Meliponids are native bees of the Americas, characterized by having no sting (ANSA). Some live in the Yunga forests of northern Argentina, a place rich in a diversity of this type of bees of which at least thirty-three species may be found. Propolis is a resinous substance that bees collect from plants exudates. Chemical composition and functional properties vary according to the flora of the place where the hives are. They have been valued by humans for their biological properties for centuries. This study is aimed at investigating the antinociceptive, antioxidant and anti-biofilm activities of propolis from the stingless bees Tetragonisca fiebrigi Schwarz and Scaptotrigona jujuyensis Schrottky found in Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá of INTA, Tucumán, Argentina. Analgesic activity of the extracts was estimated against acetic acid induced writhing, tail immersion method and formalin test. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging and β-carotene bleaching assays. Propolis anti biofilm activity was tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATTC 6538P bacteria. Phytochemical constituents were obtained using standard chemical methods. The propolis alcoholic extracts of the studied species possess antinociceptive activity at both central and peripheral levels as demonstrated by the three algesia tests used. Both propolis extracts were effective antioxidants in DPPH and β-carotene linoleic acid model systems. S. jujuyensis propolis tested at all doses against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa presented a selective biofilm inhibition unrelated to bacterial growth inhibition, thus achieving a reduction in pathogenicity. The chemical studies revealed the presence of sterols, triterpenes, catechins, coumarins, flavonoids, phenols, tannins and anthocyanidins. Chemical composition observed in the T.fiebrigi and S. jujuyensis propolis, suggest that those responsible for the activity would be chemical compounds of a non-phenolic nature. Our data indicate that geopropolis is a natural source of bioactive substances with promising beneficial properties for human health. Isolation and identification of compounds responsible for the pharmacological activities displayed by propolis has started.
Background: Propolis is a natural product that has been widely utilized as medicine and dietary supplement because of its broad biological activities. However, although meliponide hive products have many advantages, meliponiculture has not yet become popular in Argentina, and few scientific studies on its chemical composition and/or its bioactive properties were reported, so the use of stingless bee propolis Argentine in popular medicine continues to be based on empirical knowledge. Our work aims to evaluate in vivo anti-inflammatory, antitussive and expectorant activities, and acute toxicity of the Argentine geopropolis ethanol extracts of two stingless bee's species, Scaptotrigona jujuyensis Schrottky and Tetragonisca fiebrigi Schwarz. Wistar male rats were used for all in vivo studies. Anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated through carrageenan-induced edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation. Antitussive activity was assessed against ammonia-induced cough. Expectorant activity was measured by volume of phenol red in the rats' tracheas. The extract doses tested were 125, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg (p.o.). The safety was evaluated with test of acute toxicity (48 h). Results: The results showed that S. jujuyensis and T. fiebrigi propolis (1000 mg/kg) significantly reduced the carrageenaninduced edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation 3 h post-dosing. In the ammonia liquor-induced cough, both propolis significantly enhanced the latent period and reduced cough frequency as compared with those of the negative control. However, they did not increase the expulsion of red phenol in the treated rats. Conclusions: This study shows that ethanol extracts of S. jujuyensis and T. fiebrigi propolis have anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects. These findings would justify the use of geopropolis in medicine as a potential phytotherapeutic product.
Ziziphus mistol Griseb. (Rhamnaceae), popularly known as “mistol,” is widely distributed throughout Perú, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Its fruit is consumed in different forms in several argentinean communities and used against biliary colic, dysentery, cold stomach and diseases of the respiratory system characterized by pain and inflammation. The present study was carried out to investigate the medicinal properties and safety of Ziziphus mistol (mistol) fruits ethanol and aqueous extracts and arrope. Antinociceptive activity was assessed using the formalin, acetic acid-induced writhing and tail-flick tests in rats. Anti-inflammatory effects were determined through carrageenan induced edema test and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation, in rats. The safety was evaluated with test of acute toxicity (48 hours) and sub-chronic toxicity (91 days). All extracts (1,000 mg/kg b.w.) showed significant inhibition (P less than 0.05) in the three model of pain experimentally induced in comparison to control. In a combination test using naloxone, diminished analgesic activity of aqueous extract and arrope were observed, indicating that their antinociceptive activity is connected with the opioid receptors. At dose 1000 mg/kg bw, the aqueous extract and arrope showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than the ethanol extract, in carrageenan and cotton pellet granuloma model used. In the acute toxicity study, a single dose of 4000 and 8000 mg/kg b.w., produced no mortality and no clinical signs of disease were observed after 48 hours. In the sub-chronic toxicity study the extracts no caused significant visible signs of toxicity, nor mortality for 91 consecutive days of treatment. Extracts and arrope of Z. mistol fruits could be good source of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents because of its good activity and safety.
The chemical machinery of vegetables offers a great diversity of biological properties and plays a fundamental role in the field of pharmacology. The search for new drugs with fewer adverse effects represents a challenge for researchers. The objective of the present work was to carry out to investigate the medicinal properties and safety of extracts and essential oil from aerial parts of Clinopodium gilliesii (muña muña) and evaluate their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo. The extractions were carried out serially, using 96º alcohol (EE) and boiled distilled water (AE). The essential oil (EO) was obtained by steam dragging. The AE in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was determined by carrageenan induced plantar edema (acute inflammation) and granuloma formation by cotton disc (chronic inflammation) at oral doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg while that of the EO was established topically at doses of 50, 100μl/kg. In-vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH depuration and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (β-carotene-linoleic acid method). Chemical study of the extracts was carried out by means of phytochemical screening and the essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS chromatography. The safety was evaluated with test of acute toxicity (48 h) and acute dermal toxicity (14 days). The results revealed that EE and EO had a significant acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activity, compared with positive patterns. EE (500 mg/kg), EO (100μl/kg), ibuprofen (100 mg/kg) and meprednisone (5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the weight of the exudate and cotton disc granuloma (24.17, 35.30, 45.56 and 57.17% respectively). The alcoholic and aqueous extracts presented important antioxidant activities with values higher than 90% (from 400μg/ml) in both methods and similar to the positive patterns (BHT and quercetin). The chromatographic profile of volatile oil compounds showed a great richness in terpene substances, pulegone, menthone and neomenthol, being its major constituents. The hydroalcoholic extracts revealed the presence of reducing compounds, polysaccharides, tannins, triterpenes, sterols and coumarins as major phytoconstituents. In the acute toxicity study, a single dose of 4000 and 8000 mg/kg b.w., produced no mortality and no clinical signs of disease were observed after 48 h. The essential oil at a single dose of 2000 and 5000 mg/kg of body weight did not produce treatment-related signs of toxicity or mortality in all rats tested during the 14 day observation period. These findings are encouraging to continue studies for the validation of popular use and development of a phytopharmaceutical with medicinal utility.
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