Combined Anti-Adipogenic Effects of Hispidulin and p-Synephrine on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Hispidulin is abundant in Arrabidaea chica, Crossostephium chinense, and Grindelia argentina, among others. p-Synephrine is the main phytochemical constituent of Citrus aurantium. It has been used in combination with various other phytochemicals to determine synergistic effects in studies involving human participants. However, there have been no reports comparing the anti-adipogenic effects of the combination of hispidulin and p-synephrine. The current study explores the anti-adipogenic effects of hispidulin alone and in combination with p-synephrine in a murine preadipocyte cell line, 3T3-L1. Co-treatment resulted in a greater inhibition of the formation of red-labeled lipid droplets than the hispidulin or p-synephrine-alone treatments. Co-treatment with hispidulin and p-synephrine also significantly inhibited adipogenic marker proteins, including Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinases, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha, glucocorticoid receptor, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β. Although further studies are required to assess the effects of each drug on pharmacokinetic parameters, a combination treatment with hispidulin and p-synephrine may be a potential alternative strategy for developing novel anti-obesity drugs.

Ação do extrato de Arrabidaea chica em biofilmes de Candida albicans, efeito citotóxico em fibroblastos e queratinócitos, e nas propriedades físico/mecânicas de resina de poli(metilmetacrilato)

Este estudo investigou a ação do extrato hidroalcoóde Arrabidaea chica (AchE) contra C. albicans, bem como seu efeito na citotoxicidade em fibroblastos e queratinócitos e alterações nas propriedades físico/mecânicas de resina de PMMA. A susceptibilidade da C. albicans ao AchE foi avaliada por meio da CIM e CFM. Para os testes de suscetibilidade, biofilmes de C. albicans foram desenvolvidos em disco de resina acrílica de PMMA por 48 horas e imersos em 5 grupos, tampão fosfato-salino, hipoclorito de sódio 1% ou em AchE na CIM, 5xCIM ou 10xCIM. A citotoxicidade do AchE (10, 50 e 100 µg/m) em fibroblastos e queratinócitos foi avaliada pelo método MTT sendo a água destilada e NaOCl l% utilizados como controles. Para avaliação das propriedades físico/mecânicas (rugosidade superficial, alteração de cor e resistência flexural), discos foram imersos nos 5 grupos já descritos. Os discos foram incubados e os testes foram realizados após 0, 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias de imersão. O AcHE foi considerado um forte inibidor e com potencial bactericida. A 10 µg/mL não apresentou citotoxicidade, comparando-se ao grupo controle. Demais grupos experimentais foram citotóxicos, porém, com valores menores quando comparados ao NaOCl 1%. Não houve diferenças significativas nas propriedades físico/mecânicas independente do grupo ou tempo avaliados. O AchE, quando utilizado em altas concentrações, foi citotóxico em células fibroblastos e queratinócitos e, independente das concentrações utilizadas, não interferiu nas propriedades físico/mecânicas das resinas PMMA.

Antileishmanial Activity of Flavones-Rich Fraction From Arrabidaea chica Verlot (Bignoniaceae)

Acknowledging the need of identifying new compounds for the treatment of leishmaniasis, this study aimed to evaluate, from in vitro trials, the activity of flavones from Arrabidaea chica against L. amazonensis. The chromatographic profiles of the hydroethanolic extract and a flavone-rich fraction (ACFF) from A. chica were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode-array UV-Vis detector (HPLC-DAD-UV) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in tandem (LC-ESI-MS-MS). The flavones luteolin (1) and apigenin (2), isolated from chromatographic techniques and identified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of 1H and 13C, were also quantified in ACFF, showing 190.7 mg/g and apigenin 12.4 mg/g, respectively. The other flavones were identified by comparing their spectroscopic data with those of the literature. The in vitro activity was assayed against promastigotes and intramacrophagic amastigote forms of L. amazonensis. Cytotoxicity tests were performed with peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice. Nitrite quantification was performed with Griess reagent. Ultrastructural investigations were obtained by transmission electron microscopy. Anti-Leishmania assays indicated that the IC50 values for ACFF, apigenin, and luteolin were obtained at 40.42 ± 0.10 and 31.51 ± 1.13 μg/mL against promastigotes, respectively. ACFF and luteolin have concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. ACFF and luteolin also inhibited the intra-macrophagic parasite (IC50 3.575 ± 1.13 and 11.78 ± 1.24 μg/mL, respectively), with a selectivity index of 11.44 for ACFF. Promastigotes exposed to ACFF and luteolin exhibited ultrastructural changes, such as intense cytoplasm vacuolization and mitochondrial swelling. These findings data evidence the antileishmanial action of flavone-rich fractions of A. chica against L. amazonensis, encouraging further studies.

Mass spectrometry with paper spray ionization in analysis of the Arrabidaea chica leaf tea

The species Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl. (Bignoniaceae) is a plant native to tropical forests, popularly known as pariri or crajiru, and it is widely used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, anemias, skin diseases and to assist in the treatment of leukemia. Because of the widespread use of the plant, concern with its quality and effectiveness is fundamental. This study demonstrates the application of mass spectrometry with ionization by paper spray (PS-MS) as a chemical characterization method to evaluate the presence of the active principles in teas prepared by infusion from commercial samples of the medicinal plant Arrabidaea chica by infusion. The analyses of the samples were performed in two periods: 24 hours and 15 days after the preparation of the teas. Compounds referring to the class of substances 3-deoxythocyanidins were detected without any pre-treatment of the sample or chromatographic separation to provide valuable information for the evaluation and quality control of this product. Significant changes in the m/z signals of greater intensity, referring to the class of 3-deoxythocyanidins, were observed in the mass spectra, and multivariate analysis corroborated the degradation of this class of substances with time, resulting in a probable loss of the quality and effectiveness of the tea.

Toxicity of brazilian medicinal plant extracts on Macrobrachium amazonicum

Medicinal plants from Amazon have been commercialized for decades, but few scientific studies prove their effectiveness and safety in use in aquaculture activities. The objective of the present study was to use the Amazon river prawn Macrobrachium amazonicum to predict the toxicity of the natural extracts of nine medicinal plants viz pariri Arrabidaea chica, muirapuama Ptychopetalum olacoides, anauerá Licania macrophylla, barbatimão Ouratea hexasperma, faveira Vatairea guianensis, sacaca Croton cajucara, jacareúba Calophyllum brasilliense, pau d’arco Tabebuia sp. and verônica Dalbergia subcymosa, in concentrations of 1, 10, 100, 500 and 1000 µg/mL. The media was prepared in 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) diluted with water. Ten post-larvae (0.5 ± 0.1 g) were added to each triplicate and, after 24 h, the mortalities were evaluated, with the results of median lethal concentration expressed as LC50-24h using the Probit statistical method. To obtain the concentrations of a common bioactive compound of plant extracts, the concentrations of flavonoids were analyzed using a methodology based on the formation of chromophores. The results of acute toxicity indicate variability in the toxic effects of medicinal plants, taking into account the concentration of total flavonoids, with the least toxic Tabebuia sp. (LC50 = 758.31 µg/mL) and the most toxic C. cajucara and V. guianensis (LC50 = 72.16 and 75.23 µg/mL), respectively. The extracts demonstrated lethality against M. amazonicum, which predicts toxicity and warns of its use them as herbal medicines. More studies must be carried out to determine other bioactive compounds in the plant extracts used since there is an unparalleled availability of chemical diversity.

Antioxidant potential of Pfaffia glomerata and Arrabidaea chica extracts combination

Several therapeutic benefits of medicinal plants are attributed to antioxidant properties, since antioxidant compounds play an important role in the prevention of various diseases and aging. Many products have synergistic action from combinations of plant extracts that contain natural antioxidants. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of Pfaffia glomerata extract with Arrabidaea chica extract for antioxidant action. In the study the extract of the inflorescences of P. glomerata and the extract of the leaves of A. chica were used. The synergism between P. glomerata extract and A. chica extract was evaluated using the ratio between experimental and theoretical antioxidant activity, which was determined using the DPPH method and the potential total reactive antioxidant method (TRAP). The combination of P. glomerata extract and A. chica extract showed a synergistic effect, in which the antioxidant property of this combination was substantially superior to the sum of the individual antioxidant effects. This demonstrates that the combined extracts can be important for the development of products that have a high antioxidant potential.

Natural dyes from amazon forest: potential application in dye-sensitized solar cells

ABSTRACT In this work, plant dyes extracted from Amazon Forest are applied as a sensitizer in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. The selected plants were Euterpe oleracea, Arrabidaea chica, Bixa orellana, Genipa Americana, and Myrcia sylvatica, and the dyes were collected from fruits, leaves, seeds, pulp and seeds and stalk scrapings respectively. Characterization studies by the UV-vis spectroscopy made it possible to know the absorption spectra of each plant dye, and the X-ray diffraction technique allows the structural characterization of the nanostructured semiconductor layer. The solar cells were characterized according to their efficiency parameters (Voc, Jsc, FF and ? (%)), obtained from the current vs voltage curves. Such parameters proved to be modest, presenting Voc and Jsc values over 0.334 volts and 0.452 mA/cm2 for a photosensitized cell with the dyes extracted from Genipa americana. In this way, it was possible to verify the photoelectrochemical potential of the dyes extracted from plants of the Amazon Forest.