ABSTRACT
RESUMO: O presente estudo descreve as características morfo-anatômicas dos órgãos vegetativos e do pó da Piper ovatum Vahl de modo que os dados obtidos possam ser utilizados como referência em análises de controle de qualidade de amostras de fármacos, a fim de verificar sua autenticidade. As raízes, caules, pecíolos e folhas foram fixadas, seccionadas à mão livre e coradas, as secções transversais e paradérmicas foram analisadas por microscopia óptica e a superfície do limbo foi observada, também, por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os órgãos vegetativos da P. ovatum apresentam morfologia e anatomia similar às outras espécies de Piper. No entanto, não foram observadas inclusões celulares nas folhas de P. ovatum. Análises por MEV mostraram a presença de tricomas glandulares constituídos de pedúnculo unicelular e porção secretora globóide igualmente unicelular recoberto por cutícula, na epiderme abaxial das folhas. Também foi observada a presença de uma cutícula espessa e que origina crostas no limite entre uma célula e outra, em ambas as superfícies foliares. No mesófilo foi observada a presença de idioblastos oleíferos característica marcante de outras espécies de Piperaceae. Além disso, na microscopia do pó foram observados hipoderme e idioblastos oleíferos em fragmentos do limbo, fragmentos de fibras esclerenquimáticas do caule, além de células esclerosas isoladas ou em grupos no pecíolo. O perfil cromatográfico do extrato hidroetanólico das folhas de P. ovatum foi obtido por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE). Nas análises por CLAE foram identificados como substâncias majoritárias do extrato as amidas piperovatina e piperlonguminina nos tempos de retenção de 10,25 e 10,81 min., respectivamente.
ABSTRACT: The present study describes the morphological and anatomical characteristics of vegetative organs and powder of the Piper ovatum Vahl, in order to use the obtained data as reference in the quality control tests of pharmaceutical samples, investigating their authenticity. The roots, stems, petioles and leaves were fixed, freehand sectioned and stained according to usual microtechniques. The transverse and paradermal sections were analyzed by optical microscopy and the leaf surface was also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The vegetative organs of the P. ovatum show morphology and anatomy similar to other species of Piper. However, cellular inclusions were not observed in the P. ovatum leaves. The SEM analysis showed the presence of glandular trichomes consisting of a unicellular stalk and globular secretory portion covered by cuticle on the abaxial surface of the leaves. The SEM also had shown one thick cuticle forming crusts in the limit of the epidermal cells, on both leaf surfaces. In the mesophyll, we observed oil idioblasts, which are typical features of other species of Piperaceae. Moreover, in the powder of the P. ovatum we observed hypodermis and oil idioblasts in leaf fragments, fragments of sclerenchyma fibers from the stem and isolated sclereids or in petiole groups. The chromatographic profile of the hydroethanolic extract of the P. ovatum leaves was obtained by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this analysis, we identified the amides piperovatine and piperlonguminine in the retention times of 10.25 and 10.81 min., respectively, as majority compounds present in the extract.
Subject(s)
Piperaceae/anatomy & histology , Quality Control , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/instrumentation , Chromatography, Liquid/methodsABSTRACT
This study evaluated the wound healing effects of topical application of an emulsion containing the HPLC-standardised extract from Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess (Clusiaceae) leaves in rats. The macroscopic analysis demonstrated that the wounds treated with the C. brasiliense emulsion healed earlier than the wounds treated with emulsion base and Dersani®. The percentage of wound healing in the group treated with the C. brasiliense emulsion was significantly higher than in the other groups at 7 and 14 days. On day 14, the animals treated with the C. brasiliense emulsion exhibited a 90.67% reduction of the wound areas. The histological evaluation revealed that on day 21, the group treated with the C. brasiliense emulsion exhibited a significant increase in fibroblasts compared with the other groups. Thus, the C. brasiliense emulsion had healing properties in the topical treatment of wounds and accelerated the healing process.
Subject(s)
Calophyllum/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Skin/drug effects , Wound Healing/drug effects , Administration, Cutaneous , Animals , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Emulsions , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Male , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
An essential oil was recently extracted from the leaves and flowers of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and tested for in-vitro activity against Leishmania amazonensis and murine macrophages (i.e. the J774G8 cell line). The median inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) against L. amazonensis promastigotes was 7.8 µg/ml whereas the survival of amastigotes of this pathogen, within peritoneal murine macrophages, was halved by treatment with the oil at 6.5 µg/ml. The mean value for the median cytotoxic concentration of the oil, measured against adherent (uninfected) J774G8 macrophages, was 72.0 µg/ml (i.e. 9.2 and 11.0 times higher, respectively, than the IC(50) against the promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the oil caused morphological changes in the treated parasites, including alterations in their shape and size. In transmission electron microscopy, promastigotes treated with the oil (at the IC(50) of 7.8 µg/ml) showed various ultrastructural alterations, including changes in the flagellar membrane, abnormal membrane structures, rupture of the plasma membrane, atypical vacuoles, myelin-like figures, and vesicles that resembled autophagic vacuoles.
