Antigenotoxicity of Roupala montana extract in the mouse micronucleus and comet assays.

Roupala montana Aubl. (Proteaceae) is a typical savannah species and native to tropical South America that has a moderate mortality for adult forms of Schistossoma mansoni. Because this species has been little studied, the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of R. montana extract on DNA damage induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) in peripheral blood cells and liver of Swiss mice using the micronucleus and comet assay, respectively. R. montana dichloromethane extract was prepared from a stock solution (0.5 mg/mL) in 5% dimethyl sulfoxide in water. Animals received a single dose of different concentrations of R. montana (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight) by gavage (0.5 mL/animal). For antigenotoxicity assessment, different concentrations of R. montana were administered simultaneously with MMS diluted in water (40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally; 0.3 mL/animal). Peripheral blood and hepatocyte samples were obtained 48 and 24 h after treatment, respectively. Results showed that R. montana administered alone indicated the absence of genotoxicity in the mouse micronucleus or comet assay. On the other hand, administration of different doses of R. montana concomitantly with MMS led to a significant reduction in frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes and DNA damage, when compared to the group treated only with MMS. Further, for the micronucleus assay, the gradual increase of R. montana concentration led to a proportional increase in the reduction of genotoxicity induced by MMS, indicating a dose-response relationship.

In vitro schistosomicidal activity of some brazilian cerrado species and their isolated compounds.

Miconia langsdorffii Cogn. (Melastomataceae), Roupala montana Aubl. (Proteaceae), Struthanthus syringifolius (Mart.) (Loranthaceae), and Schefflera vinosa (Cham. & Schltdl.) Frodin (Araliaceae) are plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado whose schistosomicidal potential has not yet been described. The crude extracts, fractions, the triterpenes betulin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and the flavonoids quercetin 3-O-ß-D-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and isorhamnetin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside were evaluated in vitro against Schistosoma mansoni adult worms and the bioactive n-hexane fractions of the mentioned species were also analyzed by GC-MS. Betulin was able to cause worm death percentage values of 25% after 120 h (at 100 µM), and 25% and 50% after 24 and 120 h (at 200 µM), respectively; besides the flavonoid quercetin 3-O-ß-D-rhamnoside promoted 25% of death of the parasites at 100 µM. Farther the flavonoids quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucoside and quercetin 3-O-ß-D-rhamnoside at 100 µM exhibited significantly reduction in motor activity, 75% and 87.5%, respectively. Biological results indicated that crude extracts of R. montana, S. vinosa, and M. langsdorffii and some n-hexane and EtOAc fractions of this species were able to induce worm death to some extent. The results suggest that lupane-type triterpenes and flavonoid monoglycosides should be considered for further antiparasites studies.