Avaliação da atividade antioxidante e inibitória da tirosinase das folhas de Dipteryx alata Vogel (Baru) / Antioxidant and inhibitory action on tyrosinase from Dipteryx alata Vogel (Baru) leaves

Nos últimos anos, uma quantidade substancial de evidências tem indicado o papel chave dos radicais livres e outros oxidantes como grandes responsáveis pelo envelhecimento e pelas doenças degenerativas associadas ao mesmo. Por outro lado, substâncias fenólicas são reconhecidamente detentoras de pronunciada atividade antioxidante, muitas vezes envolvidas em tratamentos de pigmentação que resultam em hiperpigmentação ou hipopigmentação cutânea. Para o tratamento desses problemas de pigmentação vários produtos cosméticos e farmacêuticos são utilizados, porém, não são totalmente eficazes ou seguros, o que justifica a intensa pesquisa na busca de novos agentes ativos, principalmente àqueles envolvidos na melanogênese, como a tirosinase. Considerando que algumas substâncias obtidas de plantas apresentam essa atividade, a flora brasileira constitui-se uma importante fonte de pesquisa de novas substâncias. Assim, este trabalho foi realizado para avaliar os fenóis (método de Folin-Ciocalteau), a atividade antioxidante (CE50) (método de seqüestro do radical livre DPPH), a capacidade de quelação dos íons cobre, e a capacidade de inibição da tirosinase do extrato das folhas da espécie Dipteryx alata Vogel. Os resultados de fenóis totais mostraram uma concentração de 112,3 mg EAG.g-1 no extrato etanólico e 45 mg EAG.g-1 no extrato hexânico. A capacidade antioxidante dos extratos indica que o extrato etanólico, em comparação ao hexânico e ao BHT, possui maior teor de compostos antioxidantes, apresentando os respectivos valores sobre a quantidade de extrato necessária para decrescer a concentração inicial de DPPH em 50%: 52,9 ± 1,3 ppm, 169,1 ± 2,3 ppm, e 181± 6 ppm. Já a capacidade de quelação dos íons cobre mostrou que o extrato etanólico possui capacidade de quelação insignificante. No ensaio de inibição da tirosinase o extrato etanólico demonstrou um percentual de inibição da enzima de 42% após uma hora.

In recent years, a substantial amount of evidence has shown the key role of free radicals and other oxidants as largely responsible for aging and associated degenerative diseases. On the other hand, phenolic substances are known to hold pronounced antioxidant activity, often involved in pigmentation treatments, which result in skin hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. For the treatment of these pigmentation problems several cosmetic and pharmaceutical products have been used; however, they are not fully effective or safe, which justifies intense research to find new active agents, especially those involved in melanogenesis such as tyrosinase. Considering that some substances obtained from plants have this activity, the Brazilian flora constitutes an important source of research for new substances. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the phenols (Folin-Ciocalteau assay), the antioxidant activity (EC50) (DPPH free radical scavenging assay), the chelation capability of copper ions, and the inhibition capability of tyrosinase from leaf extract of the species Dipteryx alata Vogel. Results for total phenols showed concentration of 112.3 mg GAE.g-1 in ethanol extract and 45 mg GAE.g-1 in hexane extract. The antioxidant capacity of extracts indicates that ethanol extract, compared to hexane extract and BHT, has higher content of antioxidant compounds, showing the respective values of the necessary amount of extract to decrease the initial DPPH concentration by 50%: 52.9 ± 1.3 ppm, 169.1 ± 2.3 ppm and 181 ± 6 ppm. On the other hand, the chelation capacity of copper ions showed that the ethanol extract has insignificant chelation capacity. In the tyrosinase inhibition test, the ethanol extract had 42% enzyme inhibition after one hour.

In vitro and in vivo safety evaluation of Dipteryx alata Vogel extract.

BACKGROUND: Dipteryx alata Vogel popularly known as "baru" is an important commercial leguminous tree species from the Brazilian Cerrado, which possess medicinal properties, besides its fruits consumption by animals and humans. The use of the "naturally occurring plants" as herbal remedies and foods mainly from leaves, seeds, flowers and roots of plants or extracts require precautions before ensuring these are safe and efficacious. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of D. alata barks extract. METHODS: Vegetal drugs of D. alata barks were submitted to quality control assays and further to the safety assays under 1) in vitro parameter by Salmonella (Ames) mutagenicity, and 2) in vivo parameter on the pregnancy of rats. RESULTS: The extract was non-mutagenic to any of the assessed strains TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102 even after metabolic activation (+S9). All in vivo parameters (reproductive ability evaluation, physical development of rat offsprings, and neurobehavioral development assays) showed no changes related to control group. CONCLUSION: D. alata barks extract is neither mutagenic by the Ames test nor toxic in the pregnancy of rats, with no physical-neurobehavioral consequences on the rat offsprings development.