Domingos Tabajara de Oliveira Martins

Ethnopharmacology of medicinal plants of the pantanal region (mato grosso, Brazil).

Traditional knowledge is an important source of obtaining new phytotherapeutic agents. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was conducted in Nossa Senhora Aparecida do Chumbo District (NSACD), located in Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. 376 species of medicinal plants belonging to 285 genera and 102 families were cited. Fabaceae (10.2%), Asteraceae (7.82%) and Lamaceae (4.89%) families are of greater importance. Species with the greater relative importance were Himatanthus obovatus (1.87), Hibiscus sabdariffa (1.87), Solidago microglossa (1.80), Strychnos pseudoquina (1.73) and Dorstenia brasiliensis, Scoparia dulcis L., and Luehea divaricata (1.50). The informant consensus factor (ICF) ranged from 0.13 to 0.78 encompassing 18 disease categories,of which 15 had ICF greater than 0.50, with a predominance of disease categories related to injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (ICF  =  0.78) having 65 species cited while 20 species were cited for mental and behavioral disorders (ICF  =  0.77). The results show that knowledge about medicinal plants is evenly distributed among the population of NSACD. This population possesses medicinal plants for most disease categories, with the highest concordance for prenatal, mental/behavioral and respiratory problems.

Gastroprotective and ulcer-healing mechanisms of ellagic acid in experimental rats.

Ellagic acid (EA), a plant-derived polyphenol, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gastroprotective effects. Its gastroprotective mechanisms have not been fully elucidated nor have its effects on chronic ulcer previously been described. Toward these ends, the antiulcer activities of EA were evaluated in acute (ethanol and indomethacin) and chronic (acetic acid) ulcer models in Wistar rats. In this study, oral administration of EA significantly prevented the gastric ulceration caused by ethanol, indomethacin, and acetic acid treatments. Its gastroprotective mechanism in ethanol-induced ulcer were partly due to intensification in the endogenous production of nitric oxide, an antioxidant effect by replenishing depletion of endogenous nonprotein sulfhydryls and attenuation of tumor necrosis factor-α increase, whereas in indomethacin ulcer, it is partly due to a reduction in the plasma level of leukotriene B(4). In acetic acid ulcer, promotion of ulcer-healing effects was partly due to attenuation of the elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, interferon-γ, and interleukins-4 and -6. These findings suggest that ellagic acid exerts its antiulcer activity by strengthening the defensive factors and attenuating the offensive factors.

Gastroprotective effect from Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. bark on experimental gastric lesions in rats and mice.

In order to establish the pharmacological basis for the ethnomedicinal use of stem bark extracts of Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. in gastrointestinal affections, this study examined the effects of a dichloromethane fraction (DCMF), obtained from the hexane extract of bark, on ethanol, indomethacin and hypothermic restraint stress-induced gastric lesions in mice and rats, respectively. Oral administration of DCMF at doses ranging from 12.5-250 mg/kg significantly inhibited the development of gastric lesions in all the three test models. It caused significant decreases of the pyloric-ligation and bethanechol-stimulated gastric secretion, and also the free and total acidities. Besides, DCMF offered protection against ethanol-induced depletion of stomach wall mucus and reduction in nonprotein sulfhydryl concentration. The results indicate that DCMF from C. brasiliense possesses antisecretory, antiulcer and cytoprotective properties.

Pharmacological mechanisms underlying the anti-ulcer activity of methanol extract and canthin-6-one of Simaba ferruginea A. St-Hil. in animal models

RELEVANCE Simaba ferruginea A. St-Hil. (Simaroubaceae) is a subshrub typical of the Brazilian Cerrado, whose rhizomes are popularly used as infusion or decoction for the treatment of gastric ulcers, diarrhea and fever. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the pharmacological mechanism(s) of action of the antiulcer effects of the methanol extract of Simaba ferruginea and its alkaloid canthin-6-one. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rhizome of Simaba ferruginea was macerated with methanol to obtain the methanol extract (MESf) from which was obtained, the chloroform fraction. Canthin-6-one alkaloid (Cant) was purified and then isolated from the chloroform fraction (CFSf). The isolated Cant was identified by HPLC. Anti-ulcer assays were determined using ethanol and indomethacin-induced ulcer models in mice and rats respectively. In order to determine the probable mechanisms of actions of MESf and Cant animals were pretreated with l-NAME prior to anti-ulcer agent treatments and ulcer induction and nitric oxide (NO) level determined in order to assess NO involvement in the gastroprotective effects. Assays of malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), pro-inflammatory cytokines: interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) were also carried out according to previously described methods. RESULTS The results indicate that the antiulcerogenic effects of MESf and Cant in ethanol-induced ulcer is mediated in part through increase in the production of protective endogenous NO as the antiulcerogenic activity of MESf and Cant was reduced in animals pre-treated with l-NAME. In indomethacin-induced ulcer pre-treatment with MESf and Cant showed reduction in the levels of MPO and MDA in the gastric tissue, thus indicating the participation of the antioxidant mechanisms on the gastroprotective effects. The plasma levels of IL-8 in ulcerated rats with indomethacin were also reduced by Cant, but not by MESf, indicating that inhibition of this cytokine contributes to the gastroprotective effect of Cant. However MESf and Cant had no effect on the mucosal membrane levels of PGE(2), indicating that the gastroprotective effects of these agents is independent of PGE(2) modulation. CONCLUSION The results obtained in this study with MESf and Cant added insights into the pharmacological mechanisms involved in their mode of antiulcer action. The results indicate that Cant is one of the compounds responsible for these effects. Such findings are of extreme importance in the strive for future development of potent, safer and effective antiulcer agent. The efficacy of MESf and Cant in gastroprotection shows that Simaba ferruginea might be a promising antiulcer herbal medicine, in addition to confirming the popular use of this plant against gastric ulcer models utilised in this study.

O perfil epidemiológico do uso de drogas entre estudantes de 1º e 2º graus da rede estadual de ensino de Cuiabá, Brasil, 1995

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 1,061 students to determine the epidemiological profile of drug abuse among elementary and high school students in the State public school system in Greater Metropolitan Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 1995. Results showed drug abuse among both male and female students (27.2% and 24.1%, respectively). Drug abuse was more common in students over 18 years of age (27.1%), with grade/age discrepancies (70.7%), with higher classroom absenteeism (44.6%), and with higher social economic levels (A + B = 34.5%). The most frequently abused drugs among male students were alcohol (81.8%), solvents (18.6%), and marijuana (6.0%). Early alcohol abuse was also common (12.1 ±3.6 years). In addition to alcohol (78.6%) and tobacco (29.0%), the substances most commonly consumed by students were solvents (14.9%), anxiolytics (6.0%), and amphetamines (4.8%). The 1995 epidemiological profile of drug abuse among elementary and high school students in the State public school system in Cuiaba was similar data from nationwide surveys conducted in 1987, 1989, and 1993.

Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas popularmente utilizadas como antiúlceras e antiinflamatórias pela comunidade de Pirizal, Nossa Senhora do Livramento-MT, Brasil

An ethnobotanical survey was conduced to study the vegetal species from Pantanal, in the district of Pirizal-MT, popularly used as anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer. Ethnobotanical data were collected through open interviews and ethnopharmacology questionnaire with 38 local informers, in the age group of 25 to 75 years old. The local name, the part normally used, the mode of preparation and the administration route were asked to them. A bibliographic review of the plants most cited in the study was carried out using the conventional databases. A total of 49 species were cited belonging to 47 genera and 32 families, with emphasizing the Fabaceae family. The plants most cited were Lafoensia pacari St. Hil (9.2%), Hyptis crenata Pohl (8.8%), Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit (6.7%), Stachytarpheta cayenensis (L.C.Rich) Vahl (5.8%), Waltheria indica L. (5%), Strychnos pseudoquina St.Hil (4.2%) and Vatairea macrocarpa (Benth.) Ducke (3.3%). The part of the plant most cited was the leaf (57.1%), the most used administration route in the treatment of ulcers was oral (100%), in the form of teas (75%), while in the inflammations, topical baths were preferentially used (60%). The literature review indicated the need for further chemical-pharmacological studies on Vatairea macrocarpa (Benth.) Ducke and Hyptis crenata Pohl.

Antimicrobial screening of some medicinal plants from Mato Grosso Cerrado

Hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts from stem barks of Bowdichia virgilioides, Calophyllum brasiliense, Cariniana rubra, Lafoensia pacari, and Stryphnodendron obovatum and rhizome of Simaba ferruginea and Dragons blood red sap from Croton urucurana were screened against a panel of bacteria and fungi using the micro-broth dilution method. Dragons blood from Croton urucurana was the most effective antimicrobial plant material. Ethyl acetate and hexane extracts of Calophyllum brasiliense stem bark deserved distinction by their selective antibacterial activity. Lafoensia pacari stem bark polar extracts distinguished by their potent and selective anti-yeast activity and Bowdichia virgilioides polar and non-polar extracts by their antifungal activity towards hyalohypho-mycetes and dermatophytes. This is the first report showing antifungal activity for polar extracts of Cariniana rubra and Simaba ferruginea. This study has demonstrated antimicrobial activity of Mato Grosso Cerrado ethnomedicinal plants in in vitro assays and has indicated that they can be effective potential candidates for the development of new strategies to treat fungal and bacterial infections.

Experimental evaluation of stem bark of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville for antiinflammatory activity

The acetone soluble fraction from the crude extract of Stryphnodendron adstringens stem bark was evaluated in acute and chronic models of inflammation. It was found to cause significant inhibition of rat paw oedema induced by carrageenan and dextran; the exudate volume and migration of leukocyte number in the rat pleurisy test and also in the hind paw swelling in rats on Freunds adjuvant‐induced arthritis. In addition, it significantly decreased the vascular permeability increase caused by intraperitoneal acetic acid in mice. These findings support the traditional use of S. adstringens bark extracts in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas utilizadas como anti-hiperlipidêmicas e anorexígenas pela população de Nova Xavantina-MT, Brasil

This study checked the use of medicinal plants found in the Cerrado mato-grossense for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Interviews with 180 people over 50 years were held in Nova Xavantina-MT. The questionnaire addressed popular name, part used, type of preparation and use of the species mentioned, beyond general information about the use of plants. The ten plants most cited were collected, identified and studied through a literature review. Most respondents (95.6%) said using medicinal plants regularly, while 71.5% of them inherited the knowledge of plants of parents and grandparents and 94.20% reported the use to advise youngsters. Furthermore, 93.6% attested that the plants are more effective than the drugs from pharmacy and 57% considered the strong effect of the same, i.e., they always solved health problems. Regarding adverse effects, 95.9% said they have never felt them after the use of plants. Of the respondents, 56.7% knew or had used medicinal plants in the treatment of hyperlipidemias and obesity, being cited 54 medicinal species belonging to 53 different genera and 38 families, with emphasis on Fabaceae (13%). The ten most cited were: guatambu (Aspidosperma tomentosum Mart.), quina-do-cerrado (Strychnos pseudoquina St. Hil.), ipe-roxo [Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. Ex DC.) Standl], embauba (Cecropia pachystachya Trec.), calunga (Simaba sp.), pata-de-vaca [Bauhinia rufa (Bong.) Steud.], mangaba (Hancornia speciosa Gomez), batata-de-tiu [Jatropha elliptica (Pohl.) Muell. Arg.], folha-de-carne (Casearia sylvestris Sw.) and manaca (Spiranthera odoratissima A. St.-Hil.). The leaf was the most used (46%) and the preparation of the plants occurs mainly through the infusion cited by 36,5% of respondents. Despite the popular use of these plants for treatment of obesity and hyperlipidemia, further chemical and pharmacological studies are required to demonstrate these activities, in order to develop a phytotherapic product.

In vitro and in vivo anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of Calophyllum brasiliense Camb.

AIMS OF THE STUDY Calophyllum brasiliense (Camb.) is a medicinal tree that grows particularly in the hilly and forested regions of Brazil. Preparations from its stem bark are popular remedies for the treatment of chronic ulcers. Since earlier investigations on bark extracts evidenced gastroprotective and gastric acid inhibitory properties, this study evaluated the effects of hydroethanolic extract (HEECb) and the dichloromethanic fraction (DCMF), from Calophyllum brasiliense stem bark, against Helicobacter pylori, in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS The in vitro assays were performed using the disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The test substances were evaluated in vivo taking into account the delay in the gastric ulcer healing in Wistar rats, infected with Helicobacter pylori. RESULTS DCMF appeared the most active and potent in vitro against Helicobacter pylori growth with an MIC of 31 microg/mL. In the in vivo assays, rats ulcerated by acetic acid, and inoculated with Helicobacter pylori showed a marked delay in ulcer healing. Treatment with HEECb (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and DCMF (100 and 200 mg/kg) reduced the ulcerated area in a dose-dependent manner. While DCMF, at 200 mg/kg, increased the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level, both HEECb and DCMF decreased the number of urease-positive animals, as confirmed by the reduction of Helicobacter pylori presence in histopathological analysis. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the antiulcer activity of Calophyllum brasiliense is due, in part, to its anti-Helicobacter pylori action, validating the popular use of this species.