A review on the anti-inflammatory activities of Brazilian green, brown and red propolis.

Humanity has used propolis since ancient times, and its use as a food supplement has significantly increased. Several reports on propolis´ biological activity and toxicity have highlighted its anti-inflammatory properties, unlike many natural food supplements. This review addresses the anti-inflammatory roles of Brazilian green, brown, and red propolis produced by Apis mellifera, their extracts, isolated compounds, and their mode of action. Despite advances in anti-inflammatory therapies, the development of inflammatory processes in several diseases has been a concern for centuries. Demands for new anti-inflammatory drugs have led to studies on propolis products as diet components to treat and prevent inflammatory disorders. Brazilian green, brown, and red propolis are alternatives for obtaining extracts and compounds of valuable anti-inflammatory properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Currently, propolis is a food supplement, and to the best of our knowledge, several studies have shown that despite advances in anti-inflammatory therapies, the inflammatory process continues to be a significant concern. However, due to the demand for new anti-inflammatory drugs, propolis products as dietary components can be used to treat and prevent inflammatory disorders.

Evaluation of lignan-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, in vivo and in silico schistosomicidal activity.

Lignan dinitrohinokinin displays important biological activities, which led to the preparation of its poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles. Kinetics analysis revealed initially slow drug release followed by a prolonged, moderate release 6 h later due to DNHK diffusion through the polymeric matrix. Molecular dynamics simulations show that DNHK molecules that interact stronger with other DNHK molecules near the PCL/DNHK surface are more difficult to dissociate from the nanoparticle. The smaller diameter nanocapsules with negative surface charge conferred good colloidal stability. The formulations showed a size distribution with monodisperse systems formation. In vivo evaluation of schistosomicidal activity against Schistosoma mansoni showed that DNHK, when incorporated into nanoparticles, caused egg number reduction of 4.2% and 28.1% at 40 mg/kg and 94.2% and 84.4% at 400 mg/kg in the liver and the spleen, respectively. The PCL nanoparticles were stable in aqueous dispersion and could be optimized to be used as a promising lignan release agent.

In vitro and in silico cytotoxicity of hinokinin-loaded PLGA microparticle systems against tumoral SiHa cells.

This work aimed to synthesize poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles containing hinokinin (HNK) and to evaluate their cytotoxic activity against tumoral SiHa cells and non-tumoral HaCaT cells. Hinokinin was incorporated into PLGA (PLGA-HNK) with an encapsulation efficiency of 84.18 ± 2.32%. PLGA and PLGA-HNK were characterized by SEM microscopy and showed spherical morphology with an average size of ∼3.33. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by a calibration curve using UV-vis spectroscopy. PLGA-HNK more active inhibiting proliferation of SiHa cells (IC50 = 14.68 µM) than free HNK (IC50 = 225.5 µM). In relation to HaCaT cells, PLGA-HNK showed no significant difference compared to the negative control. These results led to an increase in HNK bioavailability and thereby, biological activity. In silico prediction analysis suggests that HNK is cytotoxic against SiHa cells with E6 and MDM2 inhibition as possible main mechanism of action.

Hypoglycemic effect of rosmarinic acid-rich infusion (RosCE) from Origanum vulgare in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Origanum vulgare, known for its medicinal value, is officially accepted in many countries. The flowers and leaves are used globally in homeopathy. In Brazilian folk medicine, O. vulgare has been used to treat diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the hypoglycemic activity of an infusion extract (RosCE) of commercially available O. vulgare leaves in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of RosCE resulted in the reduction of blood glucose levels after the first day of treatment, compared to the diabetic control group. These results showed that RosCE displays hypoglycemic activity, which may be due to the combined effect of rosmarinic acid, and other minor compounds. Reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection was used to identify and quantify the major constituents of RosCE. This study presents evidence that supports the folkloric use of O. vulgare for the treatment of hyperglycemia, confirming the use of its infusion as an antidiabetic herbal medicine.

Antileishmanial activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Miconia langsdorffii, isolated compounds, and semi-synthetic derivatives.

The in vitro activity of the crude hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial parts of Miconia langsdorffii Cogn. was evaluated against the promastigote forms of L. amazonensis, the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. The bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract led to identification of the triterpenes ursolic acid and oleanolic acid as the major compounds in the fraction that displayed the highest activity. Several ursolic acid semi-synthetic derivatives were prepared, to find out whether more active compounds could be obtained. Among these ursolic acid-derived substances, the C-28 methyl ester derivative exhibited the best antileishmanial activity.