This study is the first phytochemical investigation of Selaginella sellowii and demonstrates the antileishmanial activity of the hydroethanolic extract from this plant (SSHE), as well as of the biflavonoids amentoflavone and robustaflavone, isolated from this species. The effects of these substances were evaluated on intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, an aetiological agent of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. SSHE was highly active against intracellular amastigotes [the half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 20.2 µg/mL]. Fractionation of the extract led to the isolation of the two bioflavonoids with the highest activity: amentoflavone, which was about 200 times more active (IC50 = 0.1 μg/mL) and less cytotoxic than SSHE (IC50 = 2.2 and 3 μg/mL, respectively on NIH/3T3 and J774.A1 cells), with a high selectivity index (SI) (22 and 30), robustaflavone, which was also active against L. amazonensis (IC50 = 2.8 µg/mL), but more cytotoxic, with IC50 = 25.5 µg/mL (SI = 9.1) on NIH/3T3 cells and IC50 = 3.1 µg/mL (SI = 1.1) on J774.A1 cells. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was lower in cells treated with amentoflavone (suggesting that NO does not contribute to the leishmanicidal mechanism in this case), while NO release was higher after treatment with robustaflavone. S. sellowii may be a potential source of biflavonoids that could provide promising compounds for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

SUMMARYPurpose: This study investigated putative correlations among behavioral changes and: (1) neuronal loss, (2) hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting, and (3) reactive astrogliosis in adult rats submitted to early-life LiCl-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Methods: Rats (P15) received LiCl (3 mEq/kg, i.p.) 12-18 h prior pilocarpine (60 mg/kg; s.c.). At adulthood, animals were submitted to behavioral tasks and after the completion of tasks biochemical and histological analysis were performed. Results: In SE group, it was observed an increased number of degenerating neurons in the CA1 subfield and in the hilus of animals 24 h after SE. At adulthood, SE group presented an aversive memory deficit in an inhibitory avoidance task and the animals that presented lower latency to the step down showed a higher score for mossy fiber sprouting. In the light-dark exploration task, SE rats returned less and spent less time in the light compartment and present an increased number of risk assessment behavior (RA). There was a negative correlation between the time spent in the light compartment and the score for mossy fiber sprouting and a positive correlation between score for mossy fiber sprouting and number of RA. LiClpilocarpine-treated animals showed higher levels of S100B immunocontent in the CSF as well as a positive correlation between the score for sprouting and the GFAP immunocontent in the CA1 subfield, suggesting an astrocytic response to neuronal injury. Conclusions: We showed that LiCl-pilocarpineinduced SE during development produced longlasting behavioral abnormalities, which might be associated with mossy fiber sprouting and elevated CSF S100B levels at adulthood. KEY WORDS: Status epilepticus, Development, Learning and memory, Anxiety, S100B protein, Mossy fiber sprouting.Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects children much more often than adults (Cowan, 2002). There is a clinical debate about brain damage and behavioral impairment induced by epileptic activity in infants

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