In the scientific community, there is a growing interest in Tamarindus indica L. leaves, both as a valuable nutrient and as a functional food. This paper focuses on exploring its safety and antioxidant properties. A tamarind leaf fluid extract (TFE) wholly characterised was evaluated for its anti-DPPH activity (IC50 = 44.36 μg/mL) and its reducing power activity (IC50 = 60.87 μg/mL). TFE also exhibited a high ferrous ion-chelating capacity, with an estimated binding constant of 1.085 mol L(-1) while its influence over nitric oxide production in human leucocytes was irregular. At low concentrations, TFE stimulated NO output, but it significantly inhibited it when there was an increase in concentration. TFE was also classified as a non-toxic substance in two toxicity tests: the acute oral toxicity test and the oral mucous irritability test. Further toxicological assays are needed, although results so far suggest that TFE might become a functional dietary supplement.

P. alliacea powder from stems and leaves was classed in the hazard category 5 (LD > 2000mg/kg) according to the acute toxicology study. There were no toxicity signs at 1000mg/kg in the repeated dose study, although higher values of total leukocytes were found in the satellite and males of the experimental group, which were attributed to the immunomodulatory properties of this plant. According to GC-MS, the prevailing compounds identified were phytol, (R)-(-)-(Z)-14-methyl-8-hexadecen-1-ol, 1-(2-hydrohyethyl)-1,2,4-triazole and methyl β-dimethylaminoisobutyrate. In conclusion, the oral administration of the P. alliacea powder to Sprague Dawley rats did not result in deaths and was not associated with adverse effects reflected in the general condition, body weights or histopathological abnormalities.

Mushroom nutriceutical components have lately attracted interest for developing immunonutritional support. However, there is relatively little information pertaining to the use of mushroom preparations for modulating the metabolic and immunological disorders associated to malnutrition. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of oral administration of an aqueous extract (CW-P) from Pleurotus ostreatus on the recovery of biochemical and immunological functions of malnourished mice. 8-week old female BALB/c mice were starved for 3days and then refed with commercial diet supplemented with or without CW-P (100mg/kg) for 8days. Regardless of the diet used during refeeding, animal body weights and serum protein concentrations did not differ between groups. Oral treatment with CW-P normalized haemoglobin levels, liver arginase and gut mucosal weight. CW-P increased total liver proteins and also DNA and protein contents in gut mucosa. Pleurotus extract provided benefits in terms of macrophages activation as well as in haemopoiesis, as judged by the recovery of bone marrow cells and leukocyte counts. Moreover, CW-P stimulated humoral immunity (T-dependent and T non-dependent antibodies responses) compared to non-supplemented mice. CW-P extract from the oyster mushroom can be used to develop specific food or nutritional supplement formulations with potential clinical applications in the immunotherapy.

Preservar la biodiversidad vegetal ha cobrado una atención considerable tanto por la comunidad científica como en el desarrollo de políticas públicas. La Organización Mundial de la Salud, por tal motivo, fomenta las investigaciones relacionadas con la utilización de las plantas medicinales. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo: describir las potencialidades farmacológicas de plantas medicinales cubanas como base para la conservación de su biodiversidad. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo-retrospectivo, en el cual se analizaron las diferentes especies medicinales a la cuales se les han realizado estudios preclínicos y perfiles fármaco-toxicológicos en el Centro de Toxicología y Biomedicina (TOXIMED). Además, se procesaron todos los artículos publicados relacionados con las plantas estudiadas. De cada producción científica se tuvieron en cuenta las siguientes variables cualitativas: título, autores, revista, indexación y entidades participantes. Se describieron las potencialidades farmacológicas de 24 plantas medicinales, contabilizándose un total de 29 estudios preclínicos realizados, de ellos 24 (82,7 %) ensayos toxicológicos y 5 (17,2 %) farmacológicos. A 12 especies distintas se les han realizado perfiles fármaco-toxicológicos, los cuales han formado parte del registro y comercialización de diferentes fitofármacos realizados principalmente por la Empresa comercializadora del Grupo Empresarial LABIOFAM. Estos estudios han originado un total de 19 publicaciones científicas y sin dudas contribuyen a la realización de estudios de fase II tanto farmacológicos como toxicológicos. Además de la utilización segura y conservación de estas especies.