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Jatropha isabellei Müll Arg. belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. The antioxidant capacity of this plant was evaluated by the DPPH method and inhibition of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated the best antioxidant capacity against the DPPH free radical and its profile was similar to ascorbic acid. This fraction also presented the best results of phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins, showing a positive relation between the phenolic content and antioxidant activity. All fractions and the crude extract were able to inhibit significantly the TBARS production induced by Fe(II) for the two tested concentrations, reaching the basal levels. In this test, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fraction showed good values for inhibitory concentration. The dichloromethane fraction showed the best results against the fungi Sporothrix schenckii and Fusarium proliferatum and the bacterium of Micrococcus genus. This fraction allowed the isolation of acetil aleuritolic acid and a mixture of sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucoside and stigmasterol, described for the first time in this species.

This study is designed to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Vitex megapotamica. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis resulted in the detection of 27 components, representing 92.36% of the total oil composition. The main components in the oil were butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (34.17%), phytol (12.66%), α-caryophyllene (11.84%), δ-elemene (10.65%), β-caryophyllene (7.82%), γ-elemene (4.24%) and germacrene D (2.82%). The antioxidant activity of the oil was evaluated in terms of their free-radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. The oil showed percentage inhibition of 35.62% and 75.25% at concentrations of 76 and 101.6 mg mL(-1), respectively. BHT (36.30%) was also determined by HPLC-DAD in the hexane fraction from the leaves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of the species V. megapotamica.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Jatropha isabellei Mull Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) is a medicinal plant that has been used in South American folk medicine for the treatment of arthritic diseases, particularly gout. Aim of the study: This study was designed to verify the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and hypouricemic potential of Jarropha isabellei. Materials and methods: Rats were orally administered with the crude extract (100-300 mg/kg) or a fraction that is rich in alkaloids (0.15 mg/kg) of Jatropha isabellei. An intra-articular (i.a.) injection of 50 mu l of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals (1.25 mg/site) was used to generate the gout model to assess the effect of the treatment on nociception (thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia) and inflammation (oedema and neutrophil infiltration). The effect of Jatropha isabellei on the serum levels of uric acid was evaluated in a model of hyperuricaemia induced by the intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate (250 mg/kg). The side effects were analysed using an open-field test, gastric lesion assessment and by measuring the levels of the ALT and AST enzymes. Results: Our study demonstrated that the crude extract of Jatropha isabellei and a fraction rich in alkaloids were able to prevent the thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, oedema and neutrophil infiltration induced by intra-articular MSU injection in rats. On the other hand, treatment with Jatropha isabellei did not alter the uric acid levels increased by potassium oxonate in the hyperuricaemia model. In addition, Jatropha isabellei did not induce gastric lesions or liver damage and did not alter spontaneous locomotor activity. Conclusion: The crude extract of Jatropha isabellei and its fraction rich in alkaloid presents antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in a rat gout model, similar to that observed after treatment with colchicine, supporting the traditional use of this plant in gouty patients. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions from the leaves, twigs and stem bark of Scutia buxifolia were evaluated using the broth microdilution method and the brine shrimp lethality method, respectively. Phytochemical analysis was performed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antimicrobial results demonstrated that the strongest effect occurred with the butanol fraction from the twigs and the ethyl acetate fraction from the stem bark against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (minimal inhibitory concentration; MIC = 62.5 µg mL(-1)), whereas the ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions from the twigs and stem bark were effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values ranging from 125 to 500 µg mL(-1). LD(50) values varied from 50.00 ± 0.22 to 82.23 ± 0.34 µg mL(-1). Quercetin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin and rutin were identified by HPLC and may be partially responsible for the antimicrobial activities observed. This study reports for the first time the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of S. buxifolia leaves, twigs and stem bark.

The Lecythidaceae family is composed of 25 genera and 400 species that occur in the form of trees with a pantropical distribution. The genera Cariniana belongs to the family Lecythidaceae, and there are few reports considering these species. In this work, fractionation of the dichloromethane fraction obtained from the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Cariniana domestica (Mart) Miers, popularly known as Jequitibá-roxo, led to the isolation of two mixtures of triterpenoids: lupeol and β-amyrin and β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic (NMR) and chromatographic (GC-MS) techniques as well as literature data comparisons. β-Sitosterol, stigmasterol, lupeol and β-amyrin were quantified in dichloromethane fraction by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/DAD). The dichloromethane fraction was also investigated for antioxidant and antifungal activities. The isolated compounds and their biological activities are reported for the first time for the species C. domestica.

The antioxidant capacity of the crude extract and fractions ofTabernaemontana catharinensis fruits and branches, was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and condensed tannins were determined by the spectrophotometric method. The ethyl acetate fraction of the fruits and the n-butanol fraction of the branches showed IC50 of 181.82 µg/mL and 78.19 µg/mL, respectively. All fractions were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in the branches were quantified chlorogenic acid in the chloroform (8.96 mg/g), ethyl acetate (4.31 mg/g) and n-butanol (3.33 mg/g) fractions; caffeic acid in the ethyl acetate (5.24 mg/g) and n-butanol (1.81 mg/g); gallic acid (0.52 mg/g) in the n-butanol. In the fruits, chlorogenic acid in the chloroform (1.67 mg/g); rutin in the ethyl acetate (3.45 mg/g) and n-butanol (8.98 mg/g) fractions. The present study showed that these quantified compounds can contribute to antioxidant capacity which was higher in the branches than in the fruits. A capacidade antioxidante do extrato bruto e frações dos frutos e ramos de Tabernaemontana catharinensis, foi avaliada pelo método do 2,2-difenil-1-picril hidrazil (DPPH) e o conteúdo de polifenóis, flavonoides, alcaloides e taninos condensados foram determinados pelos métodos espectrofotométricos. A fracção de acetato de etila dos frutos e a fração n-butanol dos ramos mostraram IC50 de 181,82 µg/mL e 78,19 µg/mL, respectivamente. Todas as frações foram analisadas por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC), nos ramos foram quantificados ácido clorogênico na fração clorofórmica (8,96 mg/g), acetato de etila (4,31 mg/g) e n-butanol (3,33 mg/g); ácido cafeico na acetato de etila (5,24 mg/g) e n-butanol (1,81 mg/g); ácido gálico (0,52 mg/g) na n-butanol. Nos frutos, ácido clorogênico, na fração clorofórmica (1,67 mg/g); rutina na acetato de etila (3,45 mg/g) e n-butanol (8,98 mg/g). O presente estudo mostrou que esses compostos quantificados podem contribuir na capacidade antioxidante que foi maior nos ramos do que nos frutos.

Vitex megapotamica (Sprengel) Moldenke belongs to the Verbenaceae family and is popularly known as “tarumã”. The antioxidant capacity of fractions and crude extract from the leaves of V. megapotamica were determined in this study through the capacity to remove reactive species and phenolic compounds were quantified in the various fractions. The IC50 (DPPH) ranged from 14.17 ± 0.76 to 37.63 ± 0.98 µg/mL. The ethyl acetate fraction might contain the strongest lipid peroxidation inhibitory compounds with an IC50 of 16.36 ± 5.09 µg/mL, being also the one with the highest content of polyphenols (522.4 ± 1.12 mg/g), flavonoids (220.48 ± 0.30 mg/g) and condensed tannins (3.86 ± 0.53 mg/g). Compounds quantified by HPLC/DAD in the crude extract and fractions were chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids. Higher dosages of the extracts were more effective in reducing levels of plasma protein carbonyls and were also shown to be able to remove reactive species by a 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay, reducing oxidative stress in all tested fractions. Results obtained indicated that V. megapotamica exhibits good potential to prevent diseases caused by the overproduction of free radicals and it might also be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant agents.

The chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from the leaves parts of Scutia buxifolia were evaluated. The chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-five substances were identified, consisting of a complex mixture of sesquiterpenes (73.69%) and monoterpenes (18.74%). The main components in the oil were spathulenol (27.09%), β-cubebene (11.26%), germacrene D (9.81%), carvacrol (7.01%), globulol (5.36%), α-copaene (4.17%), γ-eudesmol (3.59%), thymol (3.27%), 1,8-cineol (3.08%), p-cymene (2.56%), α-eudesmol (2.34%), β-elemene (2.04%), butylated hydroxytoluene (2.00%) along with eugenol acetate, n-hexanol, α-pinene, α-humulene, eugenol, humulene epoxide, phytol as minor constituents. The antioxidant property of the oil was assessed by free radical scavenging (DPPH) assay. S. buxifolia essential oil presented interesting radical scavenging activity (IC50=13.62 ± 0.17 μg/mL). The antibacterial properties of the oils also was tested by broth microdilution method and was effective only against S. aureus and E. coli (MIC=500 and 750 μg/mL, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil from the S. buxifolia collected from Brazil.