Célia Hitomi Yamamoto

Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Annona muricata L. Leaves in Animal Models

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract from Annona muricata L. leaves were investigated in animal models. The extract delivered per oral route (p.o.) reduced the number of abdominal contortions by 14.42% (at a dose of 200 mg/kg) and 41.41% (400 mg/kg). Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o) inhibited both phases of the time paw licking: first phase (23.67% and 45.02%) and the second phase (30.09% and 50.02%), respectively. The extract (p.o.) increased the reaction time on a hot plate at doses of 200 (30.77% and 37.04%) and 400 mg/kg (82.61% and 96.30%) after 60 and 90 minutes of treatment, respectively. The paw edema was reduced by the ethanol extract (p.o.) at doses of 200 (23.16% and 29.33%) and 400 mg/kg (29.50% and 37.33%) after 3 to 4 h of application of carrageenan, respectively. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.), administered 4 h before the carrageenan injection, reduced the exudate volume (29.25 and 45.74%) and leukocyte migration (18.19 and 27.95%) significantly. These results suggest that A. muricata can be an active source of substances with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.

Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Sesame Oil and Sesamin

Sesame oil is widely consumed as nutritious food, cooking oil, and in pharmaceuticals and food. In this study, the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the sesame oil and sesamin were investigated. The sesame oil and sesamin reduced the number of abdominal contortions at the doses 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg. The first and second phases of the time paw licking were inhibited by sesame oil and sesamin (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg). After 90 min of treatment, sesame oil and sesamin increased the reaction time on a hot plate (200 or 400 mg/kg). Considering the tail-immersion assay, the sesame oil and sesamin produced significant effect after 60 min at the doses of 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg. After 4 h of application of the carrageenan, the sesame oil and sesamin were effective against the paw edema. The exudate volume and leucocyte migration were also reduced by sesame oil and sesamin. These results suggest that sesamin is one of the active compounds found in sesame oil and justify the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of this product.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil from Eremanthus erythropappus leaves.

The chemical composition of the essential oil from air‐dried leaves of Eremanthus erythropappus was studied. The main compounds were β‐pinene (23.24%), β‐caryophyllene (22.92%), β‐myrcene (10.03%) and germacrene D (9.40%). The essential oil had an LD50 of 2.90 gkg−1 in mice. Doses of 200 and 400 mgkg−1 inhibited 10.69% and 27.06% of acetic‐acid‐induced writhing in mice, respectively. In the formalin‐induced nociception test in mice, the essential oil inhibited the first phase of paw licking by 29.13% (400 mgkg−1) and the second phase by 32.74% (200 mgkg−1) and 37.55% (400 mgkg−1). In the hot‐plate test in mice, doses of 200 mgkg−1 and 400 mgkg−1 significantly increased the reaction time after 30, 60 and 90 min of treatment. Doses of 200 and 400 mgkg−1 inhibited carrageenan‐induced paw oedema in rats by 15.18% and 36.61%, respectively. Doses of 200 and 400 mgkg−1 administered 4 h before intra‐pleural injection of carrageenan significantly reduced exudate volume (by 20.20% and 48.70%, respectively) and leucocyte mobilization (by 5.88% and 17.29%, respectively). These results demonstrate that E. erythropappus has analgesic and anti‐inflammatory properties, supporting the use of this plant in folk medicine.

Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract from Vernonia polyanthes Leaves in Rodents

The ethanol extract from Vernonia polyanthes leaves (EEVP) was investigated for antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects at the doses (p.o.) of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg in animal models. The extract reduced the number of abdominal contortions by 16.75% and 31.44% at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The results obtained showed that EEVP exerted a significant antinociceptive effect in the two phases of formalin. The EEVP increased the reaction time on a hot plate at the doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg after 90 min of treatment. The paw edema was reduced by EEVP at the doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg after 4 h of application of carrageenan. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, administered 4 h before the carrageenan injection, significantly reduced the exudate volume (29.25 and 45.74%, respectively) and leukocyte migration (18.19 and 27.95%, respectively). These results suggest that V. polyanthes can be an active source of substances with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.

Pharmacological Proprieties of the Ethanol Extract of Muehlenbeckia platyclada (F. Muell.) Meisn. Leaves

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the Muehlenbeckia platyclada leaves’ ethanol extract were investigated in animal models. The extract (p.o.) reduced the number of abdominal contortions induced by acetic acid by 21.57% (400 mg/kg). After intraplantar injection of formalin, a dose of 400 mg/kg (p.o.) inhibited the time spent paw licking in the first phase (26.43%), while the second phase was inhibited by 10.90 and 36.65% at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The extract (p.o.) increased the reaction time on a hot plate at a dose of 400 mg/kg (32.68 and 40.30%) after 60 and 90 minutes of treatment, respectively. The paw edema was reduced by extract (p.o.) at doses of 100 (15.46 and 16.67%), 200 (22.68 and 25.64%) and 400 mg/kg (29.50 and 37.33%) after 3 to 4 h of carrageenan application, respectively. Doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.), administered 4 h after the carrageenan injection, reduced the exudate volume (11.28, 21.54 and 45.13%), while leukocyte migration was reduced by 21.21 and 29.70% at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. These results indicate that the ethanol extract from M. platyclada may constitute a potential target for the discovery of new molecules with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities that can be explored for their therapeutic use.

Pharmacological effects of two polar fractions from Annona coriacea Mart in animal models

In the current investigation, the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions from Annona coriacea leaves were evaluated using standard experimental test models. The antinociceptive activity of A. coriacea was studied by acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin and hot-plate tests, and the anti-inflammatory activity was determined by carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and carrageenan-induced pleurisy. Inhibition of the acetic acid-induced abdominal contortions was observed at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. After injection of formalin, the dose of 100 mg/kg inhibited the time spent paw licking in the first phase, while the second phase was inhibited at the doses of 10, 50 or 100 mg/kg. In the hot-plate assay, the reaction time was increased at 90 min in animals that received 100 mg/kg. Doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema, the exudate volume, and leucocyte migration. The present results demonstrate that fractions of A. coriacea have antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting the use of this plant in folk medicine.

Methyl Chavicol and Its Synthetic Analogue as Possible Antioxidant and Antilipase Agents Based on the In Vitro and In Silico Assays

This study investigated the in vitro and in silico biological properties of the methyl chavicol (MC) and its analogue 2-[(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl]oxirane (MPMO), emphasizing the antioxidant and antilipase effects. MPMO was synthesized from MC that reacted with meta-chloroperbenzoic acid and, after separation and purification, was identified by 1H and 13C NMR and GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was investigated by DPPH, cooxidation β-carotene/linoleic acid, and thiobarbituric acid assays. With the use of colorimetric determination, the antilipase effect on the pancreatic lipase was tested, while the molecular interaction profiles were evaluated by docking molecular study. MC (IC50 = 312.50 ± 2.28 μg/mL) and MPMO (IC50 = 8.29 ± 0.80 μg/mL) inhibited the DPPH free radical. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation (%) was 73.08 ± 4.79 and 36.16 ± 4.11 to MC and MPMO, respectively. The malonaldehyde content was significantly reduced in the presence of MC and MPMO. MC and MPMO inhibited the pancreatic lipase in 58.12 and 26.93%, respectively. MC and MPMO (−6.1 kcal·mol−1) produced a binding affinity value lower than did diundecylphosphatidylcholine (−5.6 kcal·mol−1). These findings show that MC and MPMO present antioxidant and antilipase activities, which may be promising molecular targets for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative damage and lipid metabolism.

Bioactivities of the ethanol extract from Ageratum fastigiatum branches: antioxidant, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory

The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract from Ageratum fastigiatum branches. Phytochemical screening and total phenol and flavonoid contents were determined. The antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrilhydrazin (DPPH) and iron reducing power methods. The antinociceptive effect was evaluated using the acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin, hot plate and tail immersion assays; while the carrageenan-induced paw edema and pleurisy tests were performed to examine the anti-inflammatory activity against acute inflammation. The extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, terpenes, sterols and saponins. Expressive levels of total phenols and flavonoids and a promising antioxidant effect were quantified. At the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, the extract inhibited the writhing, reduced both phases of paw licking time and increased the reaction time on the hot plate. In the tail immersion test, the extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) caused a significant inhibition of pain. In these doses, the paw edema, exudate volume and leucocyte mobilization were significantly reduced. These results suggest that A. fastigiatum can be an active source of substances with antioxidant, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, adding scientific support to the appropriate use in the Brazilian folk medicine.