Toxicological evaluation of the biflavonoid, agathisflavone in albino Swiss mice.

Agathisflavone (AGF) is a biflavonoid with a number of important biological and pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective effects. However, its toxicological effects have not been fully investigated. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the toxicological effects of AGF in mice. For this purpose, the median lethal dose 50% (LD50) was determined along with the anatomic and histopathological parameters (weight, alimentation, excretion, biochemical, and hematological) in fertile untouched female Swiss mice. Results suggest that during the treatment, no deaths were reported at 300 and 2000 mg/kg (n = 03/group, p.o.). Moreover, AGF did not cause significant change in the above mentioned parameters in test animals when compared with the control group (0.05% Tween 80 dissolved in 0.9% saline). Taken all together, this non-clinical toxicological study revealed that AGF has an LD50 larger than 2000 mg/kg and did not change significantly the hematological, biochemical, histopathological, behavioral, as well as physiological parameters in the female mice.

Phytol a Natural Diterpenoid with Pharmacological Applications on Central Nervous System: A Review.

Phytol (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol), a diterpene member of long and ramified chain of unsaturated acyclic alcohols. The objective of study was to conduct a systematic review of this diterpene and its pharmaceutical applications in Nervous System diseases in humans and/or rodents. Periodicals bases, such as ScienceDirect and PubMed, were used, as well as technological basis of European Patent Office, World Intellectual Property Organization, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Derwent Innovations Index(®), Latin American Bank of Patents and data base of Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial (INPI-National Institute of Industrial Property). The software EndNote-X5 was utilized as reference with the keywords: phytol, anxiolytic, antidepressant and anticonvulsant and their correlations in English, Spanish and Portuguese from January 2003 to June 2014. There are many publications on phytol in international literature. However, there is a reduced number of articles related to pharmacological activities proposed here. In reference to technological bases, patents present a wide range of pharmacological and commercial applications as cosmetics, hypolipodemic, anxiolytic and antidepressant. Therefore, it is necessary to explore phytol molecules, which present high pharmacological potential from scientific and technological points of view, in search of transference of technologies to generate economical and industrial growth.