Screening of Five Brazilian Plants for Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Activities

• Published in: Pharmaceutical biology Vol. 44; no. 7; pp. 516 - 521
• Main Authors: Truiti, M. da C.T, Bersani-Amado, C.A, Dias Filho, B.P, Sarragiotto, M.H, Souza, M.C. de
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lisse Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2006; Taylor & Francis; Swets & Zeitlinger
• Subjects: aerial parts; animal pathogenic bacteria; animal pathogenic fungi; Anti-inflammatory activity; anti-inflammatory agents; antibacterial properties; antifungal properties; antimicrobial activity; Bacillus; Bacillus subtilis; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans; Candida krusei; Candida parapsilosis; Candida tropicalis; Cayaponia; Cayaponia podantha; chemical constituents of plants; Cucurbitaceae; Escherichia coli; ethnobotany; General pharmacology; Helicteres; Helicteres gardneriana; herbal medicines; inflammation; Lauraceae; leaves; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Melochia; Melochia arenosa; Nectandra; Nectandra facifolia; Nectandra falcifolia; Paullinia; Paullinia elegans; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Sapindaceae; Staphylococcus aureus; Sterculiaceae; traditional medicine; Brazil; South America; America; Pharmacognosy; Antiinflammatory agent; antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agent; Medicinal plant; Paullinia elegans; Screening; Melochia arenosa; Dicotyledones; Nectandra falcifolia; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Sapindaceae; Anti-inflammatory activity; Cayaponia podantha; Helicteres gardneriana; Spermatophyta; Lauraceae
• ISSN: 1388-0209; 1744-5116
• DOI: 10.1080/13880200600879005

Ethanol extracts from the leaves of Cayaponia podantha Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae), Nectandra falcifolia (Nees) Castiglioni (Lauraceae), and Paullinia elegans Cambess. (Sapindaceae), as well as from the aerial parts of Helicteres gardneriana St. Hil. & Naud. (Sterculiaceae) and Melochia arenosa Benth. (Sterculiaceae), all naturally occurring species in the Brazilian part of the Upper Paraná River and all belonging to genera used in folk medicine, were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced pleurisy model in rats, and for antimicrobial activity using a broth microdilution assay against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. In the analysis of anti-inflammatory activity, a 500 mg/kg body weight dose of the extracts of C. podantha, N. falcifolia, P. elegans, and H. gardneriana, administered orally (by gavage), reduced the volume of the inflammatory exudates in rats induced by intrapleural injection. H. gardneriana also inhibited migration of leukocytes to the lesion site. Crude extract of M. arenosa was ineffective on the intensity of the inflammatory response. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the best results were obtained with N. falcifolia and M. arenosa against the Gram-positive bacteria tested. N. falcifolia was active against B. subtilis with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 39 microg/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 75 microg/ml and M. arenosa with MIC of 625 microg/ml against B. subtilis and MIC and MBC of 625 microg/ml against S. aureus. The results obtained demonstrate the importance of pharmacological studies with neotropical plants, and further research into the specific components responsible for the observed bioactivities is under way.