Methanolic Extract of Rhinella marina Poison: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Activities

Abstract

This study investigated the chemical composition, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities, and histopathological analysis of mice tissues treated with methanolic extract from R. marina poison. Marinobufagin, telecinobufagin and bufalin were identified in the chemical profile. The biochemical results demonstrated an effect between doses in the period of 7 days, an immunomodulatory effect was observed regarding the production capacity of interleukin (IL)-12p70 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at 7 and 30 days, respectively. The lower dose suggests better bioactivity to the treated animal than the higher dose. Histopathological analyses of the lung, heart, kidney and liver showed tissue damage in all organs, mainly in the lung, and were proportional to the dose and the treatment period. We observed that the treatment modulated cytokine production, and therefore this effect may be related to the tissue damage observed. This study demonstrates a positive effect in the antioxidant and immune system, indicating that the molecules found in the extract have biotechnological potential.

A crude methanolic extract from the parotoid gland secretion of Rhaebo guttatus stimulates the production of reactive species and pro‑inflammatory cytokines by peritoneal macrophages

“…For thousands of years, Chansu, an aqueous extract obtained from the post-auricular and skin glands of Bufo chansa gargarizans Cantor, has been used as a Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of various conditions, such as swelling, pain, and heart failure and, more recently, for cancers of the liver, lung, colon, pancreas and stomach (19)(20)(21). In Brazil, the most extensively studied amphibian-derived skin secretions are from Rhinella marina (R. marina; Cururu toad), which contains compounds, such as marinobufagin, telecinobufagin, bufalin, marinobufotoxin, cholesterol, dehydrobufotenine, and suberoyl arginine (2,22,23). A variety of biological effects have been attributed to the compounds in R. marina skin secretions extracts, including cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, antifungal, antimutagenic, and anti-plasmodial activities (9)(10)(11)(22)(23)(24)(25).…”

“…In Brazil, the most extensively studied amphibian-derived skin secretions are from Rhinella marina (R. marina; Cururu toad), which contains compounds, such as marinobufagin, telecinobufagin, bufalin, marinobufotoxin, cholesterol, dehydrobufotenine, and suberoyl arginine (2,22,23). A variety of biological effects have been attributed to the compounds in R. marina skin secretions extracts, including cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, antifungal, antimutagenic, and anti-plasmodial activities (9)(10)(11)(22)(23)(24)(25).…”

Uncommon Diet of the Toad Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae) in a Rural Zone of the Amazon Forest in Brazil

“…Some authors suggest that the presence of Diplopoda in the diet of toads may be associated with the acquisition of alkaloids (Pedroso-Santos and Costa-Campos, 2020), which follows the same reasoning as Daly et al (2000), who demonstrated the connection between ants and poison dart frogs ( Dendrobates auratus [Girard, 1855]) for obtaining alkaloids. The composition of the venom accumulated in the glands of R. marina was investigated by Pelissari et al (2021), who identified 15 compounds, with alkaloids being one of the four classes of compounds identified in greater abundance. Shear (2015) states that the only family of Diplopoda that has been proven to produce alkaloids is the family Glomeridae, and that the evidence of Diplopoda as a source of alkaloids is mostly circumstantial.…”