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Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae/Guttiferae) is a native Brazilian medicinal plant traditionally used against several diseases, including infectious pathologies. Crude methanolic extracts (CME) and two fractions, denoted non-polar (soluble in chloroform) and polar (nonsoluble in chloroform), were prepared from different parts of the plant (roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits) and studied. The following compounds were isolated and tested against pathogenic bacteria and yeasts by determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC): brasiliensic acid (1), gallic acid (2), epicatechin (3), protocatechuic acid (4), friedelin (5) and 1,5-dihydroxyxanthone (6). The results indicated that all the parts of the plant exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, which are selectively inhibited by components of C. brasiliense. No activity was observed against Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts tested. Regarding the isolated compounds, substance 4 showed antimicrobial activity against all the tested microorganisms, whereas compound 6 exhibited antimicrobial activity only against Gram-positive bacteria. The results from the current study confirm and justify the popular use of this plant to treat infectious processes.

Our studies demonstrated that glycosyl flavonoids (cynaroside and scolymoside), are the major constituents, along with cynaropicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone, and the triterpene lupeol. Cynarin, which is the main compound described for artichoke, was detected in very low concentration. Hexanic fraction exhibited considerable cytotoxicity and diuretic activities.Keywords: Cynara scolymus; flavonoids; diuretic. INTRODUÇÃOA utilização de plantas medicinais tornou-se um recurso terapêutico alternativo de grande aceitação pela população e vem crescendo junto a comunidade médica, desde que sejam utilizadas plantas cujas atividades biológicas tenham sido investigadas cientificamente, comprovando sua eficácia e segurança 1,2 . A importância das plantas medicinais deve-se também por sua contribuição como fonte natural de fármacos e por proporcionar grandes chances de obter-se uma molécula protótipo devido à diversidade de constituintes presentes nestas [2][3][4][5] . No entanto, inúmeras plantas que são usadas em preparações fitoterápicas carecem de um maior controle de qualidade, uma vez que a literatura científica indica que muitas destas podem apresentar substâncias tóxicas ou composição química variável 6,7 . Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivos investigar a composição química e os efeitos biológicos da Cynara scolymus Linné, cultivada no Brasil. Esta planta é conhecida popularmente como alcachofra, pertencente à família Compositae, que compreende cerca de 920 gêneros com aproximadamente 19 mil espécies, cujos hábi-tos são muito variados 8 . A C. scolymus é oriunda do Mediterrâneo, sendo que seu cultivo se dá por sementes e está difundido mundialmente, já que é utilizada para fins medicinais e alimentícios.Os principais componentes químicos presentes nas folhas da alcachofra são os ácidos fenólicos, flavonóides e sesquiterpenos. A cinarina (1) (ácido monocafeioilquínico) é relatada como princípio ativo da planta 9,10 . Vários estudos biológicos com extratos brutos e purificados de alcachofra, realizados tanto em animais quanto em humanos, demonstraram atividades hipolipidêmica, hepatoprotetora, colerética, colagoga, antioxidante e outras [11][12][13] . Cabe ressaltar, porém, que os estudos encontrados na literatura são abordados com plantas cultivadas na Europa. Considerando a variabilidade da composição química devido a vários fatores (ambientais, sazonais, etc), optou-se em investigar a composição química da alcachofra cultivada no Brasil e que está presente em várias preparações fitoterápicas. PARTE EXPERIMENTAL Coleta do material e preparação dos extratosUtilizou-se folhas da C. scolymus, oriundas da Central de Plantas em Curitiba, coletadas em fevereiro de 2000, as quais foram devidamente identificadas e posteriormente secas e moídas. Este material (1900 g) foi macerado estaticamente por sete dias com metanol, sendo, em seguida, concentrado, usando-se evaporador rotatório sob pressão reduzida, para obtenção do extrato metanólico bruto (EMB) 2 . Este foi particionado com solventes de polaridade crescente, ...

Cynara scolymus (Compositae), popularly known as "alcachofra" or "artichoke", is widely cultivated In Mediterranean and American countries, and its sprout is commonly eaten as a vegetable. Its leaves are frequently used in folk medicine in many countries, to treat several ailments, including hepatitis, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, dyspeptic disorder, among others. Clinical and pre-clinical trials have confirmed the therapeutic potential of this plant, particularly in the treatment of hepato-biliary dysfunction and digestive complaints, and also its effectiveness in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and hyperlipoproteinemia, as well as its choleretic and antioxidant effects. 1-5)The literature reports several phenolic compounds as the main chemical constituents of artichoke leaves, such as cynarin, caffeic and chlorogenic acids, luteolin, cynaroside and scolymoside, and sesquiterpenes, such as cynaropicrin, which are indicated as the active principles of this plant. [6][7][8][9] In previous studies conducted in our laboratories, we have described the chemical and biological activities (cytotoxic and diuretic) of artichoke cultivated in Brazil. Our results showed that the main constituents are glycosyl flavonoids (cynaroside and scolymoside), along with cynaropicrin and lupeol.10) More recently, we have also demonstrated that methanolic extract of C. scolymus exhibits an antispasmodic profile against the action of acetylcholine on preparations with isolated guinea-pig ileum and rat duoden, by using experimental models in vitro. 11)In order to elucidate the antispasmodic component(s) of this plant, we carried out a bio-guided assay against acetylcholine in guinea pig-ileum. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plant Material, Preparation of Fractions and Isolation of CynaropicrinLeaves of Cynara scolymus were picked, in February 2000, from the "Central de Plantas" at Curitiba, in the State of Parana, southern Brazil. Air-dried leaves (1900 g) were macerated with methanol at room temperature for approximately 7 d, followed by the removal of solvent under reduced pressure to obtain the crude methanolic extract (CME). Afterwards, the CME was suspended in water and successively partitioned with solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanol), yielding the respective fractions, according to the method previously described.12) The most active fraction, dichloromethane, was studied in more detail, and the most potent subfraction furnished the compound cynaropicrin, which was directly compared with an authentic sample previously isolated by us.10) All the fractions and compounds were dissolved in ethanol solution (10%) at the desired concentration, immediately prior to biological use.Animals Guinea-pigs (300-400 g) of both sexes were kept in automatically controlled temperature conditions (23Ϯ2°C), in 12 h light-dark cycles and with food and water "ad libitum". The animals were kept in the laboratory for 48 h prior to the experiments and their food was restrained 24 h before the experiments.Evalua...

Cariniana rubra Miers (Lecythidaceae), popularly known as "jequitibá-vermelho", is a large Brazilian tree whose bark is used in infusion and decoction for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. This study aims to assess the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic effects of Cariniana rubra methanolic stem bark extract (EMCr) using experimental animals. Anti-inflammatory activity of EMCr was tested on carrageenan and dextran-induced rat paw edema, carrageenan-induced pleurisy in rats and acetic acid-increase vascular permeability in mice. Antinociceptive and antipyretic activities were evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin and hot-plate tests in mice, as well as brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. The extract inhibitied carrageenan and dextran-induced edema, reduced exudate volume and leukocyte migration on the carrageenan-induced pleurisy and on the vascular permeability increase induced by acetic acid. The EMCr inhibited nociception on the acetic acid-induced writhing and in the second phase of formalin test, and decreased rectal temperature. It was, however, inactive against thermal nociception. Phytochemical analysis with EMCr showed the occurrence of saponins, triterpenes, sterols and phenolic compounds. Phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol), pentacyclic triterpenes (α-and β-amyrin as a mixture), arjunolic acid, a phytosterol glycoside (sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside), and triterpenoid saponins (28-β-glucopyranosyl-23-O-acetyl arjunolic acid; 3-O-β-glucopyranosyl arjunolic acid and 28-O-[α-L-Rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-glucopyranosyl]-23-O-acetyl arjunolic acid) were the main identified compounds. It can be presumed that EMCr caused their effects by inhibiting the liberation and/or action of different inflammatory mediators. These findings support the traditional use of Cariniana rubra preparations to treat inflammation.