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Underutilized parts of some abundant crops can be valuable and the search for additional uses, mainly in healthy and for social purposes are very attractive. This is the case of Cocos nucifera Linn., an important source of phenolic compounds and a native plant of tropical countries, widely distributed in the Northeast and North of Brazil. The objectives of this study were to determine the phenolic chemical composition, the photoprotection capacity, represented by sun protector factor (SPF), of the ethanol extract of coconut (Cocos nucifera) husk fiber of the yellow dwarf variety (EEYD) against UVB rays and after its incorporation into sunscreen formulations. Antiglycation activity [represented by bovine serum albumin (BSA) – glucose/fructose, Collagen – glucose/fructose and BSA-Methylglyoxal (MG) assays], using aminoguanidine (AG) as a positive control, and cytotoxic effects toward macrophages, were also evaluated. The identification of non-toxic antiglycation agents holds great promise in the development of alternative therapies for diseases, such as diabetes and their complications and is not often, reported in the literature. The determination of the SPF of the EEYD together with its sunscreen formulations was performed by in vitro method. A total of seven phenolic compounds, quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, vanillic, caffeic, 4-hydroxybenzoic and chlorogenic acids were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV/Vis and ultra high performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometer UHPLC-MS/MS. The present extract (EEYD) presented photoprotective activity with SPF values equivalent to the standards, benzophenone-3 and quercetin. The formulations prepared in different concentrations of the extract (5–20 % w/w) showed maximum SPF values of 15.94. The extract presented promising antiglycation activity, higher than the positive control, the pure compound aminoguanidine (AG), except for BSA/MG, with values for BSA/glucose/fructose of 9.61 μg/mL (vs.AG 18.30 μg/mL); for collagen/glucose/fructose of 4.50 μg/mL (vs.AG 82.87 μg/mL) and 34.76 μg/mL (vs.AG,13.19 μg/mL). The present ethanol extract does not decrease macrophage viability and presents a plethora of biologically active compounds. The combined results have shown the possibility of using non-toxic EEYD, as an active ingredient in sunscreen formulations and in the nutrition/medicinal areas, giving extra value to an environmental-unfriendly residue, with strong prospects for success.

International audience; Acute lung injury (ALI) remains to cause a high rate of mortality in critically ill patients. It is known that inflammation is a key factor in the pathogenesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI, which makes it a relevant approach to the treatment of ALI. In this study, we evaluated the potential of nasally instilled p-coumaric acid to prevent LPS-induced ALI in mice, by evaluating its effects on cellular and molecular targets involved in inflammatory response via in vitro and in silico approaches. Our results demonstrated that p-coumaric acid reduced both neutrophil accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine abundance, and simultaneously increased IL-10 production at the site of inflammation, potentially contributing to protection against LPS-induced ALI in mice. In the in vitro experiments, we observed inhibitory effects of p-coumaric acid against IL-6 and IL-8 production in stimulated A549 cells, as well as reactive oxygen species generation by neutrophils. In addition, p-coumaric acid treatment decreased neutrophil adhesion on the TNF-α-stimulated endothelial cells. According to the in silico predictions, p-coumaric acid reached stable interactions with both the ATP-binding site of IKKβ as well as the regions within LFA-1, critical for interaction with ICAM-1, thereby suppressing the production of proinflammatory mediators and hindering the neutrophil infiltration, respectively. Collectively, these findings indicate that p-coumaric acid is a promising anti-inflammatory agent that can be used for developing a pharmaceutical drug for the treatment of ALI and other inflammatory disorders.

Objective: Investigate the effects in the proliferation phase of the use of Operculina alata (jalapa tincture) popularly used in the treatment of cutaneous wounds. Study Design: Male Swiss mice (9 weeks, n = 5 per group, CEUA-UFAL:047/2017) were anesthetized to perform excisional lesion (O = 1 cm) on the dorsal skin and daily topical treatment with 50 μL saline Experimental O. alata were diluted to 1% (10 mg/mL). Initial baseline and 6 postinjury days were obtained for macroscopic analysis of the wound area. The lesions were collected at the end of the period for histologic processing and morphologic analysis. For statistical analysis, (GraphPad Prism 5.0) analysis of variance or Student t test was performed. Results: At macroscopic examination, the wound was standardized with a significant intragroup reduction at 7 days in relation to the day of the wound (control 30.70 ± 5.376 vs experimental 23.14 ± 4.047; P

Previous studies on the genus Clusia have shown anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects of the leaf extracts, but its antinociceptive activity has never been characterized. In the present study, the antinociceptive activity of the hexane extract of the leaves of Clusia nemorosa G. Mey, called HECn, was examined. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin, and hot-plate tests. All experiments were carried out on male Swiss mice. The extract (1-400 mg·kg−1), given by intraperitoneal route (i.p.) 1 h prior to testing, produced a dose-dependent inhibition on the number of abdominal writhings, with an ID50 of 62 mg·kg−1. In addition, HECn was able to prevent the visceral pain induced by acetic acid in mice for at least 2 h. In the formalin test, HECn had no effect in the first phase, but produced an analgesic effect on the second phase with the inhibition of licking time. The HECn did not show a significant analgesic effect in the hot plate test. Pretreatment with yohimbine attenuated the antinociceptive effect induced by HECn in the writhing test. However, naloxone, atropine, or haloperidol did not affect antinociception induced by HECn in the writhing test. Together, these results indicate that the extract from the leaves of Clusia nemorosa produces antinociception in models of chemical pain through mechanisms that suggest participation of the adrenergic systems pathway.