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Leaves of Croton adamantinus have been used to treat inflammation and skin wounds in the semi-arid area of the Northeast of Brazil. In order to evaluate if the essential oil (EO) was responsible for the claimed activities; antinociceptive, wound healing and antimicrobial tests were carried out. Twenty constituents were identified in C. adamantinus EO by GC-MS, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR, the major compounds being methyl-eugenol (14.81%) and 1,8-cineol (13.74%). Antinociceptive activity was evaluated by the formalin test and the abdominal contortion assay in mice. The EO (50 and 100 mg/kg) decreased the licking time of both phases of the formalin test when compared to the vehicle, but not to morphine (7.5 mg/kg). In the abdominal contortion assay, the EO (50 and 100 mg/kg) reduced the number of contortions compared to the vehicle and to indometacin (10 mg/kg). The wound healing activity was verified also using two experimental models: excisional wound and dead space. Topical treatment with the EO (1%) increased the wound contraction from the third day of treatment (compared with nitrofurazone 0.2%), while systemic treatment (50 mg/kg/day) increased granulation tissue formation and reduced the water content. C. adamantinus EO also showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus in disk diffusion method. These results corroborate the ethnobotanical use of this specie by Brazilian population.

RESUMO:O presente trabalho descreve o isolamento de quatro triterpenos (taraxerol, ácido ursólico, ácido 3β,19α,23-triidroxiurs-12-en-28-óico e ácido 2α,3α,19α,23-tetraidroxiurs-12-en-28-óico) e um fi toesteróide (espinasterol), bem como a avaliação do potencial antimalárico (cepa NK-65 do Plasmodium berghei), larvicida (larvas do 4º instar do Aedes aegypti), anti-radicalar (2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazila, DPPH) e anticolinesterásico de extratos das folhas, cascas do caule e caule de Pouteria venosa (Mart.) Baehni. Todos os compostos isolados estão sendo descritos pela primeira vez nesta espécie e foram identifi cados com base na análise de dados espectrais (IV e RMN, incluindo APT e DEPT), bem como pela comparação com dados descritos na literatura.Unitermos: Pouteria venosa, terpenóides, anticolinesterase, anti-radicalar, malária, larvicida.ABSTRACT: "Terpenoids and evaluation of the antimalarial, larvicidal, anti-radicalar and anticholinesterase potential of Pouteria venosa (Sapotaceae)". This work describes the isolation of four triterpenes (taraxerol, ursolic acid, 3β,19α,23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid and 2α,3α,19α,23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid) and a phytosteroid (spinasterol), as well as a preliminary evaluation of antimalarial (NK-65 strains of Plasmodium berghei), larvicidal (4 th instar of Aedes aegypti), anti-radicalar (2,2-diphenyl-1-pycryl-hydrazyl, DPPH) and anticholinesterase activities of Pouteria venosa (Mart.) Baehni extracts from leaves, stem barks and stems. All isolated compounds are being described for the fi rst time in this species and were identifi ed on basis of the spectral data (IR and NMR, including APT, DEPT), as well as by comparison with literature data

This study analyzes the action of sulfated polysaccharides, fucans, from algae Lobophora variegata on zymosan-induced arthritis in rats. Groups of fucans, obtained after acetone fractionation (0.3-2.0 volumes), were denominated F0.3, F0.5, F0.8, F1, F1.5, and F2. The results that F1 contained a high yield in relation to other fractionated fucans. Chemical and structure analysis of F1 was performed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. The in vitro antioxidant activities of the fraction F1 were also observed. Thus, 2 mg/mL of F1 inhibited the phosphomolybdate in the total antioxidant activity assay. The EC(50) values were 0.3 mg/mL and 0.12 mg/mL for superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. Fucan F1 (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg by body weight), diclofenac sodium (10 mg/kg), and L-NAME (25 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) in rats, according to body weight of different groups of animals (n=6). After 6 h, analyses of cell influx and nitrite levels were conducted. Then after 96 h, analysis of edema and concentration of serum TNF-α was carried out along with histopathological analysis. F1 at 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg i.p. by body weight reduced cell influx in 52.1-96.7% and nitric oxide level in 27.2-39% compared with the control group. The reduction of edema and serum TNF-α was observed at 50 mg/kg i.p. (p<0.001). These results suggest that this heterofucan from the brown algae L. variegata has potential anti-inflammatory activity in acute zymosan-induced arthritis in rats and that antioxidant activity promotes modulation in the cellular redox state.

In the search for new anti-cancer compounds, Brazilian Cerrado plant species have been investigated. The hexane root bark extract of Kielmeyera coriacea lead to a mixture of δ-tocotrienol (1) and its dimer (2). The structures of both compounds 1 and 2 were established based on detailed 1D and 2D NMR and EI-MS analyses. The cytotoxicity of the mixture was tested against four human tumor cell lines in the following cultures: MDA-MB-435 (melanoma), HCT-8 (colon), HL-60 (leukemia), and SF-295 (glioblastoma), and displayed IC(50) values ranging from 8.08 to 23.58μg/mL. Additional assays were performed in order to investigate the mechanism of action of the mixture (1+2) against the human leukemia cell line HL-60. The results suggested that the mixture suppressed leukemia growth and reduced cell survival, triggering both apoptosis and necrosis, depending on the concentration.

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