Levantamento etnofarmacológico e identificação botânica de plantas medicinais em comunidades assistidas por um serviço de saúde / Ethnopharmacological survey and botanical identification of medicinal plants in two communities served by a health service

Objetivos: Levantamento etnofarmacológico sobre o uso de plantas medicinais empregadas no tratamento de transtornos menores de saúde em comunidades assistidas por um serviço de saúde, e avaliar a capacidade da população em identificar corretamente as espécies botânicas utilizadas. Métodos: Estudo transversal com entrevistas nas residências de moradores dos bairros Dehon e Morrotes, do município de Tubarão, para coleta de informações sobre o uso das mesmas. Seguiu-se coleta de amostras das plantas indicadas pela população, para confirmação da espécie botânica. Resultados: Entrevistou-se 267 sujeitos que mencionaram o uso de 84 espécies de plantas para o tratamento de 1.328 diferentes transtornos menores de saúde. O boldo foi a planta mais citada (12,5%, n= 166), seguida de guaco (8,7%, n= 116) e limoeiro (5,7%, n= 74). Resfriado (71,9%), problemas de digestão (64,8%) e tosse (54,7%) foram as desordens com maior indicação de uso de plantas. Cinco das plantas mais citadas foram avaliadas botanicamente, resultando na identificação de espécies, sendo que apenas uma delas (CAMOMILA) houve 100,0% de correlação entre a espécie indicada pela população in natura e a identidade botânica. Para outras plantas como espinheira-santa, boldo e guaco estes valores foram inferiores, alcançando o valor mínimo de 25,0% para a malva. Conclusão: Observou-se grande utilização de plantas medicinais na população estudada, com boa correlação entre o emprego indicado por esta e suas propiedades biológicas. No entanto, houve grande variabilidade entre as espécies indicadas in natura e a identidade botânica das mesmas.

Objective: To conduct a survey on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of minor ailments in communities served by a health service, and assess the population?s ability to identify correctly the species used. Methods: Cross-sectional study, interviews with household members of the Dehon and Morrotes neighborhoods in the municipality of Tubarão. Sample collection of plants for botanical identification. Results: We interviewed 267 subjects who mentioned 84 species for 1,328 indications for the treatment of different minor ailments. Boldo was the most cited (12.5%, n = 166), followed by guaco (8.7%, n = 116) and lemon tree (5.7%, n = 74). Cold (71.9%), poor digestion (64.8%) and cough (54.7%) were the disorders with major indication for the use of plants. Five of the most frequently cited plants were evaluated botanically; 12 species were identified, and only one (chamomile) had 100% correlation between species indicated in natura and that used as reference in the study; for the others (maytenus, boldo and guaco), these values were lower. Only mallow reached 25.0% of correspondence. Conclusion: A correlation was observed between the use indicated by the population for medicinal plants and their biological properties; there was a great variability among known species with the same common name.

High performance liquid chromatography determination of cucurbitacins in the roots of Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn. / Determinação de cucurbitacinas em raízes de Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn. por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência

Roots of Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn., Cucurbitaceae, used in folk medicine for treatment of rheumatic disease, are rich in cucurbitacins. Dihydrocucurbitacin B is the most abundant cucurbitacin while cucurbitacin B is a minor component. A reverse-phase HPLC system was developed for simultaneous quantitative assay of these cucurbitacins in the roots. The optimised experimental conditions were acetonitrile/H(2)0 40:60, flow-rate 1.2 mL/min., detection at 230 nm and isocratic elution. A variety of sample preparation modes were tested and the extraction with dichloromethane under reflux gave better results. The validation process included linearity, accuracy, repeatability and intermediate precision. The calibration curve of dihydrocucurbitacin B was linear from 40.00 to 400 μg/mL, the recovery was 95.5±3.01 percent, the intermediate precision was found to be 1.64 percent and the repeatability varied between 1.30 to 2.05 percent. The calibration curve of cucurbitacin B was linear from 4.00 to 240 μg/mL, intermediate precision was found to be 2.29 percent and repeatability varied between 1.03 to 2.95 percent. Analysis of the same specimen of W. ebracteata every year from 2002 to 2005 revealed a great rise on the cucurbitacin B concentration after the root was attacked by an herbivore.

Raízes de Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae), tradicionalmente empregada no tratamento de doenças reumáticas, contém cucurbitacinas, sendo di-hidrocucurbitacina B a mais abundante, enquanto cucurbitacina B está presente em menor quantidade. Foi desenvolvido um método para determinação quantitativa destas cucurbitacinas. Os parâmetros selecionados foram: eluente isocrático acetonitrila/H(2)0 40:60, fluxo 1,2 mL/min. e detecção em 230 nm. Diversas formas de preparo da amostra foram testadas, sendo que extração com diclorometano sob refluxo forneceu o melhor resultado. O processo de validação incluiu: linearidade, exatidão, repetibilidade e precisão intermediária. A curva de calibração para a di-hidrocucurbitacina B foi linear de 40.00 to 400 μg/mL, a recuperação foi 95,5±3.01 por cento, a precisão intermediária, 1,64 por cento e a repetibilidade variou entre 1,30 a 2,05 por cento. A curva de calibração da cucurbitacina B foi linear de 4,00 to 240 μg/mL, a recuperação encontrada foi igual a 96,6±2.45 por cento, a precisão intermediária, 2,29 por cento e a repetibilidade variou entre 1,03 a 2,95 por cento. Análise do mesmo espécime de W. ebracteata uma vez por ano de 2002 a 2005 revelou grande aumento no teor de cucurbitacina B após a raiz ter sido atacada por herbívoro.

Anti-inflammatory effects of a triterpenoid isolated from Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn.

Wilbrandia ebracteata (WE), a Brazilian medicinal plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, displays anti-inflammatory properties and constitutes a rich source of cucurbitacins and cucurbitacin-related compounds. The current study investigated the potential anti-inflammatory properties of Dihydrocucurbitacin B (DHCB), a cucurbitacin-derived compound isolated from roots of WE, in some in vivo and in vitro experimental models. Intraperitoneal treatment of mice with DHCB reduced both carrageenan-induced paw edema (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg caused inhibitions of 26, 44 and 56 % at 2 h after stimulation, respectively) and pleurisy (10 mg/kg inhibited leukocyte numbers and LTB(4) levels in the pleural fluid by 51 and 75% at 6 h after cavity challenge, respectively). In vitro, DHCB (up to 10 microg/mL) failed to modify LTB(4) production by human neutrophils or PGE(2) production by COS-7 cells transfected with COX-1, but PGE(2) production by COX-2 transfected COS-7 cells was markedly inhibited (by 72%). The levels of COX-1 or COX-2 proteins in IL-1alpha-stimulated NIH3T3 cells were unaffected by DHCB. The results corroborate the potential anti-inflammatory properties ascribed to W. ebracteata Cogn. in folk medicine and suggest that they might be attributed, at least in part, to the capacity of one of this plants main constituents, DHCB, to inhibit COX-2 activity (but not its expression) during inflammation.

Nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase may participate in the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of the cucurbitacins fraction from Wilbrandia ebracteata.

Wilbrandia ebracteata is a medicinal plant from South America used in folk medicine for the treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases. We have shown that the high performance liquid chromatography-characterized (HPLC) dichloromethane fraction isolated from Wilbrandia ebracteata (WEDC) inhibits the parameters observed in experimental models of inflammation in vivo and in vitro. In the present study, we extend our previous observations on the analgesic effects of WEDC by investigating its actions using the hot plate test and zymosan-induced writhing test in mice, as well as zymosan-induced arthritis in rats evaluating articular inflammatory pain, cell migration and determination of NO release into the joint exudate. The effect of WEDC on the activity of COX-1 and COX-2 in vitro and its ulcerogenic capacity in vivo were also investigated. The oral treatment of the animals with WEDC (1-10 mg/kg) produced a significant, dose-dependent reduction of articular incapacitation and abdominal contortions in the writhing test. The same effect was not observed in the hot plate and rota-rod tests. WEDC also reduced nitrite release into the zymosan-inflamed joints. In the evaluation of COX activity, we observed that WEDC was able to selectively inhibit COX-2 but not COX-1 activity in COS-7 cells. Moreover, WEDC treatment did not show gastrointestinal toxicity. Our data confirm the anti-nociceptive activities of the WEDC and indicate that this effect could be associated with inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide release. The effects could be attributed to cucurbitacins since several of these were isolated from the WEDC.