trans-Dehydrocrotonin (t-DCTN), a 19-nor-clerodane diterpene isolated from the bark of Croton cajucara Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) demonstrated a significant hypoglycemic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats but not in normal rats, at oral doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight. The drug also effectively lowered the blood sugar levels in glucose fed normal rats. The hypoglycemic effect of t-DCTN was almost comparable to that produced by glibenclamide (2 mg/kg), a clinically useful drug. The results indicate the antihyperglycemic potential of t-DCTN.
Pisolithus tinctorius (Basidiomycete) is an ectomicorrhizal fungus found in the roots and soil surrounding of many species of eucalyptus and pine trees. The present work verified the cytotoxic potential of pisosterol, a triterpene isolated from P. tinctorius collected in the Northeast region of Brazil, on three different animal cell models: mouse erythrocytes, sea urchin embryos and tumor cells. Pisosterol lacked activity on mouse erythrocytes as well as on the development of sea urchin eggs, but strongly inhibited the growth of all seven tumor cell lines tested, especially the leukemia and melanoma cells (IC 50 of 1.55, 1.84 and 1.65 µg/ ml for CEM, HL-60 and B16, respectively). The results found for pisosterol were compared with those of doxorubicin and etoposide.
The antihyperlipidaemic property of a hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the leaves of Croton cajucuru Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) was studied in rats fed a high fat diet. Ten weeks following daily oral administration of plant extract (200 mg/kg), significant reductions in the serum total cholesterol (Tc), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels were observed without much change in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides. The data also showed a significant elevation in the HDL-r/Tc ratio in plant extract treated rats compared with the control group. The atherogenic index was significantly decreased by extract treatment. These beneficial effects and the absence of acute toxicity in C. cajucara extract may be of significance in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
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