Effect of essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet on cardiovascular and autonomic function in rats with isoproterenol induced acute myocardial infarction.

Alpinia zerumbet is a plant popularly used to treat hypertension and anxiety. Studies with Alpinia zerumbet demonstrate antihypertensive and vasodilator effects, among others. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAz) on cardiovascular and autonomic function in rats with isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Male Wistar rats (n=32) were equally allocated into four groups: Control, ISO (150mg/kg, subcutaneous), EOAz (100mg/kg by gavage), ISO+EOAz. The rats were evaluated for cardiovascular and, autonomic parameters, electrocardiogram, and infarct size. EOAz was not able to reduce the electrocardiographic variations induced by ISO. Heart rate variability showed a decrease in sympathetic modulation on the heart in the groups treated with EOAz. The cardiopulmonary reflex induced by serotonin invoked a superior blood pressure variation at the 2 µg/kg dose in the EOAz treated groups, while the heart rate variation was significantly higher at the 16 µg/kg dose, when compared to other doses, in all groups, except EOAz+ISO. The sympathetic vagal index was higher in ISO group than in control. EOAz did not reduce the infarct size. We conclude that pretreatment with EOAz does not reverse the hemodynamic and electrocardiographic damage caused by isoproterenol but does reduce sympathetic modulation.

New flavone and other compounds from Tephrosia egregia: assessing the cytotoxic effect on human tumor cell lines

ABSTRACT The organic extracts from stems, roots and leaves of Tephrosia egregia Sandwith, Fabaceae, provided a new flavone, 5-hydroxy-8-(1",2"-epoxy-3"-hydroxy-3"-methylbutyl)-7-methoxyflavone (1), in addition to eleven known compounds: pongaflavone (2), praecansone B (3), 12a-hydroxyrotenone (4), praecansone A, 2',6'-dimethoxy-4',5'-(2",2"-dimethyl)-pyranochalcone, pongachalcone, maackiain, β-sistosterol and its glucoside, p-cumaric acid and cinnamic acid. The structures of all compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS, involving comparison with literature data. Cytotoxicity of compounds 1-4 was evaluated against AGP-01 (cancerous ascitic fluid), HCT-116 (colon adenocarcinoma), HL-60 (leukemia), PC-3 (prostate carcinoma), SF-295 (glioblastoma) and SKMEL 28 (melanoma) cell lines.

Estudo de toxicologia clínica de um fitoterápico contendo Passiflora incarnata L., Crataegus oxyacantha L., Salix alba L. em voluntários saudáveis / Clinical toxicology study of an herbal medicine with Passiflora incarnata L., Crataegus oxyacantha L., Salix alba L. in healthy volunteers

O Pasalix® é um produto fitoterápico contendo uma associação de três plantas medicinais: Passiflora incarnata, Salix alba e Crataegus oxyacantha. Sua principal indicação é para o tratamento da ansiedade e insônia. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a toxicologia clínica dessa formulação em voluntários saudáveis. Para isso realizou-se um ensaio clínico não aleatório, aberto, com 24 voluntários sadios do sexo masculino, que receberam ambulatorialmente dois (2) comprimidos revestidos do fitoterápico duas vezes ao dia, durante 28 dias ininterruptos. Os voluntários foram incluídos no estudo somente quando considerados saudáveis após avaliação clínica, exame físico e exames laboratoriais que antecederam o estudo. A avaliação laboratorial incluiu análise hematológica, bioquímica e sorológica. A avaliação clínica e laboratorial foi repetida após a 1ª, 2ª, 3ª e 4ª semanas de tratamento e 7 dias após a última administração. O Pasalix® foi bem tolerado pelos 24 voluntários não apresentando eventos adversos graves. Os exames clínicos, eletrocardiográficos e laboratoriais efetuados antes, durante e após o ensaio não evidenciaram sinais de toxicidade nos diversos órgãos e sistemas avaliados, confirmando a segurança da preparação para utilização em ensaios de eficácia terapêutica.

Pasalix® is an herbal medicine containing a combination of three medicinal plants: Passiflora incarnata, Salix alba and Crataegus oxyacantha. Its main indication is to treat anxiety and insomnia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical toxicology of that formulation in healthy volunteers. For this, a non-randomized open clinical trial was conducted with 24 healthy male volunteers, who received two (2) coated tablets of the herbal medicine twice a day for 28 uninterrupted days. The volunteers were included in the study only when considered healthy after clinical assessment, physical examination and laboratory tests which preceded the study. The laboratory tests included: hematological, biochemical and serological analysis. The clinical and laboratory evaluation was repeated after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of the treatment and 7 days after the last administration. Pasalix® was well tolerated by the 24 volunteers, and it has showed no serious adverse events. The clinical, laboratory, and electrocardiographic data assessed before, during and after the test showed no signals of toxicity in various organs and systems evaluated, confirming the safety of the preparation for use in trials of therapeutic efficacy.