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Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. is a native plant of Caatinga which has high concentrations of compounds capable of absorbing ultraviolet light, suggesting its potential application for the development of sunscreen preparations. After its identification and collection, this vegetable drug was submitted to a physicochemical analysis through the preparation of ethanolic extract. The phytochemical screening and analysis of extracts were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) evaluation. The antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and β-carotene bleaching test. Inhibitory hemolytic activity and morphological deformation of erythrocytes induced by H2O2 were also demonstrated and the antimicrobial activity was analyzed by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) method. For the in vitro determination of the sun protection factor (SPF), the spectrophotometric method was used. From the analyses carried out with this species, this plant showed significant results for the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as sunscreen action. Important flavonoids were identified. These data are an important step for the development of new photoprotective cosmetic with Caatinga species, revealing importance and representing another incentive for the preservation of the species involved and analyzed in the study.

Hymenaea martiana is a native medicinal plant from the Caatinga, but biochemical studies of the fruit have not yet been reported. Thus, this study aimed to determine sugars and secondary metabolites, as well as assess the sunscreen potential of H. martiana fruits. The fruits were collected in Petrolina and separated into pulp and seeds. The sugar analysis investigated the presence of glucose, xylose, cellobiose, arabinose and xylitol. The determination of secondary metabolites was made through phytochemical screening and sunscreen activity was assessed with the spectrophotometric method. On the fruit pulp, carbohydrates with a great biotechnological potential were identified. The substances found in the phytochemical screening showed great antioxidant, photoprotective and medicinal potential. With the pulp extract, the sun protection factor values obtained were not significant and for the extract from the seeds, the values were 4.54 ± 0.11. Although the values found are below the recommended, the fruit extracts of H. martiana could be used in future development of sunscreen products providing several benefits to the formulation.Practical Application: Determination of sugars, metabolites and sunscreen activity from Jatobá fruits. Application in food and cosmetics industries.

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Background:Popularly known as “jatobá,” Hymenaea martiana Hayne is a medicinal plant widely used in the Brazilian Northeast for the treatment of various diseases.Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different extractive methods in the production of phenolic compounds from different parts of H. martiana.Materials and Methods:The leaves, bark, fruits, and seeds were dried, pulverized, and submitted to maceration, ultrasound, and percolation extractive methods, which were evaluated for yield, visual aspects, qualitative phytochemical screening, phenolic compound content, and total flavonoids.Results:The highest results of yield were obtained from the maceration of the leaves, which may be related to the contact time between the plant drug and solvent. The visual aspects of the extracts presented some differences between the extractive methods. The phytochemical screening showed consistent data with other studies of the genus. Both the vegetal part as the different extractive methods influenced significantly the levels of phenolic compounds, and the highest content was found in the maceration of the barks, even more than the content found previously. No differences between the levels of total flavonoids were significant. The highest concentration of total flavonoids was found in the ultrasound of the barks, followed by maceration on this drug. According to the results, the barks of H. martiana presented the highest total flavonoid contents.Conclusion:The results demonstrate that both the vegetable and the different extractive methods influenced significantly various parameters obtained in the various extracts, demonstrating the importance of systematic comparative studies for the development of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.SUMMARY The phytochemical screening showed consistent data with other studies of the genus HymenaeaBoth the vegetable part and the different extractive methods influenced significantly various parameters obtained in the various extracts, including the levels of phenolic compoundsThe barks of H. martiana presented the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents.

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This work aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, acute toxicity and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Algrizea minor (EOAm). The essential oil presented as the major constituents β-Pinene (56.99%), α-Pinene (16.57%), Germacrene D (4.67%), Bicyclogermacrene (4.66%), (E)-Caryophyllene (3.76%) and Limonene (1.71%). It was verified that the essential oil did not show acute toxicity in the maximum dose of 5,000 mg/kg. In the evaluation of the antinociceptive activity it was verified that the essential oil reduced in 65.84% the number of writhing in the mice, reducing the pain in 59.17%, and the mechanism of action in pain reduction was opioid, similar to morphine. The essential oil also presented significant antimicrobial against gram positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi, and the antioxidant activity was relevant. Therefore, these results demonstrate the great potential for the future development of pharmaceutical products with the essential oil of Algrizea minor.