Aims:  To investigate the in vitro antiherpes effects of the crude aqueous extract obtained from Cecropia glaziovii leaves and their related fractions, the n‐butanol fraction (n‐BuOH) and the C‐glycosylflavonoid‐enriched fraction (MeOHAMB), and to determine the viral multiplication step(s) upon which this C‐glycosylflavonoid‐enriched fraction acts. Methods and Results:  The antiviral activity was evaluated against human herpes virus types 1 and 2 (HHV‐1, HHV‐2) by plaque reduction assay. The mode of action of the most active fraction was investigated by a set of assays, and the results demonstrated that MeOHAMB fraction exerts anti‐herpes action by the reduction of viral infectivity (only against HHV‐2); by the inhibition of virus entry into cells; by the inhibition of cell‐to‐cell virus spread as well as by the impaired levels of envelope proteins of HHV‐1. The high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–photo‐diode array (PDA) analysis showed that the C‐glycosylflavonoids are the major constituents of this fraction. Conclusions:  These data showed that the MeOHAMB fraction has an antiviral activity against HHV types 1 and 2. The C‐glycosylflavonoids are the major constituents of this fraction, which suggests that they could be one of the compounds responsible for the detected anti‐herpes activity. Significance and Impact of the Study:  The MeOHAMB fraction can be regarded as a phytopharmaceutical candidate for the treatment of herpetic infections.

Um método eficiente e reprodutível por CLAE-DAD foi desenvolvido e validado para quantificação simultânea dos compostos fenólicos majoritários (ácido clorogênico, isoorientina, orientina e isovitexina) presentes nas folhas de duas espécies de Cecropia, C. glaziovii e C. pachystachya. Das folhas de C. glaziovii e C. pachystachya foram isolados os flavonoides C-glicosídeos isoorientina e isovitexina e identificados em ambas as espécies o ácido clorogênico (ácido 3-O-cafeoilquínico) e o flavonoide O-glicosídeo isoquercitrina. O flavonoide C-glicosídeo orientina foi isolado apenas da espécie C. pachystachya. O ácido clorogênico mostrou-se como composto majoritário em ambas as espécies analisadas (11,1 mg g -1 de extrato de C. glaziovii e 27,2 mg g -1 de extrato de C. pachystachya), e em relação aos flavonoides quantificados, isovitexina se apresentou como o flavonoide C-glicosídeo majoritário para C. glaziovii (4,6 mg g -1 extrato) e isoorientina majoritário para C. pachystachya (17,3 mg g -1 de extrato).An efficient and reproducible HPLC-DAD method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of major compounds (chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin and isovitexin) present in the leaves of two Cecropia species, C. glaziovii and C. pachystachya. From the leaves of C. glaziovii and C. pachystachya were isolated the C-glycosylflavones isoorientin and isovitexin and identified on both species chlorogenic acid (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and the O-glycosylflavonol isoquercitrin. The C-glycosylflavone orientin was isolated only from C. pachystachya. Chlorogenic acid was the major compound in both species (11.1 mg g -1 of extract of C. glaziovii and 27.2 mg g -1 of extract of C. pachystachya) and for the flavonoids quantified, isovitexin was the main C-glycosylflavonoid for C. glaziovii (4.6 mg g -1 of extract) and isoorientin the main one for C. pachystachya (17.3 mg g -1 of extract).

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The phenolic content, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial activity of extracts of different parts of the fruit from Capsicum baccatum L. var. pendulum were investigated. The analysis of phenolic content was performed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by the total reactive antioxidant potential and total antioxidant reactivity index. The antioxidant activity was positively correlated with the amount of phenolics found in each sample. The ex vivo antioxidant potential was assessed using the rat liver slice model. The antimicrobial activity was screened using Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. All the extracts revealed antioxidant activity and a weak antimicrobial activity.

The Cecropia genus consists of about 60 species distributed throughout Latin America, mostly in Brazil. These species are widely used in traditional medicine to treat cough, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure, inflammation, heart disease, and as a diuretic. In recent years, there has been an increase in research on Cecropia species, with several phytochemical and pharmacological reports. Concerning its chemical composition, C-glycosylflavonoids and proanthocyanidins have been described as the main constituents of C. glaziovii, C. hololeuca and C. pachystachya, while terpenoids and steroids have been reported in several species, including C. adenopus and C. pachystachya. Among the pharmacological properties described for the genus, the most frequently reported are hypoglycemic activity for C. obtusifolia and C. peltata, and hypotensive and central nervous system activity for C. glaziovii. The present review compiles the information available on this genus because of its ethnopharmacological relevance and the potential therapeutic uses of these species.

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