Eliana Rodrigues

Antiulcer effect of the pepper trees Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (aroeira-da-praia) and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Anacardiaceae (aroeira-do-sertão)

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi and the Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemao were evaluated in rats and mice for antiulcer effects, as these two plants are widely used in Brazil for gastric ulcer treatment. Extracts of the plants showed a marked protective effect against gastric ulcerations induced by immobilization stress at low temperature in rats. They also showed an increase in the pH and volume of the gastric contents, and reduction in gastric hemorrhage in rats, and decrease in intestinal transit in mice, even at the low doses of 3.4 mg/kg (1/4 of the dose used by humans).

Pharmacovigilance of Herbal Medicines

Typically, ethnobotanical/ethnopharmacological (EB/EP) surveys are used to describe uses, doses/dosages, sources and methods of preparation of traditional herbal medicines; their application to date in examining the adverse effects, contraindications and other safety aspects of these preparations is limited. From a pharmacovigilance perspective, numerous challenges exist in applying its existing methods to studying the safety profile of herbal medicines, particularly where used by indigenous cultures. This paper aims to contribute to the methodological aspects of EB/EP field work, and to extend the reach of pharmacovigilance, by proposing a tool comprising a list of questions that could be applied during interview and observational studies. The questions focus on the collection of information on the safety profile of traditional herbal medicines as it is embedded in traditional knowledge, as well as on identifying personal experiences (spontaneous reports) of adverse or undesirable effects associated with the use of traditional herbal medicines. Questions on the precise composition of traditional prescriptions or ‘recipes’, their preparation, storage, administration and dosing are also included. Strengths and limitations of the tool are discussed. From this interweaving of EB/EP and pharmacovigilance arises a concept of ethnopharmacovigilance for traditional herbal medicines: the scope of EB/EP is extended to include exploration of the potential harmful effects of medicinal plants, and the incorporation of pharmacovigilance questions into EB/EP studies provides a new opportunity for collection of ‘general’ traditional knowledge on the safety of traditional herbal medicines and, importantly, a conduit for collection of spontaneous reports of suspected adverse effects. Whether the proposed tool can yield data sufficiently rich and of an appropriate quality for application of EB/EP (e.g. data verification and quantitative analysis tools) and pharmacovigilance techniques (e.g. causality assessment and data mining) requires field testing.

Ethnopharmacological survey among migrants living in the Southeast Atlantic Forest of Diadema, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

BackgroundUnderstanding how people of diverse cultural backgrounds have traditionally used plants and animals as medicinal substances during displacements is one of the most important objectives of ethnopharmacological studies. An ethnopharmacological survey conducted among migrants living in the Southeast Atlantic Forest remnants (Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil) is presented herein.MethodsEthnographical methods were used to select and interview the migrants, and botanical and zoological techniques were employed to collect the indicated resources.ResultsWe interviewed five migrants who described knowledge on 12 animals and 85 plants. Only 78 plants were present in Diadema, they belong to 37 taxonomic families; 68 were used exclusively for medicinal purposes, whereas 10 were reported to be toxic and/or presented some restriction of use. These taxa were grouped into 12 therapeutic categories (e.g., gastrointestinal disturbances, inflammatory processes or respiratory problems) based on the 41 individual complaints cited by the migrants. While the twelve animal species were used by the migrants to treat nine complaints; these were divided into six categories, the largest of which related to respiratory problems. None of the animal species and only 57 of the 78 plant species analysed in the present study were previously reported in the pharmacological literature; the popular knowledge concurred with academic findings for 30 of the plants. The seven plants [Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull., Artemisia canphorata Vill., Equisetum arvensis L., Senna pendula (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby, Zea mays L., Fevillea passiflora Vell. and Croton fuscescens Spreng)] and the two animals (Atta sexdens and Periplaneta americana) that showed maintenance of use among migrants during their displacement in Brazilian territory, have not been studied by pharmacologists yet.ConclusionsThus, they should be highlighted and focused in further pharmacology and phytochemical studies, since the persistence of their uses can be indicative of bioactive potentials.

Soulamarin Isolated from Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) Induces Plasma Membrane Permeabilization of Trypanosoma cruzi and Mytochondrial Dysfunction

Chagas disease is caused by the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It has high mortality as well as morbidity rates and usually affects the poorer sections of the population. The development of new, less harmful and more effective drugs is a promising research target, since current standard treatments are highly toxic and administered for long periods. Fractioning of methanol (MeOH) extract of the stem bark of Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) resulted in the isolation of the coumarin soulamarin, which was characterized by one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as ESI mass spectrometry. All data obtained were consistent with a structure of 6-hydroxy-4-propyl-5-(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-oxobutyl)-6″,6″-dimethylpyrane-[2″,3″:8,7]-benzopyran-2-one for soulamarin. Colorimetric MTT assays showed that soulamarin induces trypanocidal effects, and is also active against trypomastigotes. Hemolytic activity tests showed that soulamarin is unable to induce any observable damage to erythrocytes (cmax. = 1,300 µM). The lethal action of soulamarin against T. cruzi was investigated by using amino(4-(6-(amino(iminio)methyl)-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl)methaniminium chloride (SYTOX Green and 1H,5H,11H,15H-Xantheno[2,3,4-ij:5,6,7-i′j′]diquinolizin-18-ium, 9-[4-(chloromethyl)phenyl]-2,3,6,7,12,13,16,17-octahydro-chloride (MitoTracker Red) as fluorimetric probes. With the former, soulamarin showed dose-dependent permeability of the plasma membrane, relative to fully permeable Triton X-100-treated parasites. Spectrofluorimetric and fluorescence microscopy with the latter revealed that soulamarin also induced a strong depolarization (ca. 97%) of the mitochondrial membrane potential. These data demonstrate that the lethal action of soulamarin towards T. cruzi involves damages to the plasma membrane of the parasite and mitochondrial dysfunction without the additional generation of reactive oxygen species, which may have also contributed to the death of the parasites. Considering the unique mitochondrion of T. cruzi, secondary metabolites of plants affecting the bioenergetic system as soulamarin may contribute as scaffolds for the design of novel and selective drug candidates for neglected diseases, mainly Chagas disease.

Preclinical toxicological assessment of a phytotherapeutic product--CPV (based on dry extracts of Crataegus oxyacantha L., Passiflora incarnata L., and Valeriana officinalis L.).

Associations of plants have been widely used, for centuries, in Ayurveda and in Chinese medicine and have been increasingly acknowledged in Western medicine. The objective of this study is to assess the level of toxicity of an association of three plants: Crataegus oxyacantha, Passiflora incarnata, and Valeriana officinalis (CPV extract). This association was administered to rats, mice, and dogs, both acute and chronically for 180 days. The tests used in the acute experiments were: observational pharmacological screening, LD50, motor coordination and motor activity. Chronic tests carried out were: weight gain/loss and behavioral parameters in rats and in mice; estrus cycle, effects on fertility, and teratogenic studies in rats and of mutagenic features in mice, in addition to the Ames test. The following parameters were assessed in dogs: weight gain/loss, general physical conditions, water/food consumption and anatomopathological examination of the organs subsequent to the 180 days of treatment. All of the results were negative, showing that CPV administered in high doses and over a long period of time presents no toxicity, suggestive of the fact that this is an association devoid of risk for human beings. Copyright

Plants With Possible Anxiolytic and/or Hypnotic Effects Indicated by Three Brazilian Cultures - Indians, Afro-Brazilians, and River-Dwellers

Abstract This study shows that, in spite of the great biological and cultural potential in Brazil, there is, even today, no phytomedicines originating from this flora, as an alternative to allopathic anxiolytics and hypnotics prescribed by psychiatry. Thirty-nine plants with potential anxiolytic effects and 28 hypnotics were indicated in the course of ethnopharmacological surveys carried out with Afro-Brazilians and/or Quilombolas, the Caboclo population (river-dwellers), and Indians in Brazil. Practically no pharmacological studies have been found in the scientific literature as evidence of their popular use. From the phytochemical point of view, it is of interest to observe that flavonoids, essential oils, phenolic acids, and alkaloids are the chemical constituents predominantly present in these species, both in those indicated as anxiolytic, and the hypnotic.

Perfil farmacológico e fitoquímico de plantas indicadas pelos caboclos do Parque Nacional do Jaú (AM) como potenciais analgésicas: parte I

Muitos estudos de plantas medicinais baseiam-se em informacoes etnofarmacologicas, na intencao de encurtar o tempo e diminuir os recursos financeiros no desenvolvimento de novas drogas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar estudos de farmacologia pre-clinica e fitoquimica com tres extratos vegetais, obtidos de duas das 42 plantas com potenciais efeitos analgesico e/ou antiinflamatorio, indicadas pelos moradores do Parque Nacional do Jau, AM. Os extratos hidroalcoolicos foram submetidos a caracterizacao fitoquimica por meio de cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD). Os testes de farmacologia pre-clinica empregados foram: screening inicial, rota rod, atividade motora, placa quente, tail flick e contorcoes abdominais, nas doses de 300 e 500 mg/kg. Os tres extratos foram obtidos a partir das cascas da cumanda: Campsiandra comosa Benth., Fabaceae (EHCC) e das folhas (EHSF) e cascas (EHSC) da sucuuba: Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce ex Mull. Arg.) Woodson, Apocynaceae. As analises fitoquimicas revelaram a presenca de flavonoides, taninos, iridoides e triterpenos nos diferentes extratos; enquanto os alcaloides e cumarinas nao foram detectados. A investigacao farmacologica demonstrou atividade analgesica discreta apenas no teste de contorcoes abdominais para os extratos EHSF e EHCC; nenhuma alteracao foi observada no aparelho de rota rod e de modo geral, observou-se diminuicao da atividade motora em todos os extratos nas diferentes doses testadas. Diferentes extratos destas plantas estao sendo testados em outros modelos, pelo mesmo grupo de trabalho, a fim de aprofundar os conhecimentos acerca do perfil farmacologico destas especies.

Plants Indicated by Brazilian Indians for Disturbances of the Central Nervous System: A Bibliographical Survey

Brazil possesses great biological and cultural diversity, above all, in view of the great number of indigenous ethnic groups - 218 in all - that inhabit the five main biomas in Brazil. The purpose of this review is to analyze the relationship between chemical constituents of species utilized by several groups of Brazilian Indians and the uses/indications made of the species by these same groups using ethnopharmacological surveys by different researchers, as from the seventies. The 34 publications selected, involving 26 indigenous ethnic groups, showed a total of 307 species utilized for 67 different diseases or effects possibly related to the Central Nervous System (CNS). These plants belong to 85 taxonomic families, mostly Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae, Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Solanaceae. The chemical constitution of these plants was researched as from the Pubmed and Web of Science and the information obtained was crossed with different indigenous uses, grouped in 12 categories according to similarities between their expected effects on the CNS: analgesics, to counteract fever, tonics and/or adaptogens, hallucinogens, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, head illnesses, hypnotics, stimulants, weight control, memory enhancers, and others. Some phytochemical classes were observed to be more common among plants utilized for certain purposes: flavonoids (analgesia, fever, anxiety, hypnotic, weight control, and as a stimulant), alkaloids (hallucinogens, head illnesses, and as a stimulant), essential oils (fever and anxiety), lignans (hallucinogen), tannins (anxiety), triterpenes and saponins (hypnotic). These data suggest that these phytochemical classes possibly possess a greater number of chemical constituents that perform the effects described or that, in some way, assist in determining the use of the plant by the Indians.

Formulas Used by Tibetan Doctors at Men-Tsee-Khang in India for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Their Correlation with Pharmacological Data

The aim of the present study was to identify formulas used at Men‐Tsee‐Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute), India, for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and to compare the Tibetan usage of particular ingredients with pharmacological data from the scientific database. Using ethnographic methods, five doctors were selected and interviewed. A correlation was observed between central nervous system disorders and rLung, one of the three humors in Tibetan medicine, which imbalance is the source of mental disorders, and ten multi‐ingredient formulas used to treat the imbalance of this particular humor were identified. These formulas utilize 61 ingredients; among them were 48 plant species. Each formula treats several symptoms related to rLung imbalance, so the plants may have therapeutic uses distinct from those of the formulas in which they are included. Myristica fragrans, nutmeg, is contained in 100% of the formulas, and its seeds exhibit stimulant and depressant actions affecting the central nervous system. Preclinical and clinical data from the scientific literature indicate that all of the formulas include ingredients with neuropsychiatric action and corroborate the therapeutic use of 75.6% of the plants. These findings indicate a level of congruence between the therapeutic uses of particular plant species in Tibetan and Western medicines. Copyright

Brazilian plants with possible action on the Central Nervous System: a study of historical sources from the 16th to 19th century

Brazil is a country rich in biodiversity, endemism, and cultural diversity, inhabited by different types of population. European expeditions and the migratory processes that began in the 16th century greatly contributed both to cultural diversity and to Brazilian popular therapeutics, and produced the first records on medicinal plants in Brazil. This study comprises a bibliographical survey of historic books found in Sao Paulo libraries (16th through 19th centuries) on medicinal plants exerting effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Thirty-four plants native to Brazil were selected from the reading of the books. Of these 34 plants, 13 were also recorded in ethnopharmacological studies among modern Brazilian communities and 16 have been studied phytochemically. Only eight have been the object of pharmacological studies, six of these, recently, with a request for a patent. Results showed that most of the species recorded in this study have been reported as medicinal for centuries, but have never been the object of pharmacological investigation down to the present time. Such results provide ideas for a selection of these species as potentially bioactive to be included in future pharmacological studies.