Mutagenic Activity of Indigofera truxillensis and I. suffruticosa Aerial Parts

Indigofera truxillensis and I. suffruticosa, are used as a source of indigo dye and to treat several diseases. The mutagenic activity of the methanolic extracts from aerial parts, glycerolipid, flavonoid and alkaloid fractions of the extract were evaluated by means of Salmonella/microsome assays using TA100, TA98, TA102 and TA97a strains. The methanolic extract of I. truxillensis showed mutagenic activity in the TA98 strain without S9 while glycerolipid fraction was devoid of activity. The flavonoid and alkaloid fractions of both plants showed mutagenicity. Chemical analysis of flavonoid fractions of I. truxillensis and I. suffruticosa resulted in the identification of kaempferol, quercetin and their derivatives. The alkaloid fraction of both the species contained indigo and indirubin and indigo was found mainly responsible for the mutagenic activity

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

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Dipteryx alata </it>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 <it>D. alata </it>barks extract.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Vegetal drugs of <it>D. alata </it>barks were submitted to quality control assays and further to the safety assays under 1) <it>in vitro </it>parameter by <it>Salmonella </it>(Ames) mutagenicity, and 2) <it>in vivo </it>parameter on the pregnancy of rats.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The extract was non-mutagenic to any of the assessed strains TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102 even after metabolic activation (+S9). All <it>in vivo </it>parameters (reproductive ability evaluation, physical development of rat offsprings, and neurobehavioral development assays) showed no changes related to control group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>D. alata </it>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.</p

Avaliação do potencial biológico de plantas pertencentes ao cerrado brasileiro e seus compostos de interesse farmacológico

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar quatro espécies relacionadas no Projeto BIOTAFAPESP, as quais têm se destacado quanto às atividades farmacológicas: Byrsonima fagifolia Niedenzu, Byrsonima crassa Niedenzu, Indigofera truxillensis Kunth e Indigofera suffruticosa Miller. Foram realizados ensaios de mutação gênica reversa utilizando-se as linhagens TA98, TA100, TA97a e TA102 de Salmonella typhimurium, com ausência e presença do sistema metabólico de ativação. Foram avaliados extratos, frações e algumas substâncias isoladas, a saber: a) B. crassa: amentoflavona, substância isolada do extrato metanólico; b) B. fagifolia: extrato metanólico e clorofórmico, frações acetato e aquosa, ácido gálico, galato de metila, ácido quínico e o ácido 3,4- digaloilquínico; c) I. truxillensis e I.suffruticosa: extrato metanólico e clorofórmico, frações de alcalóides, flavonóides e de glicerolipídeos, além das substâncias índigo, indirubina e o kaempferol- 3,7-diraminosídeo. Foi também avaliada a isatina, molécula precursora dos alcalóides índigo e indirubina. As atividades anti-bacteriana, anti-Leishmania, citotóxica e fitoestrogênica foram avaliadas para substâncias isoladas. Os ensaios de atividade fitoestrogênica foram realizados através do método de e-screen, utilizando-se células tumorais MCF7. Os ensaios de atividade citotóxica (células MCF-7) foram realizados pela técnica de sulforadamina-B. Os ensaios anti- Leishmania (L. amazonensis) também foram relizados com as técnicas de MTT (sal de tetrazólio) e contagem manual em câmara de Neubauer. A atividade anti-bacteriana foi avaliada através das técnicas de difusão em agar e microdiluição, com as bactérias Staphylococcus aureus ATTC 25923 e Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Estudos anteriores evidenciaram o potencial...The present work aimed to investigate four related species in the project BIOTA-FAPESP which are notable for their pharmacological activities: Byrsonima fagifolia Niedenzu Byrsonima crassa Niedenzu, Indigofera truxillensis Kunth and Indigofera Indigofera suffruticosa Miller. Tests of reverse gene mutation were performed using TA98, TA100, TA97 and TA102 strains of S. typhimurium in the absence and presence of metabolic activation system. Extracts, fractions and some isolated compounds were evaluated: a) B. fagifolia: methanolic and chloroformic extracts, acetate and aqueous fractions, gallic acid, methyl gallate, quinic acid and 3,4-digaloilquinico derivative. b) I. truxilensis and I.suffruticosa: chloroformic and methanolic extracts, fractions of alkaloids, flavonoids and glicerolipides, and also the indigo, indirubin and kaempferol-3,7-diraminosídeo substances. The isatin, precursor molecule of alkaloids indigo and indirubin was also evaluated. The antimicrobial, antiparasitic, cytotoxic and phytoestrogenic activities were evaluated for natural isolated substances. The phytoestrogenic activity assays were performed using the e-screen method, using MCF7 tumor cells. Trials of cytotoxic activity (MCF-7 cells) were done using sulforadamina-B. The anti-Leishmania tests (L. amazonensis) were also performed with some alkaloids and flavonoids, using MTT techniques (tetrazolium salt) and manual counting in a Neubauer chamber. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion techniques and microdilution with S. aureus ATTC 25923 and E. coli ATCC 25922 bacterias. The mutagenic activity assays showed positive results only for the methanol extract of I. truxilensis (strain TA98) and for the alkaloids indirubin and indigo isolated from this specie and I. suffruticosa, in addition to isatin. This precursor is also noted... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Controle de qualidade e obtenção de extratos de espécies vegetais do cerrado brasileiro com potencial etnofarmacológico

ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) has published in recent years, laws that regulate the stages of the control of plants derivatives, including tests of macro and microscopic botanical identification, phytochemical determination, tests of authenticity and purity, microbiological testing, among other parameters. All the analytical procedures of plant drugs control required by law must be based on the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, other Pharmacopoeias recognized by ANVISA or quality control guides of plant species published by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study aimed to evaluate some pharmacognostic, phytochemical screening and microbiological control of plant species of the Brazilian cerrado, which have indicated ethnopharmacological: Byrsonima intermedia (Bi), Bauhinia holophylla (Bh) and Myrcia bella (Mb). In addition, certain parameters were determined for obtaining extracts from plants sprayed and dried. These data are important to obtain new scientific information from Brazilian plants with therapeutic potential