Francisca Noélia Pereira Mendes

Variation of Ursolic Acid Content in Eight Ocimum Species from Northeastern Brazil

Ursolic acid is a very important compound due to its biological potential as an anti-inflammatory, trypanocidal, antirheumatic, antiviral, antioxidant and antitumoral agent. This study presents the HPLC analysis of ursolic acid (UA) content in eight different Ocimum species: O. americanum L., O. basilicum L, O. basilicum var purpurascens Benth, O. basilicum var. minimum L, O. gratissimum L, O. micranthum Willd, O. selloi Benth. and O. tenuiflorum L. grown in Northeastern Brazil. In these Ocimum species, UA was detected in different yields, with O. tenuiflorum showing the highest content (2.02%). This yield is very significant when compared with other sources of UA.

Determination of synthetic food dyes in commercial soft drinks by TLC and ion-pair HPLC.

Synthetic food colourings were analyzed on commercial carbonated orange and grape soft drinks produced in Ceará State, Brazil. Tartrazine (E102), Amaranth (E123), Sunset Yellow (E110) and Brilliant Blue (E133) were extracted from soft drinks using C18 SPE and identified by thin layer chromatography (TLC), this method was used to confirm the composition of food colouring in soft drinks stated on label. The concentration of food colouring in soft drink was determined by ion-pair high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. The results obtained with the samples confirm that the identification and quantification methods are recommended for quality control of the synthetic colours in soft drinks, as well as to determine whether the levels and lables complies with the recommendations of food dyes legislation.

Analytical MethodsDetermination of synthetic food dyes in commercial soft drinks by TLC and ion-pair HPLC

Synthetic food colourings were analyzed on commercial carbonated orange and grape soft drinks produced in Ceará State, Brazil. Tartrazine (E102), Amaranth (E123), Sunset Yellow (E110) and Brilliant Blue (E133) were extracted from soft drinks using C18 SPE and identified by thin layer chromatography (TLC), this method was used to confirm the composition of food colouring in soft drinks stated on label. The concentration of food colouring in soft drink was determined by ion-pair high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. The results obtained with the samples confirm that the identification and quantification methods are recommended for quality control of the synthetic colours in soft drinks, as well as to determine whether the levels and lables complies with the recommendations of food dyes legislation.

Fatty acids, sesqui- and diterpenoids from seeds of Dipteryx lacunifera

Abstract From the hexane extractives from seed kernels of Dipteryx lacunifera, 12 fatty acids have been characterized by GC-MS analysis of the methyl esters mixture obtained after methylation of the saponifiable fraction. trans-β-Farnesene and two new cassane furan diterpenes, 6α-acetoxyvouacapane and 3β,6α-diacetoxyvouacapane, were also isolated from extractives of the fruit shell. Structure determinations of these secondary metabolites have been accomplished mainly by chemical derivatization and spectral analysis.

Screening of Bioactivities and Toxicity of Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl

The caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome, is one of the most endangered vegetation systems in the planet. To be exploited rationally, its potential needs to be scientifically demonstrated. Among these is the faveleira, used in northeastern Brazil. It stands out for its extraordinary drought resistance and medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to assess the therapeutic potential of compounds extracted from Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl in preventing disease and its rational use as a herbal therapeutic tool. The methodology began with the collection and herborization of the plant material, to obtain the chemical compounds, preliminary phytochemical analysis, and extraction of the constituents of the active extracts. To determine the biological activities the authors conducted investigation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, inhibition capacity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, and initial assessment of toxicity of the extracts. The results demonstrated great potential as an antimicrobial agent, an important antioxidant capacity, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition response with no significant difference compared with the reference drug. The authors expect to develop a new herbal product, resulting in lower production costs and that, consequently, could be commercialized in more accessible form to the population, highlighting the risk reduction of contraindication of this category of medications.

Antihypercholesterolemic Effects of Fruit Aqueous Extract of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore in Mice Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia

The present objective of the investigation is to evaluate the antihypercholesterolemic activity of the aqueous fruit pulp extract (APE) of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae family). Various chemical characterization methods like thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR, and molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography have been employed to characterize the extracted pectin. The present study demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) created hypercholesterolemia, caused significant increases in body weight, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, and caused decreases in high-density lipoprotein in serum compared with SD group. Two doses (APE 150 and 300 mg/Kg b.w./day) were administered to hyperlipidemic mice for 90 days. APE reversed body weight changes, changed serum lipids to normal values, and significantly inhibited the changes of lipid peroxidation and inflammation in the liver tissues. The renal parameters analyzed (urea and creatinine) altered by diet were reverted to normal values. Our results revealed that aqueous fruit pulp extracts of carnauba reduced hypercholesterolemia showing a potential preventive effect against cardiovascular diseases without side effects cause.

Evaluation of the acute toxicity oral of carnauba powder (PCO-C) in mice C57BL/6

Evaluation of the acute toxicity oral of carnauba powder (PCO-C) in mice C57BL/6 Paula Alves Salmito Rodrigues, Jose Ytalo Gomes da Silva, Marcelo Oliveira Holanda, Carla Laine Silva Lima, Raquel Teixeira Terceiro Paim, Sandra Machado Lira, Natalia do Vale Canabrava, Mariana de Freitas Moreira, Juliana Barbosa Dantas, Thais Vital de Freitas, Julianne do Nascimento Sales, Bruno Bezerra da Silva, Erlândia Alves Magalhaes Queiroz, Chayane Gomes Marques, Lia Magalhaes de Almeida, Icaro Gusmao Pinto Vieira, Francisca Noelia Pereira Mendes, Rafaela Valesca Rocha Bezerra Sousa, Arnaldo Solheiro Bezerra, Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes

Evaluation of acute oral toxicity of red alga (Gracilaria domingensis sonder ex kützing) in mice C57BL/6

Evaluation of acute oral toxicity of red alga (Gracilaria domingensis sonder ex kutzing) in mice C57BL/6 Jose Ytalo Gomes da Silva, Marcelo Oliveira Holanda, Carla Laine Silva Lima, Paula Alves Salmito Rodrigues, Erlândia Alves Magalhaes Queiroz, Raquel Teixeira Terceiro Paim, Thais Vital de Freitas, Juliana Barbosa Dantas, Sandra Machado Lira, Natalia do Vale Canabrava, Mariana de Freitas Moreira, Bruno Bezerra Silva, Chayane Gomes Marques, Julianne do Nascimento Sales, Arnaldo Solheiro Bezerra, Emanuele Silva de Sousa, Rafaela Valesca Rocha Bezerra Sousa, Lia Magalhaes de Almeida, Francisca Noelia Pereira Mendes, Icaro Gusmao Pinto Vieira, Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes