Hydroethanolic extract of Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers flowers improves inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction induced by high-refined carbohydrate diet

New Therapeutic Strategies for Obesity and Its Metabolic Sequelae: Brazilian Cerrado as a Unique Biome

Brazil has several important biomes holding impressive fauna and flora biodiversity. Cerrado being one of the richest ones and a significant area in the search for new plant-based products, such as foods, cosmetics, and medicines. The therapeutic potential of Cerrado plants has been described by several studies associating ethnopharmacological knowledge with phytochemical compounds and therapeutic effects. Based on this wide range of options, the Brazilian population has been using these medicinal plants (MP) for centuries for the treatment of various health conditions. Among these, we highlight metabolic diseases, namely obesity and its metabolic alterations from metabolic syndrome to later stages such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). Several studies have shown that adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction leads to proinflammatory cytokine secretion and impaired free fatty acid (FFA) oxidation and oxidative status, creating the basis for insulin resistance and glucose dysmetabolism. In this scenario, the great Brazilian biodiversity and a wide variety of phytochemical compounds make it an important candidate for the identification of pharmacological strategies for the treatment of these conditions. This review aimed to analyze and summarize the current literature on plants from the Brazilian Cerrado that have therapeutic activity against obesity and its metabolic conditions, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Aqueous Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers extract attenuates allergen-induced asthma in a mouse model via an antioxidant mechanism

Objective: Pyrostegia venusta (Ker-Gawl.) Miers (Bignoniaceae) is a perennial invasive vine, distributed worldwide. In folk medicine, its parts are used for the treatment of inflammatory respiratory diseases. Extracts of P. venusta have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antinociceptive properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two extracts (aqueous and hydroethanolic) of P. venusta in the treatment of asthma in an animal model.Methods: Balb/c mice were sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA) intraperitoneally (ip), one week apart, and after one week, challenged with OVA intranasally on four alternate days. Mice were treated ip with 300 mg/kg of aqueous or hydroethanolic extracts for seven consecutive days. Control groups received saline on the same days. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, lung and airway inflammation, and antioxidant activity in lung tissue were assessed.Results: Treatment with aqueous extract significantly decreased bronchial hyperresponsiveness, measured by total and tissue resistance and elastance. The administration of hydroethanolic extract did not reduce bronchial hyperresponsiveness. In addition, both extracts significantly reduced total cell and eosinophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage. Both extracts did not change significantly IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, IFN-gamma, and TGF-beta levels. Of note, only the aqueous extract significantly increased the total antioxidant activity and reduced lung inflammation.Conclusion: Aqueous extract of P. venusta reduced bronchial hyperresponsiveness, lung and airway inflammation, probably via an antioxidant mechanism. These results demonstrate that P. venusta may have potential for asthma treatment.

Evaluation of the effects of extracts of Maytenus imbricata (Celastraceae) on the treatment of inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction induced by high-refined carbohydrate diet

The Maytenus genus is a member of the Celastraceae family. Numerous medicinal uses were assigned to species of this genus, with the use of roots, bark, and leaves for the treatment of gastric ulcers, as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiallergic, antitumor, among others. Several studies have demonstrated that natural products derived from plants have an important role in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Accordingly, we evaluated the effect of Maytenus imbricata extracts in the treatment of obesity induced by diet rich in refined carbohydrate (HC). BALB/c mice were fed chow or HC diet for 8 weeks. At the beginning of the 9th week, the HC group was subdivided into three groups: (i) group of animals that continued to consume only HC diet; (ii) the group of animals fed HC diet supplemented with ethyl acetate extract of M. imbricata roots (HC + EAE); (iii) the group of animals fed HC diet supplemented with extract in hexane/ethyl ether (HC + HEE). The period of extracts supplementation was 4 weeks. It was observed that EAE and EHE when added to the HC diet modulated the metabolic and inflammatory changes, such as: reduced the adipocytes area, improved glucose intolerance, reduced the levels of triglycerides and resistin in serum, and the number of total leukocytes in blood. In the epididymal adipose tissue, the extracts reduced proinflammatory mediators' concentration. According to the results, it was concluded that the species Maytenus imbricata has the potential to be used for the treatment of obesity.

Hepatoprotective effects of Dicliptera chinensis polysaccharides on dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic fibrosis rats and its underlying mechanism

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Dicliptera chinensis is a traditional herbal medicine used anciently in China for hepatopathy treatment, especially in south areas. Our several studies have demonstrated that dicliptera chinensis polysaccharides (DCP), which has a markedly protective effects on chemistry-induced models of acute liver injury in rats. In this study, we further investigated the potentially hepatoprotective effect of dicliptera chinensis polysaccharides (DCP) on hepatic fibrosis (HF) rats induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The 96 rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=16, per group), the normal control group intragastrically administrated normal saline, model control group intraperitoneally injected with 0.5% DMN solution at 1.6mL per kg (three times a week); colchicine intragastrically administrated group (0.2mgkg(-)(1)d(-1))+DMN-treated rats; DCP intragastrically administrated groups (100mgkg(-)(1)d(-)(1), 200mgkg(-1)d(-1), 300mgkg(-1)d(-1))+DMN-treated rats. At the end of 8 weeks, all rats were sacrificed.

RESULTS

Pathological examination showed that high and medium doses of DCP presented remarkable effect in ameliorating hepatic fibrosis, alleviate the inflammation, necrosis and reduced collagen deposits. DCP effectively improved the liver function, as revealed in being lowered sero-enzyme levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL) while increased albumin (ALB), and being reduced sero-concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the HF rats. Additionally, the contents of hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen type Ⅳ (Ⅳ-C), type III precollagen (PCIII) and laminin (LN) in the hepatic tissue of HF rats were markedly decreased, whereas the expressions of transforming growth factor-β l (TGF-β l), collagen type I (Col- I), metal protease-1 (TIMP-1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) expression in the hepatic tissue were notably down-regulated.

CONCLUSION

DCP exerts effectively antagonistic activity on DMN-caused hepatotoxicity in HF rats, which the anti-fibrotic mechanisms are associated with regulating functionally serous enzymes, improving metabolic function and inhibiting inflammatory reaction in liver tissue.

Reversed-phase-liquid chromatography method for separation and quantification of gallic acid from hydroalcoholic extracts of Qualea grandiflora and Qualea parviflora

Background:

Qualea parviflora and Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae), commonly known in Brazil as “pau-terra” and “pau-terrinha,” respectively, have been widely used in the treatment of ulcer and gastritis. These therapeutic effects are attributed to various compounds present in the plants, including phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, due to their important antioxidant activity.

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to validate a high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method for the quantitative determination of gallic acid in the stem bark of Q. parviflora and Q. grandiflora hydroalcoholic extracts.

Materials and Methods:

The chromatography analysis was successfully achieved on a Dionex column, Acclaim^® 120 (250 mm × 4.60 mm, 5 µm) with a gradient elution of water and methanol at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min and ultraviolet detection at 280 nm.

Results:

The validation data, including linearity, precision, specificity, accuracy and robustness of this method demonstrated good reliability and sensitivity.

Conclusion:

The method is able to quantify gallic acid in the stem bark of both species. What is more, the chromatographic peaks showed good resolution and there are also the advantages of easy sample preparation and a short time between each injection.

A Lifestyle Perspective on Infertility and Pregnancy Outcome

American dietary patterns have shifted over the past 100 years, resulting in a diet based on animal foods and highly processed carbohydrates. This shift has produced the current epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, as well as many cancers. In addition, the Western diet is also negatively affecting the reproductive capacity of the population. The birth rate is in decline and infertility and subfecundity are on the rise secondary to both ovulatory infertility and declining sperm quality. Pregnancy outcomes and maternal morbidity and mortality are also being affected. This diet, high in fat and sugar, is also contributing to the epidemic levels of autism.