BackgroundThe ability of mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and its allies, such as Stegomyia, to transmit diseases such as dengue and yellow fever, makes them important in public health. This study aims to evaluate the use of the essential oil of Brazilian pepper in biological control of by assessing and quantifying the larvicidal effect against S. aegypti, the only available access to dengue control, and test its risk of genotoxicity with Salmonella typhimurium as an indicator of safety for its environmental use.ResultsThe density of the oil was 0.8622 g mL-1. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry revealed six major constituents: δ-3-carene (55.43%), α-pinene (16.25%), sylvestrene (10.67%), germacrene D (2.17), β-myrcene (1.99%), and isoterpinolene (1.4%). The minimum inhibitory dose to larvae development was 862.20 μg mL-1. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the essential oil for larvae was between the concentrations of 172.44-344.88 μg mL-1. There was no mutagenic risk for the essential oil, since there were no biochemical or morphological changes in S. typhimurium after exposure to the essential oil.ConclusionsThe minimum inhibitory essential oil concentration and the median lethal dose pointed to the value of the use of water dispersions of Brazilian pepper essential oil as an environmental safe natural larvicidal for S. aegypti.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the antihypertensive effects of the standardised methanolic extract of Carica papaya, its angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory effects in vivo, its effect on the baroreflex and serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity, and its chemical composition. The chemical composition of the methanolic extract of C. papaya was evaluated by liquid chromatography-mass/mass and mass/mass spectrometry. The angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory effect was evaluated in vivo by Ang I administration. The antihypertensive assay was performed in spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar rats that were treated with enalapril (10 mg/kg), the methanolic extract of C. papaya (100 mg/kg; twice a day), or vehicle for 30 days. The baroreflex was evaluated through the use of sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine. Angiotensin converting enzyme activity was measured by ELISA, and cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by morphometric analysis. The methanolic extract of C. papaya was standardised in ferulic acid (203.41 ± 0.02 µg/g), caffeic acid (172.60 ± 0.02 µg/g), gallic acid (145.70 ± 0.02 µg/g), and quercetin (47.11 ± 0.03 µg/g). The flavonoids quercetin, rutin, nicotiflorin, clitorin, and manghaslin were identified in a fraction of the extract. The methanolic extract of C. papaya elicited angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity. The antihypertensive effects elicited by the methanolic extract of C. papaya were similar to those of enalapril, and the baroreflex sensitivity was normalised in treated spontaneously hypertensive rats. Plasma angiotensin converting enzyme activity and cardiac hypertrophy were also reduced to levels comparable to the enalapril-treated group. These results may be associated with the chemical composition of the methanolic extract of C. papaya, and are the first step into the development of a new phytotherapic product which could be used in the treatment of hypertension.

In Brazil, the National Policy on Medicinal Plants has stimulated the use of plants in primary health care, validating the traditional medicine and pointing to the lack of a consistent set of evidence that supports their uses and indications by ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. This paper aims to make a systematic review of the scientific literature to gather evidence on indications and safety of use of extracts of <i>Solidago chilensis</i>. The bibliographic research was carried out using terms derivate from the title, and all the published papers were downloaded, covering at least the last five years, and it was focused on preclinical and clinical studies with extracts of <i>S. chilensis</i> in the databases of Web of Science, BIREME, SciELO, PubMed, Scirus and Highwire. Phytochemical analysis carried out on many studies showed that among the chemical constituents of <i>S. chilensis</i> are sesqui- and diterpenes, flavonoids and other substances, and the diterpene solidagenone was identified as a marker of the extract that has demonstrated gastroprotective activity in different experimental models of ulcer induced in animals without signs of toxicity at doses above 600 mg/kg. Another studies show that the anti-inflammatory effect in rats has been given by inhibiting the exudation of leukocytes, especially neutrophils, as well as through inhibition of myeloperoxidase, adenosine deaminase, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), decreased induction of nitric oxide synthesis and levels of interleukin-1β. Studies show that solidagenone at a concentration of 100 mg/kg showed activity similar to lansoprazole (20 mg/kg), the effect occurs without changes in the gastric mucosa or on acid secretion. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity and may act in a satisfactory way in cases involving the inflammatory response, such as injuries due to trauma, repetitive stress, pain, and healing. The inhibition of anti-inflammatory response is on the base of all these described effects. In spite of the fact that <i>S. chilensis</i> has been used since ancient times in Brazilian traditional medicine, and the existence of preclinical pharmacological end toxicological evidence for its efficacy as an inhibitor of anti-inflammatory response, we could find only a single clinical trial study carried out in treating lumbago. In this lack of clinical pharmacology and toxicology evidence for its uses, its safety and therapeutic indications are guaranteed, up to this moment, by traditional knowledge

Aims:The aim of this study was to investigate the antihypertensive effect of leaves Mangifera indica L. using in vitro and in vivo assays. Methodology: The ethanol extract of leaves of M. indica was fractionated to dichloromethanic, n-butyl alcohol and aqueous fractions. The chemical composition of ethanolic extract and dichloromethanic fraction were evaluated by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Antioxidant activity was evaluated in the DPPH scavenging activity assay. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was investigated using in vitro and in vivo assays. The chronic antihypertensive assay was performed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar rats treated with enalapril (10 mg/kg), dichloromethanic fraction (100 mg/kg; twice a day) or vehicle control for 30 days. The baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated through the use of sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine. Cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by morphometric analysis. Results: The dichloromethanic fraction exhibited the highest flavonoid, total phenolic content and high antioxidant activity. Dichloromethanic fraction elicited ACE inhibitory activity in vitro (99 ± 8%) similar to captopril. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of ferulic acid (48.3 ± 0.04 µg/g) caffeic acid (159.8 ± 0.02 µg/g), gallic acid (142.5 ± 0.03 µg/g), apigenin (11.0 ± 0.01 µg/g) and quercetin (203.3 ± 0.05 µg/g). The chronic antihypertensive effects elicited by dichloromethanic fraction were similar to those of enalapril, and the baroreflex sensitivity was normalized in SHR. Plasma ACE activity and cardiac hypertrophy were comparable with animals treated with enalapril. Conclusions: Dichloromethanic fraction of M. indica presented an antihypertensive effect, most likely by ACE inhibition, with benefits in baroreflex sensitivity and cardiac hypertrophy. Altogether, the results of the present study suggest that the dichloromethanic fraction of M. indica leaves may have potential as a promoting antihypertensive agent.

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