This study investigated the chemical composition, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities, and histopathological analysis of mice tissues treated with methanolic extract from R. marina poison. ...Marinobufagin, telecinobufagin and bufalin were identified in the chemical profile. The biochemical results demonstrated an effect between doses in the period of 7 days, an immunomodulatory effect was observed regarding the production capacity of interleukin (IL)-12p70 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at 7 and 30 days, respectively. The lower dose suggests better bioactivity to the treated animal than the higher dose. Histopathological analyses of the lung, heart, kidney and liver showed tissue damage in all organs, mainly in the lung, and were proportional to the dose and the treatment period. We observed that the treatment modulated cytokine production, and therefore this effect may be related to the tissue damage observed. This study demonstrates a positive effect in the antioxidant and immune system, indicating that the molecules found in the extract have biotechnological potential.
Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a plant of the Malvaceae family, commonly known as roselle. H. sabdariffa is known to contain antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, antiobesity, insulin resistance reduction, ...antihypertensive, and skin cancer chemopreventive properties. This study evaluated the effects of H. sabdariffa aqueous extract against cyclophosphamide (CPA, 25 mg/Kg) induced damage to DNA in male Wistar rats by micronucleus test. Samples of H. sabdariffa calyx were obtained in the municipality of Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The aqueous extract was prepared by infusion and each animal received a daily dose of 400 mg/Kg by gavage for 15 consecutive days of treatment. The presence of anthocyanins was confirmed by ferric chloride test and phenolic compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography, with emphasis on the identification of rutin. The animals were sacrificed by deepening of anaesthesia to obtain bone marrow and determination of the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. The group treated with the aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa revealed a 91% reduction in micronucleus frequency when compared with the positive control group. Under the conditions tested, H. sabdariffa L. presented a protective effect to CPA-induced damage to DNA of the treated animals, and it is a potential candidate as a chemopreventive agent against carcinogenesis.
The secreted poisonin bufonids (Anura: Bufonidae) include proteins, biogenic amines, toxic bufadienolides and alkaloids. The chemical composition of the methanolic extract of parotoid gland ...secretions by the Amazonian toad Rhinella margaritifera was evaluated in a UFLC-DAD-micrOTOF system. Of the twenty three compounds found in the methanolic extract, eighteen were identified by the mass/charge ratio as: five arginine diacids, six bufagenins (telocinobufagin, marinobufagin, bufotalin, cinobufotalin, bufalin and cinobufagin), six bufotoxins, and an alkaloid (dehydrobufotenin).
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•Rhinella margaritifera has a wide distribution throughout the Amazon basin.•The R. margaritifera poison presented arginines, bufagenins, bufotoxins and alkaloid.•Bufotalin was the major compound found in the R. margaritifera poison.
Rhinella marina toad is abundant in Brazil. Its poison contains cardiac glycosides called bufadienolides, which are extensively investigated for their bioactivity. Our aim was to characterize the ...vasoactivity of Rhinella marina poison (RmP) on the aorta of male Wistar rats. For this, the RmP was first collected and processed to obtain an alcoholic extract. To determine cardiovascular effects of RmP, we performed in vivo tests by administering RmP intravenously in doses of 0.1-0.8 mg/kg. Vascular reactivity was also performed through concentration-response curves to RmP (10 ng/mL to 200 μg/mL) in aortic segments with and without endothelium. RmP induced a concentration-dependent contraction in rat aorta which was partly endothelium-mediated. Nitric oxide contributes with this response in view that incubation with L-NAME increased the contractile response. Additionally, treatment with indomethacin cyclooxygenase, (COX) inhibitor, nifedipine (L-type voltage-gated calcium channels blocker), and BQ-123 (ET
receptors antagonist) decreased maximum response, and ketanserin (5-HT
receptors antagonist) decreased pEC
, suggesting active participation of these pathways in the contractile response. On the other hand, apocynin (NADPH oxidase inhibitor) did not alter contractility. Incubation with prazosin (α
-adrenergic receptor antagonist) abolished the contractile response, suggesting that the RmP-induced contraction is dependent on the adrenergic pathway. In the Na
/K
ATPase protocol, a higher Emax was observed in the RmP experimental group, suggesting that RmP potentiated Na
/K
ATPase hyperpolarizing response. When this extract was injected (i.v.) in vivo, increase in blood pressure and decrease in heart rate were observed. The results were immediate and transitory, and occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, these data suggest that the poison extract of R. marina toad has an important vasoconstrictor action and subsequent vasopressor effects, and its use can be investigated to some cardiovascular disorders.
Amphibian cutaneous secretion has great potential for bioprospection and is a great tool in the development of bioproducts. Thus, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the comparative ...study of the chemical profile parotoid gland secretions from Rhaebo guttatus collected in two distinct regions of the Brazilian Amazon. For this, the chemical composition of six methanolic extracts of this species were analyzed by Liquid Chromatography in UV and MS Detection Ultra-Chromatography Systems (UFLC-DAD-micrOTOF). All obtained chromatograms presented two distinct regions; one referring to the more hydrophilic molecules (alkaloids), while the other refers to the more hydrophobic compounds (steroids). The steroid region resembles all samples, regardless of where they were collected. In the alkaloid region, there was a standardized variation for the samples from the southern Brazilian Amazon, but the same was not true for the samples collected in the Amazon-Cerrado transition region. Thus, the data suggest that the environment and diet of R. guttatus may be important in alkaloid production, but do not influence steroid content. These results add new information about the poison of the toad R. guttatus and raises new questions to be further investigated, thus contributing to the knowledge of the anuran fauna of the Brazilian Amazon.
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•The poison of the amphibian R. guttatus contains indole alkaloids and cardiotonic steroids.•R. guttatus poison from the Cerrado showed more alkaloids than the southern Amazon.•The chemical composition of R. guttatus poison is influenced by the environment.
Bufadienolides are the main active compounds in the Bufonidae family of frogs. Recent studies have demonstrated cytotoxic and/or antitumor activity in these molecules. A HPLC-DAD method was developed ...and validated to quantify three bufadienolides (telocinobufagin, marinobufagin and bufalin) in ethyl acetate extracts of the cane toad poison frogs and smooth-sided toad. The chromatographic analysis was performed on Phenomenex Luna C18 (250.0 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), using gradient elution with acetonitrile and water, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1 and detection at 296 nm. The method showed linearity (r > 0.999) and adequate recovery values (86%–111%). The limits of quantification of bufadienolides were 7.4 μg mL−1 for telocinobufagin, 4.2 μg mL−1 for marinobufagin and 4.0 μg mL−1 for bufalin. Intraday and interday values of the method were evaluated and presented standard deviation values lower than 5%. The method was successfully applied to quantify the bufadienolides in the venom extract of the cane toad, which showed a content of 60% of marinobufagin. The same method was not selective for the venom extract of the Rhaebo guttatus, despite being linear, accurate and precise, requiring the development of a technique that presents a greater selectivity.
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•A method by HPLC-UV was validated to quantify three bufadienolides in toad venom.•The venom from Rhinella marina presented high percentage of marinobufagin (60%).•The same method was not selective for the venom extract of the Rhaebo guttatus, despite being linear, accurate and precise.
Objetivou-se investigar os efeitos da adição do extrato de farelo de mamona (EFM) sobre o perfil da fermentação ruminal in vitro em dietas com alto e baixo teor de forragem. Utilizou-se ensaio de ...incubação ruminal in vitro com dois controles, um negativo (sem aditivo) e um positivo (monensina sódica) e EFM liofilizado (20, 40 e 60 mg/frasco). Em condições de alto teor de forragem na dieta, a adição do EFM aumentou o pH do meio e a concentração de acetato, reduziu a produção de gás, mas não afetou a produção de gás por unidade de matéria seca (MS) digerida em relação ao tratamento controle. Em comparação com monensina sódica, o EFM reduziu as concentrações de propionato e amônia e aumentou a produção de gás por unidade de MS digerida. Em condições de baixo teor de forragem, a adição do EFM reduziu o pH e potencial redox do meio em relação ao tratamento controle. Em comparação com a monensina sódica, o EFM reduziu o pH do meio e a produção total de gás, mas não afetou a produção de gás por unidade de MS digerida. O extrato de farelo de mamona destoxificado não apresenta potencial como manipulador da fermentação ruminal.Palavras-chave: amônia; digestibilidade; eficiência; metano. CASTOR BEAN EXTRACT AS A MANIPULATOR OF RUMINAL FERMENTATION ABSTRACT: Effects of the castorbean meal extract (CME) on ruminal in vitro were investigate in high and low forage diet conditions. For each dietary condition, one in vitro ruminal incubation experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with nine repetitions per treatment (three animal inoculum donators and three 48 hors-incubations). In high forage diet, CME increased ruminal pH acetate concentration, reduced gas production, but it did not affect the gas production per unit of digested dry matter (DM), in relation to control treatment. Compare to monensin sodium, CME reduced propionate and ammonia concentrations and increased gas production per unit of digested DM, indicating that CME reduces ruminal energetic efficiency. In low forage diet, CME reduced pH and redox potential compare to control. Compare to monensin sodium, CME reduced pH and gas production, but it did not affect gas production per unit of digested DM. Castorbean meal extract does not present potential as manipulator of the ruminal fermentation.Keywords: ammonia; digestibility; efficiency; methane.
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