RESUMO:Espécies de Acacia são tradicionalmente utilizadas para o tratamento de diversas patologias. Estudos quimiotaxonômicos têm relacionado o gênero Acacia como fonte de compostos fenólicos, os quais apresentam propriedades biológicas diversas. Este trabalho destaca a atividade antioxidante de Acacia podalyriifolia. Esta planta é originária da Austrália e amplamente cultivada no Sul do Brasil como ornamental. O material vegetal (fl ores) foi seco à sombra, submetido à extração com etanol, seguido de partição com hexano, diclorometano e acetato de etila. A triagem fi toquímica realizada no extrato etanólico bruto e nas suas frações, demonstrou a presença de compostos fenólicos e fl avonóides. A determinação do conteúdo fenólico foi realizada com o reativo Folin Ciocalteau, verifi cando ser a fração acetato de etila (FAE) a que apresentou a maior concentração (338,5 mg de ácido gálico/g de FAE). Na avaliação da atividade captadora de radical, empregando o radical livre DPPH, a fração acetato de etila demonstrou atividade antioxidante mais elevada (IC 50 = 3,22 μg/mL de FAE).Unitermos: Acacia podalyriifolia, antioxidante, compostos fenólicos.ABSTRACT: "Determination of the phenolic content and evaluation of the antioxidant activity of Acacia podalyriifolia A. Cunn. ex G. Don, Leguminosae-mimosoideae". Acacia species are usually used as treatment for several diseases. Chemotaxonomic studies have related the Acacia genus as a source of phenolic compounds, which present several biological properties. This work emphasizes the antioxidant activity of Acacia podalyriifolia. This plant is natural from Australia and vastly cultivated in the South of Brazil as ornamental feature. The plant material (fl owers) was shadow-dried and submitted to the extraction with ethanol, followed by partition with hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate. The phytochemical screening performed in the ethanol crude extract and in its fractions showed the presence of phenolic compounds and fl avonoids. Determination of the phenolic content was performed with the Folin Ciocalteau reagent. It was found out that the ethyl acetate fraction (FAE) was the one that displayed the biggest concentration (338,5 mg of gallic acid/g of FAE). In the evaluation of the radical scavenging activity, using the free radical DPPH, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC 50 = 3,22 μg/mL from FAE).

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Melipona marginata is an endangered species of stingless bee from Brazil that produces honey with particular physicochemical features and a remarkable exotic flavor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report devoted to exploring the medicinal potential of this honey. Thus, the aim of this paper was to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory activity of honey extract from M. marginata on skin inflammation. The honey sample was classified as a monofloral honey of Mimosa scabrella. The presence of 11 phenolic compounds as kaempferol and caffeic acid was detected using the high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-UV-ESI-MS) method. The anti-inflammatory activity was measured using a 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ear edema model of inflammation in mice. The topical application of the M. marginata honey extract (1.0 mg/ear) was able to reduce ear edema with an inhibitory effect of 54 ± 5%. This extract decreased the myeloperoxidase activity in 75 ± 3%, which suggests a lower leucocyte infiltration that was confirmed by histological analysis. This extract also provided a reduction of 55 ± 14% in the production of reactive oxygen species. This anti-inflammatory activity could be due to a synergic effect of the phenolic compounds identified in the honey sample. Taken together, these results open up new possibilities for the use of M. marginata honey extract in skin disorders.

The antibacterial activity of plant extracts obtained from Bixa orellana L., Chamomilla recutita L., Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Malva sylvestris L., Plantago major L. and Rheum rhaponticum L. has been evaluated against two reference strains and eleven clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori. All the plant species chosen are used in popular Brazilian cuisine and folk medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Initial screening was made by the disk diffusion test and then minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the agar dilution method. The results presented in this work demonstrated that among the plant preparations analyzed, B. orellana L., C. recutita L., I. paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. and M. sylvestris L. were capable of inhibiting the in vitro growth of H. pylori.

TermoesTabilidade de processos exTraTivos de Nasturtium officinale r. br., brassicaceae por sisTema soxhleT modificado João luiz de souza carvalho, miriam machado cunico, Josiane de fátima Gaspari dias*, marilis dallarmi miguel e obdulio Gomes miguel Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Prefeito Lothário Meissner, 3400, 80210-170 Curitiba -PR, BrasilRecebido em 6/12/07; aceito em 26/9/08; publicado na web em 2/2/09 TERM-STABILITY OF EXTRACTIVE PROCESSES FROM Nasturtium officinale R. Br., BRASSICACEAE FOR SOXHLET MODIFIED SYSTEM. This work had as objective verified the term-stability of the Soxhlet modified system with analytical and pharmacothecnical application in extractive processes of Nasturtium officinale. It has proven that the process is thermo-stable. The analysis with analytical have determined 3.606 mg g -1 in chlorogenic acid and 11.813 mg g -1 in rutin (extract 1:20 w/v) and with pharmacotecnical 3.427 mg g -1 in chlorogenic acid and 11.278 mg g -1 in rutin (extract 1:6 w/v). The income of the pharmacothecnical process was inferior to the analytical, suggesting that the pharmacothecnical process would need of at least the double of time in each extraction system.

Parte dos fitoterápicos são consumidos sem acompanhamento por profissional de saúde, sendo de venda sem prescrição médica. Culturalmente, as gestantes optam pelo uso de plantas medicinais e fitoterápicos para tratarem desconfortos decorrentes ou não da gestação. Entretanto, na terapêutica, o uso de plantas medicinais com base e sendo assegurado somente pelo uso tradicional pode ser perigoso. É fundamental que se tenha um perfil tóxico bem estabelecido, principalmente no que se refere ao potencial abortivo e teratogênico, salientando que com relação as plantas medicinais as informações a esse respeito são escassas e contraditórias. Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento bibliográfico com o propósito de apresentar questões relacionadas ao uso de plantas medicinais durante a gravidez e amamentação.

Most active plants are toxic at high doses and it is therefore important to investigate the preliminary toxicity of plant extracts. The Rourea induta species is a potential drug with no phytochemical or biological studies registered in the literature. Thus, a phytochemical study and a toxicity analysis of the ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Rourea induta Planch., Connaraceae, was run. A long chain hydrocarbon, n-tetracosane, and four flavonoids were identified: quercetin, and three glycosylated derivates, quercetin-3-O-α-arabinofuranoside, quercetin-3-O-β-xyloside and quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside. This is the first time these have been isolated in this species. The structures were elucidated by 13 C NMR, 1 H NMR, UV and IR spectroscopy. The toxicity evaluation of extracts was performed by the brine shrimp method and determination of hemolytic activity. The samples demonstrated no toxic potential by the analyzed methods. A maioria das plantas ativas é tóxica em doses elevadas, portanto, é importante a investigação da toxicidade preliminar dos extratos das plantas. A espécie Rourea induta é uma droga potencial que não apresenta estudo fitoquímico ou biológico descrito na literatura. Assim, um estudo fitoquímico e análises toxicológicas foram realizados com o extrato etanólico obtido das folhas de Rourea induta Planch., Connaraceae. Foram obtidos um hidrocarboneto de cadeia longa, n-tetracosano, e quatro flavonóides, quercetina e três derivados glicosilados, quercetina-3-O-α-arabinofuranosideo, quercetina-3-O-β-xilosideo e quercetina-3-O-β-galactosideo. Esta é a primeira vez que estes compostos são isolados nesta espécie. As estruturas foram elucidadas por espectroscopia de RMN-13 C, RMN-1 H, ultravioleta e infravermelho. A avaliação da toxicidade dos extratos foi analisada pelo método da Artemia salina e atividade hemolítica. Nenhuma das amostras testadas apresentou um potencial tóxico pelos métodos analisados.Unitermos: Rourea induta/fitoquímica. Connaraceae/fitoquímica. Flavonóides. N-tetracosano. Extrato de plantas/toxicidade.

RIEE exhibits antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities in vivo, which may be attributable to its flavonoids composition [hyperin (2), quercetin-3-O-β-xyloside (4), quercetin-3-O-α-arabinofuranoside (5), and quercetin (6)].