Analysis of the chemical composition of the essential oils extracted from Lippia lacunosa Mart. & Schauer and Lippia rotundifolia Cham. (Verbenaceae) by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Lippia lacunosa and L. rotundifolia (Verbenaceae) are two Brazilian species of complex taxonomic delimitation. The composition of the essential oils from leaves and flowers of these plants was investigated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The major components of the essential oils of flowers and leaves of L. lacunosa were: myrcene (14.7% and 11.9%), myrcenone (45.2% and 64.2%), Z-ocimenone (5.7% and 5.2%), and E-ocimenone (14.7% and 4.1%), respectively; whereas in L. rotundifolia (flowers and leaves) were a-pinene (8.7% and 1.8%), myrcene (5.1% and 3.6%), limonene (26.0% and 7.9 %), cis-pinocamphone (4.5% and 3.1%) and myrtenal (22.3% and 16.7%), respectively. The essential oils from L. lacunosa exhibited a strong and pleasant mango aroma, which was related to the presence of myrcene and myrcenone. The marked differences in the chemical composition of their essential oils may represent a powerful tool for the botanical classification.Lippia lacunosa e L. rotundifolia são duas espécies brasileiras que formam um complexo de difícil delimitação taxonômica. A composição química do óleo essencial das folhas e flores dessas plantas foi investigada por cromatografia com fase gasosa (CG) e por cromatografia com fase gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG-EM). Principais constituintes dos óleos essenciais de L. lacunosa (flores e folhas): mirceno (14,7% e 11,9%), mircenona (45,2% e 64,2%), Z-ocimenona (5,7% e 5,2%), e E-ocimenona (14,7% e 4,1%), respectivamente; L. rotundifolia (flores e folhas): a-pineno (8,7% e 1,8%), mirceno (5,1% e 3,6%), limoneno (26,0% e 7,9 %), cis-pinocanfona (4,5% e 3,1%) e mirtenal (22,3% e 16,7%), respectivamente. Os óleos essenciais de L. lacunosa apresentaram um forte e agradável aroma de manga, que foi relacionado à presença de mirceno e mircenona. Diferenças fundamentais na composição química de seus óleos essenciais podem representar uma poderosa ferramenta na classificação botânica das espécies

Evaluation of the antioxidant and phototoxic potentials of Bauhinia microstachya var. massambabensis Vaz leaf extracts

Four different leaf extracts of B. microstachya var. massambabensis were studied to evaluate their antioxidant capacity by using three in vitro methods, with Ginkgo biloba and Trolox® as the standards. With the DPPH and ABTS·+ methods, the antioxidant activity of the extracts was in the following order, from maximum to minimum: AcEt > WAc > raw EtOH > EtOH CA > EGb, while with the ORAC method, it was as follows: EtOH CA > raw EtOH > AcEt > WAc > EGb. Phototoxic analysis was performed in yeast cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From the ethyl acetate extract, 2 flavonoids kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside and astragalin-2”,6”-O-digallate were isolated and identified by HPLC and 1H- and 13C-NMR; to our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of astragalin-2”,6”-O-digallate in the Bauhinia genus.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Quick preparative separation of natural naphthopyranones with antioxidant activity by high-speed counter-current chromatography

The natural naphthopyranones paepalantine (1), paepalantine-9O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) and paepalantine-9-O-β-D-allopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3) were separated in a preparative scale from the ethanolic extract of the capitula of Paepalanthus bromelioides by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The solvent system used was composed of water-ethanol-ethyl acetate-hexane (10:4:10:4, v/v/v/v). This technique led to the separation of the three different naphthopyranone glycosides in pure form in approximately 7 hours. Paepalantine showed a good antioxidant activity when assayed by the DPPH radical spectrophotometric assay

Ethnopharmacological studies of Lippia origanoides

Lippia origanoides Kunth. Verbenaceae, is of great importance in the Brazilian traditional medicine. Because of it, this work had the purpose to contribute to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of L. origanoides through an ethnobotanical survey conducted within quilombola(maroon) communities of Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil. Among 254 plants cited in the survey, L. origanoides stood out among the ten most versatile species. The agreed main uses were to treat menstrual cramps, stomachache, and baby and postpartum colic. This could indicate a consensus of the informants to possible antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of L. origanoides.Therefore, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of L. origanoides extract (aerial parts) were assessed through thermal (hot plate) and chemical (formalin and acetic acid) models of nociception. A dose-dependent reduction in acetic acid-induced writhing was observed after treating mice with L. origanoidesextract. The same extract also inhibited significantly formalin-induced licking response and proved to have a central antinociceptive effect, in the hot plate test. This work demonstrates that L. origanoides is used specially by quilombola women from Oriximiná for disorders of the genitourinary system and that biological activities of this species could contribute to these uses. Furthermore, it was also observed antispasmodic, analgesic and antimicrobial uses of other species of the genus Lippia (Goniostachyum section), rich in thymol and carvacrol

Antioxidant and antiviral properties of Pseudopiptadenia contorta (Leguminosae) and of quebracho (Schinopsis sp.) extracts

Proanthocyanidins from P. contorta leaves and from a commercial quebracho extract were isolated and characterized. Flavonoids, catechins and gallic acid were also identified in the extracts of P. contorta. Compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant properties and for their antiviral activity against an acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1 strain. The low molecular weight phenolic derivatives and the proanthocyanidins from P. contorta showed the highest antioxidant activity. Purified proanthocyanidins from both P. contorta and quebracho showed the same maximum non toxic concentrations (25 µg/mL), with 82.2% and 100% of virus inhibition, respectively