Search

Aniba canelilla, distributed in the Amazon region, stands out for its diverse economic and medicinal applications. Studies of the A. canelilla essential oil and its primary constituent, 1-nitro-2-phenylethane, have confirmed its anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, anti-hypertensive potential, and anticholinesterase, among other therapeutic activities.In addition, the present work aims to evaluate the potential of oil and NPE in the learning and memory of rodents.The oil was hydrodistilled and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The learning and memory action in mice was evaluated through the scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit model, followed by behavioral analysis using Morris's water maze paradigm.Oil provided a yield of 0.5%, and in its chemical composition, 1-nitro-2-phenylethane (NPE) (76.2%) and methyleugenol (19.6%) were identified as primary constituents. Oil fractionation furnished NPE with 99.4%, which was used to evaluate its effects in animal models. Wistar rats were submitted to the mnemonic impairment-scopolamine-induced protocol for 7 days. The oil, NPE, and the positive control donepezil were administered from the 8th to 12th days. Morris water maze results demonstrated that oil and NPE reversed spatial learning and long-term memory similarly induced by muscarinic antagonist scopolamine to donepezil, the positive control.These beneficial effects have led the work to further investigations of the oil and NPE to elucidate their pharmacological mechanism, focusing on the cholinergic pathway of the central nervous system and opening up to the knowledge of other adjacent mechanisms, whose results are still under analysis.

Ethanol consumption has been reported to negatively impact on periodontal disease. In particular, oral cavity disorders occur upon ethanol exposure during adolescence, a life period associated with particular patterns of short and intense ('binge-like') ethanol consumption that is most deleterious to oral health. The hazardous central effects of ethanol have been linked to the overfunction of adenosine receptors, which are antagonized by caffeine, a bioactive substance present in numerous natural nutrients, which can also modify bone metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine on alveolar bone damage induced by an ethanol binge drinking paradigm during adolescence. Female Wistar rats (35 days old; n = 30) were allocated to six groups: control (vehicle), ethanol (3 g/kg/day; 3 days On-4 days Off challenge), caffeine (10 mg/kg/day), caffeine plus ethanol, SCH58261 (0.1 mg/kg/day, an antagonist of A2A receptors), and SCH58261 plus ethanol. Bone micromorphology and vertical bone loss were analyzed by computed microtomography. Our data showed that ethanol binge drinking reduced alveolar bone quality, with repercussion on alveolar bone size. This ethanol-induced alveolar bone deterioration was abrogated upon treatment with caffeine, but not with SCH58261. This shows that caffeine prevented the periodontal disorder caused by ethanol binge drinking during adolescence, an effect that was not mediated by adenosine A2A receptor blockade.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The essential oils of the leaves of Aniba rosaeodora (pau-rosa), Aniba parviflora (macacaporanga) and Aeollanthus suaveolens (catinga-de-mulata), rich in linalool, are used in the traditional medicine of the Brazilian Amazon for its effects on the central nervous system, such as sedative, anticonvulsant and antidepressant, among other therapeutic properties. Aim of the study To analyze the chemical composition of these oils and to evaluate their neurobehavioral effects in rodents, based on different and established behavioral tests. Material and methods The oils were distilled and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal doses of the oils of pau-rosa (3.5 and 35 mg/kg), macacaporanga (8.5 and 85 mg/kg) and catinga-de-mulata (7.5 and 75 mg/kg), in addition to a linalool standard (30 mg/kg). The neurobehavioral effects were evaluated using the tests: Open Field (spontaneous locomotion activity), Elevated Plus Maze (anxiolytic- type activity), Splash and Forced Swimming (antidepressive-type activity) and the Inhibitory Avoidance (memory retention). Results The three oils (highest dose) and standard linalool presented significant antidepressant activity in rodents. Linalool was identified as the major constituent of the oils (pau-rosa, 88.6%, macacaporanga, 45%, catinga-de-mulata, 49.3%). The standard linalool used was 97.0%. Conclusion The pau-rosa, macacaporanga, and catinga-de-mulata oils presented antidepressant activity due to the presence of linalool, which, by the final synergistic action of other constituents found in oils, may have contributed to the increase or reduction of this behavioral effect in the treated animals. A relevant fact is that there was no compromise of spontaneous locomotion and the memory retention in the rodents.

Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatrec. (Humiriaceae), the Brazilian Amazon plant, is used in folk medicine to treat arthritis and gastric ulcer. Bergenin, one of the chemical constituents of E. uchi, has anti-inflammatory properties. Its acetylation results in acetylbergenin, which is extracted to investigate its potential anti-inflammatory and antiulcer properties using an assay for croton oil-induced ear edema, rat paw edema induced by carrageenan and dextran, carragenin-induced peritonitis, and stress-induced gastric ulcer. In ear erythema induced by croton oil, acetylbergenin presented a significant 75.60% inhibition (p

Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) include a set of neuropsychiatric disorders that may be caused by alcohol-use disorders. Among these neurological syndromes, the alcohol exposure can occur in an indirect (FASD) or direct (ARBD) pathway and produce its toxic effects through various mechanism, as neurotoxicity, thiamine deficiency, and metabolic disruption. The FASD consists of a range of alterations (i.e., facial abnormalities, growth deficiency, abnormal cognitive functioning, and anatomical changes) promoted by prenatal alcoholic exposure. The central pontine (CPM) and extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM), Marchiafava–Bignami disease (MBD), and Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) are ARBDs related to a background history of alcoholism, which display a set of characteristic signs and symptoms that can lead to death. This chapter provides the general features, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and principal signs and symptoms of the fetal alcohol syndrome, CPM/EPM, MBD, and WKS.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Coriandrum sativum aqueous extract (CSAE) on the rat progeny of mothers exposed to methylmercury (MeHg). The presence of bioactive compounds and CSAE's antioxidant capacity been evaluated, and the offspring were assessed for their total mercury levels, motor behavioral parameters and oxidative stress in the cerebellum. The analysis of the bioactive compounds revealed significant amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, as well as a variety of minerals. A DPPH test showed the CSAE had important antioxidant activity. The MeHg + CSAE group performed significantly better spontaneous locomotor activity, palmar grip strength, balance, and motor coordination in behavioral tests compared the MeHg group, as well as in the parameters of oxidative stress, with similar results to those of the control group. The MeHg + CSAE group also had significantly reduced mercury levels in comparison to the MeHg group. Based on the behavioral tests, which detected large locomotor, balance, and coordination improvements, as well as a reduction in oxidative stress, we conclude that CSAE had positive functional results in the offspring of rats exposed to MeHg.