RESUMO

Maca (Lepidium meyenii, Lepidium peruvianum) is part of the Brassicaceae family and grows at high altitudes in the Peruvian Andes mountain range (3500-5000 m). Historically, it has been used as a nutrient-dense food and for its medicinal properties, primarily in enhancing energy and fertility. Scientific research has validated these traditional uses and other clinical applications by elucidating maca's mechanisms of action, nutrition, and phytochemical content. However, research over the last twenty years has identified up to seventeen different colors (phenotypes) of maca. The color, hypocotyl size, growing location, cultivation, and post-harvest processing methods can have a significant effect on the nutrition content, phytochemical profile, and clinical application. Yet, research differentiating the colors of maca and clinical applications remains limited. In this review, research on the nutrition, phytochemicals, and various colors of maca, including black, red, yellow (predominant colors), purple, gray (lesser-known colors), and any combination of colors, including proprietary formulations, will be discussed based on available preclinical and clinical trials. The gaps, deficiencies, and conflicts in the studies will be detailed, along with quality, safety, and efficacy criteria, highlighting the need for future research to specify all these factors of the maca used in publications.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The Amazon Forest is known all over the world for its diversity and exuberance, and for sheltering several indigenous groups and other traditional communities. There, as well as in several other countries, in traditional medical systems, weakness, fatigue and debility are seen as limiting health conditions where medicinal plants are often used in a non-specific way to improve body functions. This review brings together literature data on Ampelozizyphus amazonicus, commonly known in Brazil as "saracura-mirá" and/or "cerveja de índio", as an Amazonian adaptogen, including some contributions from the authors based on their ethnographic and laboratory experiences. Topics such as botany, chemistry, ethnopharmacological and pharmacological aspects that support the adaptogen character of this plant, as well as cultivation, market status and supply chain aspects are discussed, and the gaps to establish "saracura-mirá" as an ingredient for the pharmaceutical purposes identified. The revised data presented good scientific evidence supporting the use of this Amazonian plant as a new adaptogen. Literature data also reveal that a detailed survey on natural populations of this plant is needed, as well as agronomical studies that could furnish A. amazonicus bark as a raw material. Another important issue is the lack of developed quality control methods to assure its quality assessment.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Trichilia catigua A. Juss. (Meliaceae) is a species known as catuaba and used in folk medicine for the treatment of fatigue, stress, impotence and memory deficit. The main phytochemical compounds identified in the barks of T. catigua are flavalignans, flavan-3-ols and flavonoids which are associated with its antioxidant activity. Pre-clinical studies with T. catigua extracts have identified many pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antinociceptive, pro-memory and neuroprotective against ischemia and oxidative stress. This study was designed in order to compare the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity of four different polarity extracts and selected the one most active for in vivo studies in rodent models of stress, fatigue and memory. METHODS: Hexane, chloroform, hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts from bark of Trichilia catigua were analyzed by RPHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay and acetylcholinesterase inhibition by Ellman's modified method. In vivo studies (stress, fatigue and memory) were carried out with adult male mice and rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract in doses of 25-300 mg/kg (p.o.). RESULTS: We confirmed the presence of cinchonain IIa, Ia and Ib, as main constituents in the four extracts, while procyanidins were detected only in hydroalcoholic extract. Antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity were observed for all extracts, with most potent activity found on the hydroalcoholic extract (EC50 = 43 µg/mL and IC50 = 142 µg/mL for DPPH scavenger and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, respectively). The treatment of laboratory animals with hydroalcoholic extract did not protect rats from cold immobilization stress and did not prevent the scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. However, the treatment of mice with the hydroalcoholic extract partially reduced the fatigue induced by treadmill, since the highest dose increased the spontaneous locomotor activity and reduced the deficit on grip strength after the forced exercise (p < 0.05), in some observation times. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest the hydroalcoholic extract as the most suitable for plant extraction and partially support the folk use of T. catigua as antifatigue drug. . Trichilia catigua hydroalcoholic extract exhibits antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity in vitro and reduces the fatigue induced by forced exercise.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke is a medicinal plant used in the Amazon region to prepare a drink with tonic, immunomodulatory and adaptogenic properties. Due to the growing interest in dietary supplements with these properties and, to provide a new functional ingredient, barks from A. amazonicus were extracted. The extract was spray dried without drying adjuvants, resulting in a powder (SARF), which was characterized by its physico-chemical properties and proximate, mineral and saponin contents. The SARF saponins were characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/high resolution accurate mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMSn) analysis. The SARF particles tended to have a spherical shape and a unimodal size distribution. The particles also had good rehydration characteristics and high saponin content (33%). The effect of SARF on antibody production was investigated, and we found that SARF increased the basal levels of anti-ovalbumin, anti-LPS and anti-dextran IgM antibodies, and the anti-dextran IgG antibodies in unimmunized mice. No increase in antibody titers was observed after SARF treatment in immunized mice. These results suggest that SARF could be an interesting new functional ingredient for food applications or pharmaceutical products.

RESUMO

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical studies suggest that the initiation of IBD is multifactorial, involving genetics, the immune system and environmental factors, such as diet, drugs and stress. Pfaffia paniculata is an adaptogenic medicinal plant used in Brazilian folk medicine as an "anti-stress" agent. Thus, we hypothesised that the P. paniculata enhances the response of animals subjected to colonic inflammation. Our aim was to investigate the intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of P. paniculata in rats before or after induction of intestinal inflammation using trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). The animals were divided into groups that received the vehicle, prednisolone or P. paniculata extract daily starting 14 days before or 7 days after TNBS induction. At the end of the procedure, the animals were killed and their colons were assessed for the macroscopic damage score (MDS), extent of the lesion (EL) and weight/length ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and glutathione (GSH), cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Histological evaluation and ultrastructural analysis of the colonic samples were performed. Treatment with the 200mg/kg dose on the curative schedule was able to reduce the MDS and the EL. In addition, MPO activity was reduced, GSH levels were maintained, and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and CRP were decreased. In conclusion, the protective effect of P. paniculata was related to reduced oxidative stress and CRP colonic levels, and due to immunomodulatory activity as evidenced by reduced levels of IL-1ß, INF-γ, TNF-α and IL-6.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the adaptogenic activity of ethanol (EtHI), ethyl acetate (EAHI) fractions of Habenaria intermedia D. Don, Orchidaceae (HI), tubers using immobilization induced acute stress (AS), chronic stress (CS) and swimming induced stress in experimental animals. The tested doses of EtHI (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and higher dose of EAHI (200 mg/kg, p.o.) normalized altered serum biochemical parameters and the severity of ulcers in both AS and CS. EAHI and EtHI restored the hyperthrophy of adrenal gland and atrophy of spleen and thymus gland in AS and CS. Greater swimming time was noted in the mice pretreated with EtHI and EAHI. Levels of adrenal ascorbic acid and cortisol were restored significantly. EAHI exhibited prominent scavenging effect of DPPH, hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxidation in vitro. Phytochemical studies resulted in the isolation of scopoletin and gallic acid as marker compounds. Our results proved the traditional claim of HI as anti-stress/adaptogen in Ayurvdea.

RESUMO

Um levantamento etnobotânico realizado em comunidades quilombolas de Oriximiná, Pará, destacou a saracuramirá (SAR), Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke, com vasto uso popular no tratamento da malária, como tônica e depurativa. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho objetivou realizar um estudo etnofarmacognóstico da SAR nas respectivas comunidades. Por meio de uma análise etnobotânica quantitativa, foi verificado que SAR apresentou-se dentre as 10 espécies mais versáteis pela elevada importância relativa (1,3), dentre as cinco espécies com maior importância cultural pelo elevado índice de saliência (0,311) e a espécie com maior concordância de uso principal para malária (85,7 por cento). Uma análise do índice de espuma e do índice de hemólise para SAR demonstra a presença de saponinas com elevado índice de espuma (833) e uma baixa atividade hemolítica (CH50 2,6 mg mL-1). Para realizar uma análise das agliconas das saponinas de SAR, a bebida preparada pelo método tradicional quilombola (BMT) foi hidrolisada e, após reação com diazometano, foi analisada por cromatografia gasosa. Dois sinais majoritários foram caracterizados por espectrometria de massas, um referente a um triterpeno de esqueleto damarânico, característico das saponinas da SAR, e outro referente ao éster metílico do ácido betulínico. Partindo das informações de uso popular da SAR, foi avaliada in vitro a atividade inibidora da acetilcolinesterase. Apesar de BMT não ter mostrado atividade neste ensaio, é possível supor que as indicações de uso desta planta pelos quilombolas como fortificante e contra malária podem estar relacionadas a uma possível atividade adaptógena e imunoestimulante, dada à presença das saponinas e do ácido betulínico em BMT.

In an ethnobotanical survey conducted within "Quilombola" communities of Oriximiná, Pará State, "saracuramirá" (SAR), Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke, stood out as one of the most cited species with wide popular use, especially for malaria, as tonic and depurative. The aim of this paper was to carry out an ethnopharmacognostic study of SAR in these communities. Quantitative ethnobotanical analysis of the data showed that SAR stands out as one of the 10 most versatile species with a high relative importance (1,3); it remains among the five species with the greatest cultural importance, demonstrated by the high salience index (0,311), being the species with the highest major use agreement to malaria (85,7 percent). Analysis of the foam and hemolysis indexes of SAR shows the presence of saponins with high foam index (833) and low hemolytic activity (HD50 2,6 mg mL-1). In order to analyze SAR saponin aglycones, the drink was prepared by the traditional quilombola method (BMT), was hydrolyzed, and analyzed by gas chromatography after reaction with diazomethane. Two major peaks were characterized by mass spectrometry, one referring to a dammarane triterpene skeleton, characteristic from the SAR saponins, and the other identified as the methyl ester of betulinic acid. Owing to the popular usage of SAR, its in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was evaluated, but with negative results. However, it is possible to suggest that the indications of this plant as a tonic and for treating malaria may be related to an adaptogen and immunostimulant effect due to the presence of saponins and betulinic acid in BMT.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The purpose of this study was to investigate the crude extract of Serjania erecta Radlk., Sapindaceae, and its bioactive agents as preventive or inhibitor of memory loss in rodents, as well as other factors correlated with Alzheimer's syndrome: antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity, mainly as plant adaptogen - low toxicity and regulation action. The blocking cholinergic reversion activity (scopolamine) in the test of the passive avoidance was detected by measuring latency in young and adult animals. It presented low toxicity, with protective effect as shown by biochemical analysis (hypoglycemic/hypotriglyceridemic). Elevated levels (above 83 percent) of antioxidant activity were detected. AchE and BuChE inhibition were also detected in the chromatographic fractions, which were active both orally and directly on CNS (ICV).

O objetivo deste estudo foi pesquisar o extrato bruto de Serjania erecta Radlk., Sapindaceae, e seus bioativos como preventivos ou inibidores de perda de memória em roedores, e outros fatores correlacionados com a síndrome de Alzheimer: atividade antioxidante e anticolinesterásicas, principalmente como planta adaptógena, baixa toxicidade e ação regulatória. A reversão do bloqueador colinérgico (escopolamina) no teste da esquiva passiva foi detectada pela latência mensurada em animais jovens e adultos. Apresentou baixa toxicidade, com efeito protetor na análise bioquímica (hipoglicemia/hipotrigliceridemia). Índices elevados (acima 83 por cento) na atividade antioxidante foram observados. A inibição da AChE e BuChE foi perceptível nas frações cromatográficas, confirmando as ações via oral e diretamente no SNC.