β-ecdysone content and antioxidant capacity in different organs of Brazilian ginseng / Teor de β-ecdisona e capacidade antioxidante em diferentes órgãos de ginseng brasileiro

ABSTRACT: Plants that contain antioxidant compounds have attracted increasing interest for their vital role in the attenuation of oxidative damage caused by free radicals and in the treatment of various diseases. The present study investigated the β-ecdysone content and the antioxidant activity of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata) extracts obtained from inflorescences, stems, and roots. The P. glomerata extracts were tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, β-carotene bleaching test, and phosphomolybdenum method. The β-ecdysone content of P. glomerata extracts was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The P. glomerata inflorescences showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity and the strongest antioxidant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assay and phosphomolybdenum test. The roots showed the lowest antioxidant capacity in all of the assays. The concentration of β-ecdysone in the plant organs followed the following decreasing order: inflorescences > stems > roots. The present study showed that P. glomerata inflorescence extract had high antioxidant capacity that could be attributed to the presence of β-ecdysone.

RESUMO: Plantas que contêm compostos antioxidantes têm atraído interesse crescente por seu papel fundamental na atenuação de danos oxidativos causados pelos radicais livres e no tratamento de várias doenças. O presente estudo investigou o conteúdo de β-ecdysone e a atividade antioxidante de extratos de ginseng brasileiro (Pfaffia glomerata) obtidos a partir das inflorescências, caules e raízes. Os extratos de Pfaffia glomerata foram testados para atividade antioxidante usando o método sequestrante do radical 2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH), sistema modelo β-caroteno-linoleato e método de fosfomolibdênio. O conteúdo de β-ecdisona dos extratos de P. glomerata foi medido por cromatografia líquida de alta eficência (CLAE). As inflorescências de P. glomerata mostraram a maior atividade sequestrante de radical DPPH e a maior atividade antioxidante no ensaio β-caroteno-linoleato e no teste de fosfomolibdênio. As raízes mostraram a menor capacidade antioxidante em todos os ensaios. A concentração de β-ecdisona nos órgãos da planta seguiu a seguinte ordem decrescente: inflorescências > caules > raízes. Os resultados indicaram uma correlação positiva entre conteúdo de β-ecdisona e atividade sequestrante de radical DPPH. O presente estudo mostrou que o extrato das inflorescências de P. glomerata teve alta atividade antioxidante que poderia ser atribuída à presença de β-ecdisona.

Antioxidant capacity of the leaf extract obtained from Arrabidaea chica cultivated in Southern Brazil.

Arrabidaea chica leaf extract has been used by people as an anti-inflammatory and astringent agent as well as a remedy for intestinal colic, diarrhea, leucorrhea, anemia, and leukemia. A. chica is known to be a good producer of phenolics. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated its antioxidant activity. The phenolic composition of A. chica leaves was studied by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (LC-DAD) and liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), and isoscutellarein, 6-hydroxyluteolin, hispidulin, scutellarein, luteolin, and apigenin were identified. The extract from leaves of A. chica was tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, ß-carotene bleaching test, and total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) method. The crude extract quenched DPPH free radicals in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 of the extract was 13.51 µg/mL. The ß-carotene bleaching test showed that the addition of the A. chica extract in different concentrations (200 and 500 µg/mL) prevented the bleaching of ß-carotene at different degrees (51.2% ±3.38% and 94% ±4.61%, respectively). The TRAP test showed dose-dependent correlation between the increasing concentrations of A. chica extract (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 µg/mL) and the TRAP values obtained by trolox (hydro-soluble vitamin E) 0.4738±0.0466, 1.981±0.1603, and 6.877±1.445 µM, respectively. The 2 main flavonoids, scutellarein and apigenin, were separated, and their antioxidant activity was found to be the same as that of the plant extract. These 2 flavonoids were quantified in the plant extract by using a validated HPLC-UV method. The results of these tests showed that the extract of A. chica had a significant antioxidant activity, which could be attributed to the presence of the mixture of flavonoids in the plant extract, with the main contribution of scutellarein and apigenin.

Analysis of neolignans compounds of Piper regnellii (Miq.) C. DC. var. pallescens (C. DC.) Yunck by HPLC.

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated for quantitative determination of neolignans in extracts of Piper regnellii var. pallescens. The analysis were carried out on a Metasil ODS column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) at 30 degrees C, using as mobile phase acetonitrile-water (60:40, v/v) containing 2% acetic acid. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min and the detection was at 280 nm. The validation using conocarpan as standard demonstrated that the method presents linearity (linear correlation coefficient=0.9991), precision (relative standard deviation <5%) and accuracy (mean recovery=104.55%) in the concentration range 31.25-500 microg/ml. The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.68 microg/ml and the limit of quantitation was 5.60 microg/ml. This method allowed the identification and quantification of conocarpan, eupomatenoid-5 and eupomatenoid-6 in the hydroethanolic extracts obtained from the leaves, stems and roots by maceration process. All the extracts showed the same chromatographic profile, being that the extract of the roots presented the highest concentration of neolignans.

Desenvolvimento de comprimidos de AAS 500 mg: influência do Amido 1500® na compressão direta / Development of AAS 500 mg tablets influenced by direct compression (CD) process

O experimento teve por objetivo demonstrar a viabilidade tecnológica do desenvolvimento de comprimidos de AAS 500 mg (Ácido Acetil Salicílico), empregando processo de compressão direta (CD). O Amido 1500® foi usado como excipiente no desenvolvimento das formulações, visando investigar suas propriedades de compressibilidade, desintegração, agregação e lubrificação. Usando metodologias previstas em Farmacopéias, foram realizados ensaios tecnológicos e físico-químicos. Os resultados evidenciaram que a mistura dos pós apresentou características de fluxo e compressibilidade adequadas ao rol de excipientes para compressão direta disponíveis no mercado. A presença do Amido 1500® também interferiu no tempo de desintegração. Dentre as formulações propostas neste trabalho, a fórmula contendo 6,35 por cento de Amido 1500® foi eleita a mais adequada por apresentar maior proximidade em relação aos produtos disponíveis no mercado brasileiro