Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Amburana cearensis (Allemão) ACSm

Amburana cearensis (Allemão) ACSm. belongs to the Fabaceae family and occurs in the Brazilian semiarid, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. Numerous studies that portray its ethnobotany, use in popular medicine, chemical composition, and biological activities exist in the literature. This review aimed to provide an overview of the chemical composition, ethnopharmacology, and biological activities associated with A. cearensis and its isolated constituents. Information was collected from internet searches in the Scopus, Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases were performed covering publications from 1997–2020. An ethnopharmacological literature analysis revealed that A. cearensis is used to treat a wide range of respiratory disorders in addition to intestinal, circulatory, and inflammatory problems. Coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic glycosides, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoid derivatives, and triterpenoids, among others, have been reported as active compounds, with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) being the main analytical technique used. The A. cearensis extracts and compounds presented several biological activities, including antimicrobial, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and myorelaxant activities, among others. This review provides a useful bibliography for future investigations and A. cearensis applications; however, future studies should focus on its toxic effects and the mechanisms of action of its extracts and isolated constituents to guide clinical applications.

Analysis of in vitro activity of high dilutions of Euphorbia tirucalli L. in human melanoma cells

Aveloz (firestick cactus; Euphorbia tirucalli L.) belongs to Euphorbiaceae family, characterized by the production of a toxic latex that has corrosive effects on the skin and mucous membranes. Continual topic use of the latex is recommended by popular medicine to treat warts, and epitheliomas. To validate this indication, ultra diluted latex and homeopathic medicine Euphorbia tirucalli were tested in vitro on the proliferation of melanoma cells. Ultra diluted latex was prepared in homeopathic dilutions 5cH, 15cH and 30cH by dilution and agitation (trituration for solid and sucussion for liquid phases) using 70º GL (Gay Lussac) ethylic alcohol (70º GL EtOH 70ºGL) as inert medium according to the guidelines in Farmacopéia Homeopática Brasileira (FHB). Homeopathic medicine Euphorbia tirucalli was prepared from mother-tincture according to the centesimal Hahnemannian method. Solutions 0.5% and 5% of 70ºGL EtOH were succussed and used as control. Human melanoma cells were cultured, treated and monitored by method MTT for 24 to 72 hours. It was observed that 0.5% 70ºGL EtOH solution had little or no effect on the proliferation of melanoma cells (5.1% maximal inhibition in dilution 30cH). Positive correlation was observed in most groups between inhibition of proliferation and diluted preparations, maximal increase (9%) was seen in with 5% latex. Moreover, mother-tincture proved to be more active than latex; treatment with 0.5% solution of latex 30cH exhibited 19.7% inhibition, whereas treatment with 0.5% solution of Euphorbia tirucalli 30cH exhibited 32.1% inhibition of cell proliferation (p

From New Spain to Damascus: Ottoman Religious Authorities and the Making of Medical Knowledge on Tobacco

This article examines the translation, circulation, and adaptation of the medical opinion of Spanish physician Nicolas Monardes (d. 1588) on tobacco in the Ottoman Empire. In addition to medical and encyclopedist authors, the spread of new medical knowledge in learned and eventually popular registers was the result of the efforts of religious authorities. These latter authorities, namely jurists, Sufis, and preachers, took an interest in the bodily and mental effects of smoking for its moral implications. In forming their medical-moral discourse, they sought and studied contemporary medical works of both Ottoman and European provenance. Challenging the strict division between learned and popular medicine, this article argues that Ottoman religious authorities, while often excluded from the history of medicine, played significant roles in the circulation, adaptation, and localization of medical knowledge.

Virtual Screening in Pharmacokinetics, Bioactivity, and Toxicity of the Amburana cearensis Secondary Metabolites

Bioprospecting has contributed to the work of pharmaceutical chemists in the development and commercial disposal of new drugs. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry has emphasized drugs produced from bioactive compounds extracted from natural sources, based on popular medicine discussed in the literature, such as secondary metabolites isolated from the stem bark and seeds of the Amburana cearensis, rich in coumarin derivatives, flavonoids, and phenolic acids and is popularly used in the treatment of respiratory diseases and with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bioactivity. This review is a study of the structure/activity and structure/property (SAR/SPA) relationship with the physicochemical properties calculated by the algorithms of the MarvinSketch software for the secondary metabolites of A. cearensis, as well as their correlation with in silico test values the SwissADME and admetSAR 2.0 servers and in vitro and in vivo models of the dataset from the PreADMET, GUSAR Online and PASS Online servers. The results showed that substances derived from coumarin, flavonoids, and phenolic acids have attributes of good permeability and low efflux, which favor their oral bioavailability, since phenolic heterosides, amburoside analogs, and biflavonoids are effective in local action as subcutaneous application, constituting promising antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant therapeutic actions in their proper administration routes.

Chemical and thermal profile of Plectranthus amboinicus essential oil for its application as a bioherbicide

The species Plectranthus amboinicus is an aromatic herb with great application in popular medicine due to the diversity of biological properties. Chemically, its essential oil (EO) is characterized by two chemotypes, thymol and carvacrol, which vary depending on factors such as seasonality. Despite being an extensively exploited species, studies of the bioherbicidal potential of this species are insufficient. In this context, the EO of P. amboinicus leaves, extracted in two different seasonal periods, were characterized regarding chemical profile (by gas chromatography mass spectrometry - GC-MS) and thermal profile (DTG) and was subjected to bioherbicide tests (germination test and seedling development) against Eragrostis plana, commonly known as capim annoni, an invader of pastures in the Pampas region. P. amboinicus EO was a potent inhibitor of E. plana germination, reducing accumulated germination by over 70% when exposed to 0.1% EO, and a complete inhibition of germination was observed when exposed to 0.5%. Following the effects observed in germination, the initial growth of E. plana was significantly affected by concentrations above 0.05%. The major constituent identified via GC-MS was carvacrol, representing 87.5% of the volatile composition of P. amboinicus leaves. In addition, P. amboinicus EO presented high thermal stability up to 100 °C, which is an interesting result regarding its use as a bioproduct.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Chemical Analysis of Different Fractions from Solidago chilensis Inflorescence

Solidago chilensis Meyen (Compositae) is a species native to South America (Brazil) popularly known as arnica. In Brazilian popular medicine, inflorescences and rhizomes of this plant have been used since the end of the 19th century to replace the exogenous and hepatotoxic Arnica montana L. in the treatment of edema and inflammatory pathologies. Although the anti-inflammatory activity of S. chilensis is evidenced in the literature, there is a lack of studies with enriched fractions or compounds isolated from it. The objective of the current study was to characterize phytochemically and to evaluate the pharmacological action in vivo and in vitro of the crude extract and the different fractions (hexane, dichloromethane, acetal, butanolic, and aqueous) isolated from the inflorescence of S. chilensis. The inflorescence crude extract (ScIE) and fractions were administered by intraperitoneal route to mice at different doses. In an LPS-induced pleurisy model, inhibition of leukocyte influx was observed for the ScIE and all fractions tested, as compared to controls. Dichloromethane (ScDicF), butanolic (ScButF), and aqueous (ScAquF) were selected for further analysis as they showed the best inhibitory effects in leukocyte migration and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production: TNF-α, CXCL1/KC, CXCL2/MIP-2, and CCL11/eotaxin-1. In LPS-stimulated J774A.1 cell line, ScIE and the ScDicF exhibited an inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production and downmodulated the COX-2 expression; ScAquF failed to modulate NO production and COX-2 expression. In phytochemical analysis, HPLC-UV-DAD chromatograms of ScDicF and ScAquF showed the main peaks with UV spectrum characteristics of flavonoids; chlorogenic acid and isoquercetin were the most present phytochemicals identified in the ScAquF, and a high number of n-alkanes was found in ScHexF. Our study was the first to address biological effects and correlate them to phytochemically characterized fractions from inflorescences of S. chilensis.

Influence of Tilia tomentosa Moench Extract on Mouse Small Intestine Neuromuscular Contractility

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and bowel disturbances. FGID therapy is primarily symptomatic, including treatment with herbal remedies. Flower extract of Tilia tomentosa Moench (TtM) is occasionally used as an anti-spasmodic in popular medicine. Since its effect on intestinal response is unknown, we evaluated the influence of TtM extract on small intestine contractility. Ileal preparations from C57BL/6J mice were mounted in organ baths to assess changes in muscle tension, following addition of TtM extract (0.5–36 μg/mL) or a vehicle (ethanol). Changes in contractile response to receptor- and non-receptor-mediated stimuli were assessed in ileal preparations pretreated with 12 μg/mL TtM. Alterations in the enteric nervous system neuroglial network were analyzed by confocal immunofluorescence. Increasing addition of TtM induced a marked relaxation in ileal specimens compared to the vehicle. Pretreatment with TtM affected cholinergic and tachykininergic neuromuscular contractions as well as K+-induced smooth muscle depolarization. Following incubation with TtM, a significant reduction in non-adrenergic non-cholinergic-mediated relaxation sensitive to Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (pan-nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) was found. In vitro incubation of intestinal specimens with TtM did not affect the myenteric plexus neuroglial network. Our findings show that TtM-induced intestinal relaxation is mediated by nitric oxide pathways, providing a pharmacological basis for the use of TtM in FGIDs.

The social representations of patients of Quechua origin with Type 2 Diabetes about their disease and treatment in two hospitals in Cusco

Objectives: To achieve an approximation the social representations of patients about their disease. and about its treatment. Methodology: This is a qualitative study on social representations based on the interpretive paradigm and through an in-depth interview, for which a guide of topics or categories was used, based on the objectives of the study. The study population was made up of patients treated in the Endocrinology Units of the Antonio Lorena and Regional Hospitals of Cusco, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and of Quechua origin evidenced by their mother tongue. The sample is non-probabilistic for convenience, the representativeness of the discourse was sought for this, reaching 30 interviews based on the saturation criterion. The information analysis included 1. The transcription (from oral Quechua to written Quechua) and the translation of the interviews and 2. The computerized processing of the interviews, for which purpose the RQDA (Research qualitative data analysis) computer program was used. Results: The ideas that patients have about the cause of their disease and the changes that it produces reflect the influence of Modern Medicine and Andean and Popular Medicine. On the other hand, for the treatment of their disease, they consider it useful to combine the medications that have been indicated in the health service with the resources of Andean and Popular Medicine (medicinal herbs and other natural products). Conclusion: The patients in our study have an intercultural approach to approach and treat.

Anatomical and histochemical characterization of leaves of Spondias purpurea L.

The Anacardiaceae family has species rich in secondary metabolites. They are widely used in popular medicine. Among them, Spondias purpurea L. stands out for containing several secondary metabolites with important biological activities. To aid in the precise identification of the species, this work aims to perform an anatomical and histochemical characterization of leaves of S. purpurea. Microscope slides containing cross-sections of the petiolule and leaflets, in addition to paradermal sections of the leaflets, were prepared and analyzed in an optical and polarized microscope. Histochemical tests were performed on fresh leaflets. Through microscopic analysis, it was possible to identify the anatomical structures that allow the diagnosis of the studied species, such as petiolule with concave-convex shape, non-glandular and glandular trichomes, druses in phloem; leafletsamphistomatic, with non-glandular trichomes on the adaxial face and glandular trichomes on the abaxial face, midrib with concave-convex shape, two collateral vascular bundles, one layer of palisade parenchyma, druses in phloem and mesophyll. Through histochemistry, the presence of phenolic compounds, alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, lipophilic compounds, essential oils, lignin, starch and calcium oxalate crystals were evidenced in the leaflets. The results are important for the quality control of plant material.