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Ethnopharmacological relevance Vast numbers of plant species from northeastern Brazil have not yet been phytochemically or biologically evaluated. Aim of the study The goal of this work was to obtain, characterize and show the antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous and acetone–water extracts of Libidibia ferrea, Parapiptadenia rigida and Psidium guajava. Materials and methods The plant material (100 g) was dried, and the crude extracts were obtained by using turbo-extraction (10%; w/v) with water or acetone:water (7:3, v/v) as the extraction solvent. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used to screen the crude extracts for hydrolysable tannins (gallic acid) and condensed tannins (catechins). The antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar-diffusion and microdilution methods against Gram-positive strains ( Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis INCQS 00016, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) as well as Gram-negative strains ( Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella enteritidis INCQS 00258, Shigella flexneri and Klebsiella pneumoniae ). To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity, a leukocyte migration model was used. Analgesic activity was determined by the hot plate test and the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of 5%. Results Parapiptadenia rigida presented the highest amount of total polyphenols (35.82±0.20%), while the greatest catechin content was found in the acetone–water extract of Psidium guajava (EAWPg; 1.04 μg/g). The largest amounts of catechins were found in the aqueous extract of Libidibia ferrea (EALf; 1.07 μg/g) and the acetone–water extract of Parapiptadenia rigida (EAWPr; 1.0 μg/g). All extracts showed activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The aqueous and acetone–water extracts of Psidium guajava showed the greatest inhibition zones in the agar diffusion tests. In the evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the most susceptible Gram-positive bacterium was Staphylococcus epidermidis and the most susceptible Gram-negative bacterium was Shigella flexneri . EAPg and EAWPg showed the greatest MIC values. All extracts were significant inhibitors of leukocyte migration ( p <0.05). Using the writhing test, significant analgesic activity was found for EAPr (50 mg/kg), EAWPr (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) and EAWPg (50 mg/kg) ( p <0.05). Conclusions Thus, the appropriate extraction procedure preserves the chemical components such as gallic acid and catechin, and showed antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim of study: Adiantum, one of the most widely distributed genera of the family Pteridaceae, is employed in folk medicine worldwide. Adiantum latifolium Lam. has been used in Latin American traditional medicine as anxiolytic, analgesic and antiinflammatory. The present study investigates the antinociceptive and antiinflammatory properties of the methanolic extract of Adiantum latifolium (MEA) in animal models of pain and inflammation to confirm its medicinal use. Material and methods: The antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of MEA were evaluated using the writhing, formalin, and tail-flick tests, carrageenan-induced paw edema and arachidonic acid-induced ear edema. Mice motor performance was evaluated in the rota rod test and the acute toxicity evaluated over 14 days. Results: Intraperitoneal (1–100mg/kg) or oral (100–400mg/kg) administration of MEA produced a dose-related inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing in mouse. Furthermore, treatment with MEA (100mg/kg) inhibited both the early and late phases of formalin-induced hypernociception. In contrast, MEA (100mg/kg/IP) did not prevent the thermal nociception in the tail-flick test. In addition, MEA (100 and 200mg/kg/IP) inhibited important events related to the inflammatory response induced by carrageenan or arachidonic acid, namely local edema and increase in tissue interleukin-1β levels. MEA (300mg/kg/IP)-treated mice did not show any motor performance alterations. Over the study period of 14 days, there were no deaths or toxic signs recorded in the group of mice given 1000mg/kg of MEA. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that Adiantum latifolium has antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities, acting through the inhibition of IL-1β production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]