The study of phytotherapy in dentistry holds great relevance because of the scarcity of research conducted on the treatment of oral pathologies, specifically, caries and periodontal disease. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze the chemical composition of extracts from Couroupita guianensis Aubl. leaves, evaluate their toxicity, and assess their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Candida albicans. Three extracts were prepared using assisted ultrasound and the Soxhlet apparatus, namely, Crude Ultrasound Extract (CUE), Crude Soxhlet Extract (CSE), and the Ethanol Soxhlet Extract (ESE). Flavonoids, tannins, and saponins were detected in the chemical analysis, while LC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, sinapic acid, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and apigenin in all extracts. GC-MS analysis identified stigmasterol and β-sitosterol in the CUE and CSE. The ESE showed higher antioxidant activity (2.98 ± 0.96 and 4.93 ± 0.90) determined by the DPPH• and ABTS•+ methods, respectively. In the toxicity evaluation, the CUE at 50 μg/mL and the ESE at 50 μg/mL stimulated the growth of Allium cepa roots, while all extracts inhibited root growth at 750 μg/mL. None of the extracts exhibited toxicity against Artemia salina. Antibacterial activity was observed in all extracts, particularly against the microorganisms S. aureus and S. mutans. However, no antifungal activity against C. albicans was detected. These results suggest that extracts of C. guianensis have therapeutic potential for controlling microorganisms in the oral microbiota.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is the main cleaning ingredient in shampoos, even though it may be potentially damaging to hair. The demand for antioxidant-rich cosmetics, on the other hand, has encouraged green cosmetics research. Brazil has vast biodiversity that can be exploited for the production of these cosmetics. This work aimed to develop a minimalist antioxidant lauryl-free shampoo formulation with leaf extracts from the Brazilian plant Hancornia speciosa Gomes. Two hydroethanolic extracts were prepared using different extraction methods, Soxhlet, and ultrasound. The extracts were characterized by the presence of saponins, polyphenol quantification, and HLPC chemical identification of the compounds. Antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH method. The antioxidant lauryl-free shampoo was developed using hydroxyethyl cellulose with two concentrations of leaf extract obtained by Soxhlet, 0.125 mg/g (XP1) and 0.250 mg/g (XP2). Along with the antioxidant activity, the physical and chemical properties, cleaning potential, and foam quality were evaluated. The Soxhlet leaf extract revealed a more favorable chemical profile, including a positive result for saponins, as well as a larger quantity of polyphenols and increased antioxidant activity. The XP2 formulation showed better foam height, dirt dispersion, and antioxidant activity. Thus, the use of mangabeira leaf extract appears to be promising for the development of shampoos with antioxidant activity.

Screening fitoquímico da folha e caule da Hancornia speciosa Gomes (mangabeira) com finalidade de bioprospecção cosmética Phytochemical screening of the leaf and stem of Hancornia speciosa Gomes (mangabeira) for the purpose of cosmetic bioprospecting

The goal of this work was to chemically characterise Hancornia speciosa extracts to develop an antioxidant serum formulation. Stem and bark extracts were prepared using 70% hydroethanol solution by Sohxlet and ultrasound assisted extraction. The content of total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were evaluated, and chemical characterization was performed by HPLC. The formulation was developed with stem extract (0.250 mg/g) in hydroxyethylcellulose fluid gel. Stem extracts had higher total phenols and flavonoids, and higher antioxidant activity than bark extracts. The formulation presented low viscosity, a yellowish colour, 81.28% ± 0.14 of antioxidant activity. In the stability test, the physicochemical characteristics showed small variations, remaining more stable at a temperature of 5 ºC, with an antioxidant activity of 64.81% ± 0.75. Therefore, the stem of H. speciosa has the potential to be used in antioxidant formulations.

The present work evaluated the inhibitor potential of acetylcholinesterase, the preliminary toxicity and determination of active components of different leaf and seed extracts of Parkia platycephala. All extracts were obtained through hot extraction in a closed system (Soxhlet). To obtain the leaf and seed hexanic, methanolic, and ethanolic extracts (LHE, LME, LEE, and SHE, SME, and SEE), sequential extraction was performed on the same plant sample using hexane, methanol, and hydroethanol solution (70%). Preliminary Phytochemical analysis and the characterization by gas chromatography coupled to the mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was performed. The content of phenols total flavonoids and the antioxidant potential was then quantified.The preliminary toxicity against Artemia salina was also evaluated and the potential for acetylcholinesterase inhibition was determined. The presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, phytosterols/triterpenoids and alkaloids were detected in phytochemical analysis. The leaf extracts showed antioxidant potential, LEM (IC 50 = 30.19 ± 0.75 μg/ml) and LEE (IC 50 = 40.62 ± 0.65 μg/ml). The analysis by GC-MS indicated a diversity of volatile compounds, evidencing urs-12-ene (triterpenoid) and 1,2,3-benzenetriol (phenol) in the leaf extracts, and linoelaidic acid (fatty acid), (Z)-9-octadecenamide, tricycle [20.8.0.0 (7.16)] triacontane,1(22),7(16)-diepoxy-, (Z)-7-hexadecenal (fatty aldehyde) in the seed extracts. The preliminary toxicity analysis demonstrated that the use of P. platyceplaha leave and seeds for medicinal purposes is relatively safe. All the extracts inhibited acetylcholinesterase, compared to the physostigmine control, with IC 50 values in the range of 9.85 to 15.68 mg/ml. Thus, these data support the use of P. platycephala as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

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The increasing interest in green cosmetics has a major influence on the cosmetics market, whether due to the incorporation of the functionalities of the extracts, or the substitution of synthetic ingredients with natural ones. Yet, the natural substances found in those products must be evaluated for their chemical characterization and toxicity. This study determined the chemical profile and assessed the toxicity of stem (S) and leaf (L) extracts of Hancornia speciosa Gomes obtained by Soxhlet apparatus (SOX) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (US). Hydroethanolic (70%) extracts were prepared from the stem and leaves of H. speciosa resulting in Soxhlet stem extract, ultrasound stem extract, Soxhlet leaf extract, ultrasound leaf extract. The chemical characterization of the extracts was performed by phytochemical screening and the compounds were identified by GC-MS analyses. The toxicity test was analyzed at concentrations of 50, 250 and 500 µg/ml, using the Allium cepa and Artemia salina tests. The phytochemical analysis identified flavonoids, tannins and saponins while the GC-MS analysis found lupeol, hentriacontane, undecanoic acid, Friedelan-3-one and a potentially toxic substance known as oxalic acid. The toxicity test showed low genotoxic and antimutagenic indexes in the extracts of H. speciosa. The findings suggest that the safest extracts in cosmetic preparations were Soxhlet stem extract and Soxhlet leaf extract, while the most toxic extract was ultrasound leaf extract.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar se o avanço agrícola já evidenciado na APA Serra do Lajeado está interferindo na qualidade das nascentes. O avanço agrícola foi verificado pela análise de área de cobertura florestal da APA pelo MAPBiomas, pelo quantitativo de produção de soja, além de estudos em literatura. A análise da preservação das nascentes foi realizada conforme protocolo de avaliação de impacto ambiental e a qualidade da água foi avaliada através de análises físicas, químicas e microbiológicas e analisada estatisticamente utilizando Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP). Os trechos de rio a jusante da nascente foram analisados por meio de protocolo de avaliação rápida (PAR). Os resultados indicaram aumento do avanço agrícola na APA Serra do Lajeado. As nascentes, embora apresentem alto grau de preservação, apresentam contaminação por coliformes, sendo sua água imprópria para o consumo. Os trechos de rios mais antropizados foram aqueles localizados próximos a área de agricultura.