Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Caryocar brasiliense.

BACKGROUND: Caryocar brasiliense, popularly known as pequi, is widely distributed in the Amazon rainforest and Brazilian savannah. The fruit obtained from pequi is used in cooking and has folk use as an anti-inflammatory and for the treatment of respiratory disease. Until now, these two properties had not been scientifically demonstrated for Pequi oil in a carrageenan model. OBJECTIVE: Our group determined the composition and safe use of Pequi oil from the Savannah of Campo Grande, and the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of this pequi oil were investigated in vivo models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Doses of 300, 700, and 1000 mg/kg of Pequi oil were administered orally (p.o.) to Swiss male mice, and three parameters of inflammation (mechanical hyperalgesia, cold, hyperalgesia, and oedema) were analyzed in a carrageenan model to induce an inflammatory paw state. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The effects of Pequi oil were also carrageenan in pleurisy model, formalin, and acetic acid induced nociception. Oral administration of 1,000 mg/kg orally Pequi oil (p.o.) inhibited (*P<0.05), the migration of total leukocytes, but not alter plasma extravasation, in the pleurisy model when compared to control groups. The paw edema was inhibited with doses of 700 (P <0.05) and 1,000 mg (P<0.001) of pequi oil after 1, 2, and 4 hours after carrageenan. Pequi oil (1,000 mg/kg) also blocked the mechanical hyperalgesy and reduced cold allodynia induced by carrageenan in paw (P <0.05). Pequi oil treatment (1,000 mg/kg) almost blocked (P < 0.001) all parameters of nociception observed in formalin and acid acetic test. CONCLUSION: This is the first time that the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Pequi oil have been shown.

Bioguided Fractionation, and Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Annona cacans Warm.

This study evaluated to determine the phenolic and flavonoids contents, and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity of the hydromethanolic extracts of the leaves, pulp, and seeds of Annona cacans. The isolation and structural identification of the constituent acetogenin, phenolic acid, and flavonoids were also reported. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ß-carotene/linoleic acid methods. Cell proliferation was determined by spectrophotometric quantification of the cellular protein content using a sulforhodamine B assay. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in paw edema model, to myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity induced by carrageenan in mice. Fractionation resulted in the isolation of one acetogenin (annoreticuin-9-one), two flavonoids (quercetin-3-O-ß-glucoside-6-O-α-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3-O-ß-glucoside), and one phenolic acid (p-coumaric acid). The pulp extract presented potent antioxidant activities by the DPPH (IC50 = 44.08 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 39.32 µg/mL) methods, as well as high contents of phenols (618.95 mg GA/g) and flavonoids (477.35 mg QE/g). The bioguided fractionation demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction of the pulp extract and annoreticuin-9-one showed potent antiproliferative activity against ovarian cancer (GI50 = 6.4 µg/mL). The anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated significant inhibition of edema compared to the control group in 2 and 4 h; in addition, the extracts inhibited the increase in MPO activity after 6 h, when compared to the DEX and control groups. For the first time, this study demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity, as well as compounds isolated, suggesting that A. cacans could also be potential sources for prevention of cancer and other diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Safety Assessment of Oil from Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.): Evaluation of the Potential Genotoxic and Clastogenic Effects.

Genotoxic data of medicinal plants and functional foods are required as part of the risk assessment by international regulatory agencies. Due to its food consumption and ethnopharmacological relevance, pequi oil (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) is one of these compounds to be studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and clastogenic effects of the oil from the pulp of C. brasiliense (OPCB) in vivo and in vitro. Initially, the Artemia salina in vitro assay was conducted to determine the cells viability rate of different doses of the OPCB. Subsequently, comet assay (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD 489) and micronucleus test (OECD 474) were performed in blood and bone marrow of Wistar rats treated orally with a 125, 250, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/bw of the OPCB for 4 weeks. The chemical analysis indicated the presence of ß-carotene and lycopene in the oil. In the A. salina test, all OPCB doses maintained cell viability rates statistically similar to the negative control. The in vivo tests performed showed that OPCB did not show significant genotoxic or clastogenic effects in cells analyzed with the four doses tested. Altogether, these results indicate that, under our experimental conditions, C. brasiliense fruit oil did not reveal genetic toxicity in rat cells.

Seed and peel essential oils obtained from Campomanesia adamantium fruit inhibit inflammatory and pain parameters in rodents.

Campomanesia adamantium (Myrtaceae) is popularly known as "gabiroba" and has been used in folk medicine as antirheumatic, antidiarrheal, hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities and toxicology of essential oils from peel (EOP) and seed (EOS) of C. adamantium fruits in animal models. Different groups were treated with doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg and the inflammatory parameters were evaluated in carrageenan induced paw oedema and leukocyte migration in pleurisy model, while antinociceptive activity was evaluated using formalin method in rodents. The major constituent of EOP and EOS was limonene with 13.07% and 20.89%, respectively. No clinical signs of toxicity have been observed in animals. It was observed a significant decreased (P<0.01) in leukocyte migration at the dose of 300 mg/kg of EOP and EOS, with maximal inhibition of 89±3% for EOP and 80±6% for EOS. Paw oedema was inhibited at all times, and maximal inhibition was at the dose of 100 mg/kg at 2 h after carrageenan injection with 72±2% for EOP and 74±2% for EOS. EOS and EOP also reduced the first and second phases of formalin-induced nociception test. In the first formalin-phase, maximal inhibitions were at 48±5% for EOP and 66±4% for EOS (300 mg/kg). At the inflammatory phase induced by formalin, maximal inhibitions were 72±2% for EOP and 80±2% for EOS at the dose of 100 mg/kg. Seed and peel essential oils from C. adamantium fruit inhibited leukocyte migration, inflammatory and neurogenic pain and oedema suggesting their use as nutraceutical or pharmacological agent.

Antiobesity Effects of Hydroethanolic Extract of Jacaranda decurrens Leaves.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that reduces life expectancy; therefore, the search for new alternative and effective treatments is ongoing. The aim of the present investigation was to identify the chemical compounds in the hydroethanolic extract of leaves of Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata and to evaluate their toxicity and antiobesity effects. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to identify the chemical constituents, and acute toxicity was evaluated in rats treated with doses of 2 and 5 g·kg-1 body mass. The antiobesity effect was determined in rats with hypercaloric diet-induced obesity. Our results revealed the presence of compounds, such as jacaric, ursolic, and oleic acids, as well as luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol, in the extract. The acute toxicity tests revealed that rats treated with elevated doses of the extract showed no signs of toxicity. The extract induced reduction in total body mass and the white adipose tissue depots. The obese rats treated with the extract showed an increased fluid intake and feces excretion while their serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased compared to those in the controls, without any hematological changes. Taken together, the results showed that the constituents of J. decurrens extracts included phenolic compounds and exhibited antiobesity effects with no toxicity.

Influence of osmotic dehydration on ascorbic acid loss in pickled dry peppers (Capsicum chinense)

The objective of this work was (1) to develop a dehydrated pepper with 45% humidity, determining the drying curves for pepper, with and without osmotic pre-treatment and (2) to evaluate the influence of both drying and osmotic treatment on the content ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in fresh pepper and pepper with 45% humidity. The experiments were carried out using the peppers cut in half, with and without osmotic pre-treatment, followed by drying in an oven at 70 ºC. The results showed that the osmotic pretreatment did not influence the retention of ascorbic acid during the drying of pepper. The sensory analysis regarding the color, flavor, and texture attributes revealed that there was no difference in the acceptability.