Medicinal Plants from Brazilian Cerrado Biome: Potential sources of new anti-inflammatory compounds and antitumor agents on Ehrlich carcinoma

Abstract

This work describes a pharmacological screening of Brazilian medicinal plants through their anti-infl ammatory and cytotoxicity activities. Cytotoxicity activity of Mouriri elliptica and Alchornea glandulosa as well as the drugs celecoxib and doxorubicin were evaluated in cultures of peritoneal macrophages. The immune system infl uence of these samples was analyzed by determining production/inhibition of NO, production of tumor necrosis factor-α and production of interleukin-10. Regarding the production/inhibition of NO, there was NO production by M. elliptica and NO inhibition when the cells were exposed to A. glandulosa; Macrophages generally produce more NO, plus TNF-α and less IL-10, when associated to the tumor phenomenon, characterizing the infl ammation involved in cancer. A. glandulosa showed anti-infl ammatory effect, inhibited NO production and it was associated with low TNF-α production, although not as low as the macrophages associated with celecoxib and doxorubicin. These cytokines were not different in animals with tumor. Celecoxib confi rms its anti-infl ammatory action by markedly inhibiting NO and TNF-α, but also inhibiting IL-10 which is an anti-infl ammatory cytokine. Doxorubicin inhibited NO in a higher percentage in the group of animals with tumor, although the literature reports that this drug stimulates the production of NO and this collaborates with its cytotoxic effect.

Bio-Prospecting of Crude Leaf Extracts from Thirteen Plants of Brazilian Cerrado Biome on Human Glioma Cell Lines

“…Several studies have pointed out the biological effects of extracts from medicinal plants from the Cerrado, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and antitumor properties, as well as their use for gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders and wound healing [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”