Os extratos etanólicos das folhas e raízes de Combretum leprosum Mart. & Eicher (Combretaceae) foram investigados por CGAR-EM, após derivatização com BSTFA/ TMCS. Mono e oligossacarídeos, ácidos graxos e triterpenos foram identificados como componentes majoritários. Análise quantitativa por padronização externa revelou a presença de 65% de ácido arjunólico (1) no extrato etanólico das raízes secas. Foram observadas atividades anti-inflamatória, antinociceptiva e anticolinesterásicas (AChE e BuChE) para o extrato das raízes e para o ácido arjunólico, descortinando uma nova classe de produtos naturais no tratamento da doença de Alzheimer através de drogas multifuncionais.Combretum leprosum Mart. & Eicher (Combretaceae) leaves and roots ethanolic extracts were investigated by HRGC-MS and showed mono-and oligosaccharides, fatty acids and triterpenes as major compounds after derivatization with BSTFA/ TMCS. Arjunolic acid (1) was quantified on dried roots ethanolic extract (65%) by external standard. Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and anticholinesterasic (AChE and BuChE) activities were observed for roots ethanolic extract of C. leprosum and arjunolic acid, suggesting both as promising targets for the development of innovative multi-functional medicines for Alzheimer desease treatment.Keywords: Combretum leprosum, Combretaceae, HRGC-MS, arjunolic acid, anti-inflammatory, cholinesterase inhibitor
IntroductionCombretum leprosum Mart. & Eicher (Combretaceae), native from Brazil, is a widely distributed shrub in Brazilian Caatinga from Piauí to Bahia states and is commonly known as "mofumbo". 1 It is used by local people on the cicatrisation of wounds, in the treatment of haemorrhages or as a sedative, 2 and the analgesic property of the ethanolic stem barks extract was recently described. 3 Braz-Filho et al. 4 studied two genera of Combretaceae.From Thiloa glaucocarpa they isolated arjunolic acid (1) and from Combretum sp., 3,3',4,5-tetra-Omethylflavellagic acid, ethyl β-D-glucopyranoside and arjunglucoside. 4 C. leprosum roots and leaves led to the isolation of arjunolic and mollic acids, 3β,6β,16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (2), together with the glycosilated flavonoids 3-O-methylquercetin and quercetrin. 5 Arjunolic acid (2α, 3β, 23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, 1) was first isolated from Terminalia arjuna (Combretaceae), which has been used as a cardiac tonic by native Ayurvedic Indian people for centuries. 6 A patent based on the hormonal, wound healing and bactericide (particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. leprae) properties of arjunolic acid and its isomer, asiatic acid (2α, 3β, 23-trihydroxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid, 3) was deposited 7 and, since then, a series of other biological activities of arjunolic acid were described. 8 Continuing our search for anti-inflammatory and anticholinesterasic agents from natural sources, 9 we found Combretum leprosum as an interesting investigation target. It merged from the relatively few reported information about pharmacological profile of C. leprosum and the s...
