterpenes/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
The isolation and structure elucidation of five novel natural Diels--Alder-type adducts, named palodesangrens A-E (1-5), from the Peruvian folk medicine known as "palo de sangre" (Brosimum rubescens) is described. The structures of the Diels--Alder adducts, consisting of chalcone derivatives and a prenylcoumarin, were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data including 2D NMR. Some of these compounds showed potent inhibitory activity towards 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) binding with an androgen receptor to form a DHT-receptor complex that causes androgen-dependent diseases.