Antiproliferative effects of lectins from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia brasiliensis in human leukemia cell lines

AbstractThe antiproliferative activity of lectins Canavalia ensiformis (ConA) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) were studied using human leukemia MOLT-4 and HL-60 cell lines. It was revealed that both ConA and ConBr were markedly cytotoxic to cells using MTT and NAC assays. The IC50 values were approximately 3 and 20μg/mL for ConA and ConBr, respectively, for both MOLT-4 and HL-60 cells. However, in normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes, the lectins were not cytotoxic, even when tested at concentrations as high as 200μg/ml. Using comet assay, the lectins produced a rate of DNA damage exceeding 80% in MOLT-4 and HL-60 cells. Fluorescence analysis revealed the morphology characteristic of apoptosis, with low concentrations of apoptotic bodies and fragmented DNA (5μg/ml). Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated an accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 cell cycle that is characteristic of DNA fragmentation, and a decrease in membrane integrity at high concentrations. Lastly, we evaluated the alterations in mitochondrial potential that reduced after treatment with lectins. Our results indicate that ConA and ConBr inhibited cell proliferation selectively in tumor cells and that apoptosis was the main death mechanism. Therefore, lectins can be considered a class of molecules with a high antitumor activity potential

Differential metabolic and biological profiles of Lychnophora ericoides mart. (Asteraceae) from different localities in the Brazilian "campos rupestres"

This paper reports HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and HPLC-ECD characterisation of secondary metabolite profiles of Lychnophora ericoides Mart. leaf extracts from different provenances and their cytotoxic and antioxidant properties. Leaf extracts from populations representing seven different locations were evaluated for antioxidant activity by the DPPH radical scavenging system and activity towards cellular growth in three tumor cell lines. The extracts were electrochemically analysed by HPLC-ECD and their main secondary metabolites were identified by HPLC-DAD-MS and HPLC-DAD-MS/MS. An amplified defensive secondary chemistry, together with maximal cytotoxic and antioxidant bioactivities, were found for plants collected at the interface between two types of forest. These findings furnish additional support for the hypothesis that plants occurring at the interface between two forests ecosystems might be stimulated to amplify their own production and storage of defensive secondary metabolites due to the greater number of environmental influences

Produtividade, estabilidade e adaptabilidade em progênies de Myracrodruon urundeuva F.F. & M.F. Allemão - Anacardiaceae.

A utilização de forma extrativista e inadequada dos recursos naturais vem restringindo a ocorrência da aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva F.F. & M.F. Allemão), constando, inclusive, na lista de espécies ameaçadas de extinção da FAO. Assim, a restrição da ocorrência, acarreta diminuição na base genética das populações de M. urundeuva, o que torna mais difícil encontrar genótipos com estabilidade e adaptabilidade para as diferentes condições de plantio. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo estimar a variação genética e estudar a produtividade, estabilidade e adaptabilidade em progênies de uma população natural de M. urundeuva em diferentes sistemas de plantio. Para tanto, avaliou-se o DAP (diâmetro à altura do peito) em quatro testes de progênies de M. urundeuva: i) consorciada com Anandenanthera falcata e Guazuma ulmifolia (TP-AMA); ii) a pleno sol (TP-ASO); iii) ,em consórcio com culturas anuais (TP-SAF) e iv) consorciada com Corymbia citriodora (TP-EUCA), instalados em Selvíria, MS. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com três repetições e número variável de plantas por parcela em cada um dos quatro sistemas de plantio. A partir da análise conjunta dos sistemas de plantio estudados, verificou-se que: i) houve variação entre os sistemas de plantio com destaque para o TP-SAF; ii) apenas no TP-EUCA foi possível detectar variação entre as progênies; iii) os efeitos da interação genótipo x ambiente não foram significativos. A média harmônica dos valores genotípicos (MHVG), o desempenho relativo dos valores genotípicos em relação à média de cada local (PRVG) e a média harmônica do desempenho relativo dos valores genotípicos (MHPRVG) para o caráter DAP evidenciaram, respectivamente, as progênies com maior estabilidade, adaptabilidade, e estabilidade e adaptabilidade simultaneamente nos diferentes sistemas de plantio. Assim, a utilização destes critérios de seleção proporcionou um refinamento a mais na seleção das melhores progênies de M. urundeuva nos diferentes sistemas de plantios estudados

Effect of essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet on cardiovascular and autonomic function in rats with isoproterenol induced acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Alpinia zerumbet is a plant popularly used to treat hypertension and anxiety. Studies with Alpinia zerumbet demonstrate antihypertensive and vasodilator effects, among others. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAz) on cardiovascular and autonomic function in rats with isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Male Wistar rats (n=32) were equally allocated into four groups: Control, ISO (150mg/kg, subcutaneous), EOAz (100mg/kg by gavage), ISO+EOAz. The rats were evaluated for cardiovascular and, autonomic parameters, electrocardiogram, and infarct size. EOAz was not able to reduce the electrocardiographic variations induced by ISO. Heart rate variability showed a decrease in sympathetic modulation on the heart in the groups treated with EOAz. The cardiopulmonary reflex induced by serotonin invoked a superior blood pressure variation at the 2 µg/kg dose in the EOAz treated groups, while the heart rate variation was significantly higher at the 16 µg/kg dose, when compared to other doses, in all groups, except EOAz+ISO. The sympathetic vagal index was higher in ISO group than in control. EOAz did not reduce the infarct size. We conclude that pretreatment with EOAz does not reverse the hemodynamic and electrocardiographic damage caused by isoproterenol but does reduce sympathetic modulation

Assessment of cytotoxicity in three tumor cell lines of the fractions attained from the stem bark of salacia crassifolia (mart. ex. schult.) g. dom (celastraceae)

For millennia humans have been using plants for medicinal purposes to treat, cure, or prevent diseases, including cancer. Brazilian ecosystem has a high diversity of plant species. From this perspective, a species found in the Cerrado, Salacia crassifolia (Celastraceae), was selected, for an initial screening to determine the cytotoxic potential of this species "in vitro". S. crassifolia has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat kidney diseases, chronic cough, headaches, healing, ulcerogenic, and for treatment of malaria. The fractions: hydroalcoholic (SCCcM-W), dichloromethane(SCCcM-D), hexane (SCCcM-H) and ethyl acetate (SCCcM-A) from the stem bark were tested for cytotoxicity "in vitro" to within MDA -MB-435(melanoma), HCT-8 (human-colon), and SF-295 (CNS) using the MTT colorimetric method. The hexane (SCCcM-H) and ethyl acetate (SCCcM-A) fractions were those that provided significant cytotoxicity against analyzed tumor cells.A utilização de plantas pela humanidade com fins medicinais é uma das formas mais antigas para tratamento, cura e prevenção de doenças, dentre elas o câncer, cujas espécies vegetais são encontradas em elevada diversidade no ecossistema. Com essa perspectiva, se optou por um arbusto típico do Cerrado, Salacia crassifolia (Celastraceae), para um screening inicial na determinação do potencial citotóxico desta espécie in vitro. Na medicina popular, S. crassifoliaé utilizada no tratamento de problemas renais, tosse crônica, dores de cabeça, cicatrizantes, ulcerogênicas e na terapia da malaria. As frações: hidroalcoólica (SCCcM-W), diclorometânica(SCCcM-D), hexânica (SCCcM-H) e acetato de etila (SCCcM-A) da casca do caule foram submetidas a testes de citotoxicidade in vitro frente às linhagens MDA-MB-435(melanoma), HCT-8 (cólon-humano) e SF-295 (sistema nervoso central) utilizando o método colorimétrico MTT. As frações hexânica (SCCcM-H) e de acetato de etila(SCCcM-A) foram aquelas que proporcionaram citotoxicidade significativas frente às células tumorais analisadas

Detection and application of novel SSR markers from transcriptome data for Astronium fraxinifolium Schott, a threatened Brazilian tree species.

Astronium fraxinifolium is an endangered tree species from Brazil. Due to its significance in environmental reforestation, as well as the continued exploitation of its wood, it is necessary to develop management programs that support the conservation of the species. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) or microsatellite markers are widely used in population genetic studies across a range of diverse organisms. In this study, we present the first SSR markers developed for A. fraxinifolium as well as their frequency and distribution based on transcriptome data. From transcriptome data, we identified more than 100 thousand sequences presenting microsatellites, with a predominant distribution of trinucleotide repeats. From the initial screening, we selected 20 microsatellite loci which were validated and evaluated for genetic indices in two natural populations. All loci were polymorphic, ranging from four to 11 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 1.0 and from 0.533 to 1.0, respectively, while the genetic differentiation (GST = 0.363) was greater within than between populations. The developed SSR loci from RNA-Seq data provides a foundation for future studies on genetic diversity and population structure, mating system, and gene flow for A. fraxinifolium populations and related species, aiming at conservation and management

Sensitive method for determination of piplartine, an alkaloid amide from Piper species, in rat plasma samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Piplartine (PPTN) is an alkaloid amide found in Piper species that presents different activities. PPTN determination in rat plasma is necessary to better understand its biological effects. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the determination of PPTN in rat plasma. The performance criteria for linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, recovery, and stability have been assessed and were within the recommended guidelines. The validated method proved to be suitable in a pilot study of PPTN kinetic disposition in rat plasma after a single intraperitoneal dose, and represents an appropriate tool to further pharmacokinetic studies