Biochemical Assessment of Fertility-Enhancing Effect of Aqueous Extract of Symphonia globulifera (Linn. F.) In Adult Male Wistar Rats

The present study investigated the effect of oral administration of aqueous extract of Symphonia globulifera root on fertility in addition to its effect on some biochemical indices in adult male Wistar rats. After the aqueous extraction, phytochemical screening was carried out. Twenty-four (24) mature and healthy adult male wistar rats of weights between 150-220 g were used. The rats were randomly divided into four (4) groups each containing six (6) rats. Group 1 rats were gavaged with distilled water which served as control group. Group 2, 3 and 4 rats were orally treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of the aqueous extract of S. globulifera respectively for 21 days. After the treatment, the rats were sacrificed and their organs (heart, liver, kidney and testes) were excised. Hormonal analysis which include seminal fluid analysis (SFA), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), leutenizing hormone (LH), testosterone and prolactin were carried out following standard procedures. The data were analysed using students t-test and ANOVA with the aid of SPSS with P < 0.05 level of statistical significance. The phytochemical screening of the extract revealed presence of major phytochemicals. There was dose-dependent decrease in the body weight of the rats after the treatment. In hormonal analysis, SFA increased significantly when compared to that of the control rats. The analysis also revealed that the blood level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was significantly increased whereas; there was decrease in testosterone level when compared with the control animals. In conclusion, aqueous extract of S. globulifera was found to be safe and showed significant fertility enhancing effects.

Biotransformation of guttiferones, Symphonia globulifera metabolites, by Bipolaris cactivora, an endophytic fungus isolated from its leaves

Biotransformations by endophytes of host-plant metabolites allow to produce molecular diversity and obtain molecules that are little present in the plant.

A Photoalkylative Fluorogenic Probe of Guttiferone A for Live Cell Imaging and Proteome Labeling in Plasmodium falciparum

Guttiferone A (GA) 1, a polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol (PPAP) isolated from the plant Symphonia globulifera (Clusiaceae), constitutes a novel hit in antimalarial drug discovery. PPAPs do not possess identified biochemical targets in malarial parasites up to now. Towards this aim, we designed and evaluated a natural product-derived photoactivatable probe AZC-GA 5, embedding a photoalkylative fluorogenic motif of the 7-azidocoumarin (AZC) type, devoted to studying the affinity proteins interacting with GA in Plasmodium falciparum. Probe 5 manifested a number of positive functional and biological features, such as (i) inhibitory activity in vitro against P. falciparum blood-stages that was superimposable to that of GA 1, dose–response photoalkylative fluorogenic properties (ii) in model conditions using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an affinity protein surrogate, (iii) in live P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes, and (iv) in fresh P. falciparum cell lysate. Fluorogenic signals by photoactivated AZC-GA 5 in biological settings were markedly abolished in the presence of excess GA 1 as a competitor, indicating significant pharmacological specificity of the designed molecular probe relative to the native PPAP. These results open the way to identify the detected plasmodial proteins as putative drug targets for the natural product 1 by means of proteomic analysis.

Dalbergia ecastaphyllum (L.) Taub. and Symphonia globulifera L.f.: The Botanical Sources of Isoflavonoids and Benzophenones in Brazilian Red Propolis

The Brazilian red propolis (BRP) constitutes an important commercial asset for northeast Brazilian beekeepers. The role of Dalbergia ecastaphyllum (L.) Taub. (Fabaceae) as the main botanical source of this propolis has been previously confirmed. However, in addition to isoflavonoids and other phenolics, which are present in the resin of D. ecastaphyllum, samples of BRP are reported to contain substantial amounts of polyprenylated benzophenones, whose botanical source was unknown. Therefore, field surveys, phytochemical and chromatographic analyses were undertaken to confirm the botanical sources of the red propolis produced in apiaries located in Canavieiras, Bahia, Brazil. The results confirmed D. ecastaphyllum as the botanical source of liquiritigenin (1), isoliquiritigenin (2), formononetin (3), vestitol (4), neovestitol (5), medicarpin (6), and 7-O-neovestitol (7), while Symphonia globulifera L.f. (Clusiaceae) is herein reported for the first time as the botanical source of polyprenylated benzophenones, mainly guttiferone E (8) and oblongifolin B (9), as well as the triterpenoids β-amyrin (10) and glutinol (11). The chemotaxonomic and economic significance of the occurrence of polyprenylated benzophenones in red propolis is discussed.

Effective gene flow patterns across a fragmented landscape in southern Costa Rica for Symphonia globulifera (Clusiaceae); a species with mobile seed and pollen dispersers

In tropical trees, forest fragmentation has been shown to affect mating and gene flow patterns. Mobile dispersal vectors should be less sensitive to fragmented landscapes and may ameliorate the genetic effects of forest fragmentation on plant populations. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed gene flow patterns in Symphonia globulifera, a tropical tree species with highly mobile pollinators and seed dispersers in the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. We used microsatellites to study genetic diversity and realized gene flow patterns between a continuous forest and a forest fragment. We found high levels of genetic diversity in adults and seedlings at both sites. Parentage analyses suggest near-neighbor matings and frequent long-distance gene flow events. Half the progeny beneath an adult was not sired by that tree and the majority of established seedlings were the result of long-distance gene dispersal. Gene flow from the forest into the fragment was more common than from the fragment into the continuous forests. Despite long distance gene flow events, seedling spatial genetic structure was stronger and extended further in the forest fragment likely due to limited seed dispersal. We conclude that fragmentation affects gene flow in this tropical tree and may compromise its genetic diversity in forest fragments even for a species with mobile pollen and seed vectors.