RESUMO
Aerial parts of Achyrocline satureioides(Lam) D. C. (Asteraceae) are used in folk medicine as infusions or decoctions for the management of several diseases including gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. These data and the presence of flavonoids and caffeoyl derivatives have led us to study its hepatoprotective and choleretic activities. The hepatoprotective activity was evaluated in the bromobenzene- (BB-) induced hepatotoxicity model in mice through the measurement of the serum levels of alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) and glutathione levels. The aqueous extract of the aerial parts of A. satureioides administered before BB, at the dose of 300 mg kg(-1)p.o., demonstrated significant inhibition (P< 0.01) in the BB increase of liver ALT and AST and in the BB-induced increase of liver TBARS content. Also it was able to significantly increase (P< 0.05) the depleted levels of liver glutathione. In addition, at the same dose, a significant increase (P< 0.01) in the bile flow of rats was found. The results obtained with the aqueous extract of A. satureioides support its use in popular medicine as a hepatoprotective and digestive agent, and the effects might be mediated through the antioxidant and choleretic activities.
Assuntos
Asteraceae , Bile/efeitos dos fármacos , Colagogos e Coleréticos/farmacologia , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Alanina Transaminase/metabolismo , Animais , Aspartato Aminotransferases/metabolismo , Bromobenzenos/toxicidade , Feminino , Fígado/metabolismo , Fígado/patologia , Malondialdeído/metabolismo , Medicina Tradicional , Camundongos , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Substâncias Reativas com Ácido Tiobarbitúrico/metabolismoRESUMO
Hypa A, a novel macrocyclic polypeptide containing 30 amino acid residues, has been isolated from the n-butanol extract of the Argentine plant Hybanthus parviflorus. The sequence, cyclo-(SCVYIPCTITALLGCSCKNKVCYNGIPCAE), was determined by automated Edman degradation, quantitative amino acid analysis and nanospray MS/MS(2). Three intramolecular disulfide bridges stabilize the cyclic peptide backbone of hypa A. Using these structural features to classify the peptide as a cyclotide, we extended the distribution of that substance class to a new genus, and now propose a uniform nomenclature for cyclotides.
Assuntos
Peptídeos Cíclicos/química , Rosaceae/química , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Argentina , Dissulfetos/química , Estabilidade de Medicamentos , Espectrometria de Massas/métodos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Peptídeos Cíclicos/isolamento & purificação , Terminologia como AssuntoRESUMO
CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts of 15 Argentine plants used locally as insecticides, were evaluated for their insecticidal activity. Chenopodium multifidum L. (Chenopodiaceae); Flaveria bidentis (L.) O.K. (Compositae); Aristolochia argentina Gris. (Aristolochiaceae) and Tagetes erecta L. (Compositae) showed a significant activity against Sitophilus oryzae.