No abstract

No abstract

Background: Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) March resin is accepted as an analgesic, healing, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and gastroprotective. However, there are no specific studies with leaves of this plant. Objective: This study identified the chemical composition and biological activity of crude ethanolic extract (EE) and ethyl acetate (EA) fraction from P. heptaphyllum. Methods: Mice were intoxicated with acetaminophen (PCM; 250 mg/kg), subsequently treated with EE and EA (100 mg/kg) for 7 days via gavage. Plasma analyzes and liver and kidney homogenates of the animals were performed. Results: The extract and fraction showed the presence of phenols and flavonoids. Three main flavonoids were identified by HPLC-UV, LC-MS/MS fractionation, quercetin-3-β-D-glycoside, myricetin and quercetin. For total antioxidant potential tests, EE presented EC50 of 75 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL for EA. ALT, AST and ALP enzymes activity increased in the PCM-exposed plasma, but EA decreased these activities at control levels for ALT and AST. Animal glycemic levels decreased with EE and EA, which may be due to a possible hypoglycemic effect of the plant. In liver tissue, SOD was unchanged, CAT, GSH and ASA decreased in the PCM group, but EA was able to reverse these effects. TBARS and PC were reduced by both treatments. In renal tissue, EA fraction recovered GST activity, GSH levels were restored by EE and EA and PC was reduced by treatments. Conclusion: This antioxidant effect may be due to the presence of the flavonoids identified which are already well known for their antioxidant properties.

No abstract

No abstract

The advance of human activities in a disorderly way has accelerated in recent decades, intensifying the environmental impacts directly linked to these practices. The atmosphere, essential for the maintenance of life, is increasingly saturated with pollutants, offering risks to practically all the inhabitants of the planet, a process that, in addition to causing illness and early mortality, is related to serious financial losses (including in the production of goods), dangerous temperature increase and severe natural disasters. Although this perception is not recent, the global initiative to control the different mechanisms that trigger the commitment of biodiversity and irreversible climate changes arising from pollution is still very incipient, given that global initiatives on the subject emerged just over 50 years ago. Brazil is a territory that centralizes many of these discussions, as it still faces both political and economic obstacles in achieving a sustainable growth model as it was agreed through the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Even though there is little time left for the completion of these goals, much remains to be done, and despite the fulfillment of this deadline, the works will certainly need to be extended for much longer until an effective reorientation of consciousness occurs. Scientific researches and discussions are fundamental tools to the understanding of issues still little explored in this field.

The toxicity of Roundup Original® (GLY), a glyphosate-based herbicide widely used in crops in Mato Grosso state, was determined in hybrid fish jundiara or pintado da Amazônia. The 96 h-LC of GLY was 13.57 mg L. Moreover, exposure to sublethal concentrations of GLY (0, 0.37, 0.75, 2.25, 4.5, 7.5 mg L) has not altered the survival rate (100% for all treatments). In fish liver, protein carbonyl (PC) levels as well as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity, reduced glutathione (GSH), and ascorbic acid (ASA) contents increased when compared to control group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was reduced and catalase (CAT) has not changed. PC content has grown in muscle and brain, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS) levels also increased in muscle, but in the brain, they remained unaltered. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity reduced in muscle but increased in brain when compared to control group. Our results suggest that short-term exposure to GLY induced alterations in the oxidative stress biomarkers in fish and can be interfering with their survival in natural environment; besides, these findings may be considered of high ecotoxicological relevance.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemoprotective effects of the embaúba Cecropia distachya Huber (two methanolic fractions: F1 and F2) on oxidative stress induced by cyclophosphamide (75 mg kg-1) in mice, as well as phytochemical analyzes by LC-MS/MS. In the experimental model, the fractions increased the hepatic and cardiac catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) of the kidney and the heart. F1 increased platelet levels (PLT), hemogram (RBC), hematocrit (HCT) and hemoglobin (Hb) and F1 reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity increased. F1 was attributed to possible hypoglycemic activity and possible immunosuppressive effects and F2 presented antimutagenic activity. In some cases, the fractions were also hepatotoxic. These results demonstrated that the fractions stimulate the antioxidant defenses, being hypoglycemic (F1) and antimutagenic (F2), and, the harmful effects attributed to the fractions may be the association of compounds that were not elucidated in this work.