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RESUMO: "Bioatividade em Artemia salina de várias espécies de Solanum do Nordeste Brasileiro". Os extratos metanólicos de 13 espécies de Solanum (Solanaceae) foram testados para verififi cação da bioatividade em Artemia salina. As espécies testadas (partes aéreas, raízes e frutos) foram: S. asperum, S. capsicoides, S. palinacantum, S. paludosum, S. paniculatum, S. paraibanum, S. sisymbriifolium, S. crinitum, S. diamantinense, S. megalonyx, S. torvum, S. asterophorum e S. stipulaceum. Das treze espécies testadas, quatro foram inativas. Os extratos dos frutos de S. asperum (CL 50 = 420,5 µg/mL) e S. paludosum (CL 50 = 548,0 µg/mL), partes aéreas de S. diamantinense (CL 50 = 481,0 µg/mL) e S. sisymbrifolium (CL 50 = 382,7 µg/mL), e das raízes S. asperum (CL 50 = 593,4 µg/mL) e S. stipulaceum (CL 50 = 823,1 µg/mL) que mostraram atividade moluscicida contra Biomphalaria glabrata também mostraram atividade tóxica em Artemia salina.Unitermos: Solanaceae, Solanum, Artemia salina, bioatividade. ABSTRACT:The methanolic extracts of 13 Specieis of the genus Solanum (Solanaceae) have been tested for bioactivity in Artemia salina. The extracts investigated were prepared from various parts (aerial parts, roots and fruits) of S. asperum, S. capsicoides, S. palinacantum, S. paludosum, S. paniculatum, S. paraibanum, S. sisymbriifolium, S. crinitum, S. diamantinense, S. megalonyx, S. torvum, S. asterophorum and S. stipulaceum. The lethal concentrations were determined for the extracts and among thirteen plants tested, four appear to be inactive. The extracts of the fruits of S. asperum (LC 50 = 420.5 µg/mL) and S. paludosum (LC 50 = 548.0 µg/mL), aerial parts of S. diamantinense (LC 50 = 481.0 µg/mL) and S. sisymbrifolium (LC 50 = 382.7 µg/mL), and the roots of S. asperum (LC 50 = 593.4 µg/mL) and S. stipulaceum (LC 50 = 823.1 µg/mL), all of which previously showed molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria glabrata were also found to be active in the present study with brine shrimp.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). One strategy to treat allergic diseases is the development of new drugs. Flavonoids are compounds derived from plants and are known to have antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. To investigate whether the flavonoid kaempferol glycoside 3-O-[beta-d-glycopiranosil-(1-->6)-alpha-l-ramnopiranosil]-7-O-alpha-l-ramnopiranosil-kaempferol (GRRK) would be capable of modulating allergic airway disease (AAD) either as a preventive (GRRK P) or curative (GRRK C) treatment in an experimental model of asthma. At weekly intervals, BALB/c mice were subcutaneously (sc) sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA)/alum and challenged twice with OVA administered intranasally. To evaluate any preventive effect, GRRK was administered 1h (hour) before each OVA-sensitization and challenge, while to analyze the curative effect, mice were first sensitized with OVA, followed by GRRK given at day 18 through 21. The onset of AAD was evaluated 24h after the last OVA challenge. Both treatments resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in total leukocyte and eosinophil counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL). GRRK also decreased CD4(+), B220(+), MHC class II and CD40 molecule expressions in BAL cells. Histology and lung mechanic showed that GRRK suppressed mucus production and ameliorated the AHR induced by OVA challenge. Furthermore, GRRK impaired Th2 cytokine production (IL-5 and IL-13) and did not induce a Th1 pattern of inflammation. These findings demonstrate that GRRK treatment before or after established allergic lung disease down-regulates key asthmatic features. Therefore, GRRK has a potential clinical use for the treatment of allergic asthma.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the vasorelaxant effect induced by the polyphenolic compounds found in red wine from Vale do São Francisco. In phenylephrine (10 μM) precontracted mesenteric artery rings, the red wine caused a concentration-dependent relaxation (maximum response to phenylephrine 10 μM = 87.5% ± 6.5%, n = 10). After endothelium removal, the vasorelaxant effect elicited by red wine was attenuated (28.4% ± 4.9%, n = 10). In addition, the vasorelaxant effect induced by red wine in rings pretreated with 100 μM of N(w)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and 10 μM of 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]-quinoxalin-1-one was attenuated (23.4% ± 5.1%, n = 7 and 11.8% ± 2.7%, n = 6, respectively). Pretreatment with atropine did not affect the vasorelaxant effect induced by red wine (81% ± 3.9%, n = 6). Furthermore, in rabbit aortic endothelial cell line, red wine 100 and 300 μg/mL caused concentration-dependent increases in nitric oxide levels (58 ± 1; 82 ± 7.9; Δ% of fluorescence, n = 5, respectively). In conclusion, we suggest that the alcohol free-lyophilized red wine induces an endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effect due, at least in part, to a secondary increase in the concentration of nitric oxide and that this effect might be associated with phenolic compounds found in the red wine.