Bauhinia forficata Link aqueous extract is usually recommended as a phytomedicine to reduce blood glucose levels and its biological activity has been linked to the presence of phenolic compounds from ...B. forficata preparations. Several drying processes are used in the production of dry herbal extracts, which may influence the chemical composition and efficacy of final herbal medicines. Due to significant chemical changes, defining appropriate drying processes is essential for phytopharmaceutical drug development. In view of this, we analyzed dried B. forficata leaf infusion (BFLI) extracts by HPLC-UV-MSn, followed by molecular networking analysis to evaluate the chemical profiles from dried extracts yielded by freeze-and spray-drying processes. The main metabolites detected included 11 ferulic/isoferulic acid derivatives and 13 glycosylated flavonoids. The qualitative chemical profiles were alike for both drying processes, whereas the relative abundance of some flavonoids was higher using spray-drying. Taken together, our results showed that freeze-and spray-drying preserved the phenolic profile of BFLI and suggested that spray-drying may be the most suitable to obtain its dried products. Along with studying the chemical profiles of dried herbal extracts, evaluating the influence of drying processes on the quality and chemical profiles of final products is pivotal and may benefit future research.
Background
Pyrostegia venusta
(Ker Gawl.) Miers occurs in threatened biodiversity hotspots of Cerrado and Atlantic forest biomes in Brazil and is used in traditional medicine to treat various ...respiratory and skin diseases.
Methods and results
This study (i) examined the genetic diversity and structure of six natural populations of
P. venusta
from different Brazilian regions using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers; and (ii) compared the intra- and inter-populational levels of the bioactive component verbascoside using high-performance liquid chromatography. The population from Nova Mutum, Mato Grosso, presented the highest genetic variability (Nei index H = 0.2759; Shannon index I = 0.4170; 85.14% polymorphic loci), whereas the population from Araxá, Minas Gerais, presented the lowest genetic variability (H = 0.1811; I = 0.2820; 70.27% polymorphic loci). The intra-populational variability (79%) was significantly higher (
p
= 0.001) than the inter-populational variability (21%). The populations were clustered into two groups but their genetic differentiation was not associated with geographical origin (Mantel test, r = 0.328;
p
> 0.05). The verbascoside content significantly differed (
p
> 0.05) among the six populations and between the individuals from each population. The highest verbascoside levels (> 200 µg/mg extract) were detected in populations from Araxá and Serrana, while the lowest verbacoside levels were detected in populations from Paranaíta and Sinop.
Conclusions
This is the first report on the use of SRAP markers to analyze genetic variability in the family Bignoniaceae. Our findings shall help to better understand the genetic and chemical diversity of
P. venusta
populations, as well as provide useful information to select the most appropriate individuals to prepare phytomedicines.
The Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis species, which are endemic plants in the Amazonian region, are highlighted as medicinal plants mainly because of their anti-inflammatory activity. The ...vegetal drug and various types of extracts have been commercialized by pharmaceutical industries and distributed in several countries, thus configuring the economic potential of both species. The objective of the present research was to collect agronomical data published in PubMed, SciELO, and Scopus databases and analyze the main subjects that were either investigated or not investigated to enable the production chain of these species. The conclusion is that U. guianensis has been less studied than U. tomentosa under all aspects evaluated. Both species have been exploited in an extractivistic way. However, no report was found on either sustainable management or conservation or domestication strategies or yet large scale production that can continuously attend the global demand of the pharmaceutic industry. Furthermore, the amount currently produced is insufficient to supply the program of the Ministry of Health, which intends to provide herbal drugs from Uncaria to all Brazilian cities.
RESUMO: As espécies Uncaria tomentosa e Uncaria guianensis , plantas endêmicas da Amazônia, destacam-se como plantas medicinais por apresentarem principalmente atividade anti-inflamatória. A droga vegetal e diversos tipos de extratos são comercializadas por indústrias farmacêuticas distribuídas em vários países, configurando o potencial econômico de ambas as espécies. O objetivo deste trabalho foi reunir dados agronômicos publicados nas bases de dados PubMed, SciELO e Scopus para analisar os principais temas que já foram investigados ou que ainda precisam ser abordados para viabilizar a cadeia produtiva dessas espécies. A conclusão é que U. guianensis é menos estudada do que U. tomentosa sob todos os aspectos avaliados. Ambas as espécies são exploradas de forma extrativista. Entretanto, não foram encontrados relatos de manejo sustentável, nem estratégias de conservação ou domesticação, ou ainda plantios em larga escala que possam atender de modo contínuo a demanda mundial da indústria farmacêutica. Além disso, não há quantidade suficiente para abastecer o programa nacional do Ministério da Saúde, que pretende disponibilizar fitoterápicos produzidos a partir de Uncaria a todos os municípios brasileiros.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cochlospermum regium (Bixaceae) is a medicinal plant species native to the Brazilian savannah, known as the Cerrado. Local communities use its roots to treat infections of the female reproductive ...system. This study evaluated how seasonality, phenological stage, geographical location, plant age, and plant cultivation substrate affect the antimicrobial activity of Cochlospermum regium roots against Candida albicans. Although the plant displayed antimicrobial action in all the assayed conditions, the roots collected during fall and winter inhibited C. albicans the most effectively. The geographical location in which the plant material was found did not influence its biological response. Plant age and cultivation substrate did impact the biological response; those grown in sand showed fungicidal activity, while those grown in Cerrado soil fertilized with cow dung showed fungistatic activity during certain periods. The inner bark and core of the root were the main structures underlying the antimicrobial activity of Cochlospermum regium.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae) has been used in Brazilian traditional medicine to treat asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
To investigate the effects of different doses of a standardized ...extract of E. prostrata using a murine model of allergen induced asthma.
Balb/c mice were sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA) administered intraperitoneally and challenged over four alternate days with nasal instillations of OVA solution. The standardized methanol extract of E. prostrata was administered in doses of 100, 250 and 500mgkg−1 concomitantly with nasal instillation over seven consecutive days. Control animals were treated with dexamethasone or saline solution. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, allergen sensitization, airway and lung inflammation, mucous secretion and airway remodeling were assessed.
The concentrations of chemical markers in the standardized methanol extract were 0.02% oroboside, 1.69% demethylwedelolactone and 1.71% wedelolactone. Treatment with 250mgkg−1 of extract, which provided 0.745, 4.22 and 4.30mgkg−1day−1 of oroboside, demethylwedelolactone and wedelolactone, respectively, significantly reduced (P<0.05) respiratory resistance and elastance. Such effects were comparable with those produced by dexamethasone. The total number of inflammatory cells and eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in lung homogenate were significantly reduced (P<0.05) by the methanol extract of E. prostrata.
The results presented herein demonstrate for the first time the anti-inflammatory activity of E. prostrata in a murine model of asthma, thereby supporting the ethnopharmacological uses of the plant.
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Uncaria guianensis is native to the Amazon and is used traditionally as an anti-inflammatory. Natural populations of the species have declined markedly in recent times because of strong anthropic ...pressure brought about by deforestation and indiscriminate collection. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic and chemical diversity among eight natural populations of U. guianensis located in the Brazilian states of Acre, Amapá and Amazonas. A set of four primer combinations was employed in sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) amplifications of leaf DNA, and the fragments were analyzed in an LI-COR model 4300 DNA Analyzer. Genetic variability within the populations (81%) was substantially greater than that detected between them (19%). The highest percentage of polymorphic loci (90.21%) and the largest genetic variability were observed in the population located in Mazagão, Amapá. Genetic differentiation between populations was high (Fst = 0.188) and the studied populations formed three distinct genetic groups (K = 3). The population located in Assis Brasil, Acre, presented the highest average content of the mitraphylline (0.60 mg/g dry weight,). However, mitraphylline and isomitraphylline not detected in most individuals in the studied populations, and it is questionable whether they should be considered as chemical markers of the species. The genetic data confirm the urgent need for conservation programs for U. guianensis, and for further studies aimed at ascertaining the genetic basis and heritability of alkaloid accumulation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Uncaria species are used in traditional medicine and are considered of high therapeutic value and economic importance. This work describes the assembly and annotation of the chloroplast genomes of U. ...guianensis and U. tomentosa, as well as a comparative analysis. The genomes were sequenced on MiSeq Illumina, assembled with NovoPlasty, and annotated using CHLOROBOX GeSeq. Addictionaly, comparative analysis were performed with six species from NCBI databases and primers were designed in Primer3 for hypervariable regions based on the consensus sequence of 16 species of the Rubiaceae family and validated on an in-silico PCR in OpenPrimeR. The genome size of U. guianensis and U. tomentosa was 155,505 bp and 156,390 bp, respectively. Both Species have 131 genes and GC content of 37.50%. The regions rpl32-ccsA, ycf1, and ndhF-ccsA showed the three highest values of nucleotide diversity within the species of the Rubiaceae family and within the Uncaria genus, these regions were trnH-psbA, psbM-trnY, and rps16-psbK. Our results indicates that the primer of the region ndhA had an amplification success for all species tested and can be promising for usage in the Rubiaceae family. The phylogenetic analysis recovered a congruent topology to APG IV. The gene content and the chloroplast genome structure of the analyzed species are conserved and most of the genes are under negative selection. We provide the cpDNA of Neotropical Uncaria species, an important genomic resource for evolutionary studies of the group.
The genetic diversity of 5 populations of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae), a species cultivated in tropical countries and used in biodiesel production, was analyzed by amplified fragment length ...polymorphism (AFLP). Plants from distinct populations found in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, had their genetic diversity characterized by using three primer combinations. The number of polymorphic bands obtained reached 184 and the base pair length of bands ranged from 75 to 350, with average PIC values of 0.418. Accessions from the Aguas de Santa Barbara population presented the highest percentage of polymorphic loci (89.76%), followed by the populations of Catanduva (84.24%), Jales (80.98%), Jurucê (78.80%) and Taquaritinga (70.65%). Plants collected from the populations of Taquaritinga and Jales presented the smallest and highest genetic diversities, respectively, measured by using both Nei's genetic variability index (h = 0.2242 and 0.2973) and Shannon's index (I = 0.3359 and 0.4319). The results obtained indicated that 73.1% of genetic variability corresponds to intrapopulational variation and 26.8% to variation among populations. The clustering dendrogram using Jacquard showed four clusters. Three clusters with low genetic diversity grouped most of individuals collected in distinct regions (63.3% JU, 47.0% JA and 82.5% TA) and the fourth with the higher genetic diversity was composed with basically individuals collected in CA and AS, but it also had samples collected in JU, JA and TA, where it is possible to select individuals to be included in breeding programs.
•Genetic variability determined for five cultivated populations of Jatropha curcas using AFLP.•Amplification produced 184 fragments, one hundred percent polymorphic.•High diversity was detected for AS and CA populations and may represent a great resource for breeding programs.
Essential oil from Cochlospermum regium (Schrank) Pilg. leaves (CR-EO) has been extracted by hydrodistillation; we analysed the CR-EO by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. We also ...conducted histochemical analysis on cross-sections of the central vein of young and adult leaves. A total of 32 compounds were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed, which represented 94.87% of the total CR-EO oil content. The CR-EO basically consisted of sesquiterpenes (96.87%); its main component was β-copaen-4-α-ol (18.73%), followed by viridiflorol (12.67%). The histochemical analyses identified the main classes of compounds present in both young and adult leaves.
Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. Ex Schult) DC is used by indigenous tribes in the Amazonian region of Central and South America to treat inflammation, allergies and asthma. The therapeutic properties of U. ...tomentosa have been attributed to the presence of tetracyclic and pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids and to phenolic acids.
To characterize aqueous bark extracts (ABE) and aqueous leaf extracts (ALE) of U. tomentosa and to compare their anti-inflammatory effects.
Constituents of the extracts were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anti-inflammatory activities were assessed in vitro by exposing lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophage cells (RAW264.7-Luc) to ABE, ALE and standard mitraphylline. In vivo assays were performed using a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. OVA-sensitized animals were treated with ABE or ALE while controls received dexamethasone or saline solution. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, total and differential counts of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissue were determined.
Mitraphylline, isomitraphylline, chlorogenic acid and quinic acid were detected in both extracts, while isorhyncophylline and rutin were detected only in ALE. ABE, ALE and mitraphylline inhibited the transcription of nuclear factor kappa-B in cell cultures, ALE and mitraphylline reduced the production of interleukin (IL)−6, and mitraphylline reduced production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Treatment with ABE and ALE at 50 and 200 mg kg−1, respectively, reduced respiratory elastance and tissue damping and elastance. ABE and ALE reduced the number of eosinophils in BAL, while ALE at 200 mg kg−1 reduced the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 in the lung homogenate. Peribronchial inflammation was significantly reduced by treatment with ABE and ALE at 50 and 100 mg kg−1 respectively.
The results clarify for the first time the anti-inflammatory activity of U. tomentosa in a murine model of asthma. Although ABE and ALE exhibited distinct chemical compositions, both extracts inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro. In vivo assays revealed that ABE was more effective in treating asthmatic inflammation while ALE was more successful in controlling respiratory mechanics. Both extracts may have promising applications in the phytotherapy of allergic asthma.
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