Aporphine Alkaloids from Ocotea puberula with Anti-Trypanosoma Cruzi Potential - Activity of Dicentrine-β-N-Oxide in the Plasma Membrane Electric Potentials

One new aporphine, dicentrine-β-N-oxide (1), together with five related known alkaloids dehydrodicentrine (2), predicentrine (3), N-methyllaurotetanine (4), cassythicine (5), and dicentrine (6) were isolated from the leaves of Ocotea puberula (Lauraceae). Antiprotozoal activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated in vitro against trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. Among the tested compounds, alkaloid 1 exhibited higher potential with EC₅₀ value of 18.2 μM and reduced toxicity against NCTC cells (CC₅₀ >200 μM - SI>11.0), similar to positive control benznidazole (EC₅₀ of 17.7 μM and SI=10.7). Considering the promising results of dicentrine-β-N-oxide (1) against trypomastigotes, the mechanism of parasite death caused by this alkaloid was investigated. As observed, this compound reached the plasma membrane electric potential directly after 2 h of incubation and triggered mitochondrial depolarization, which probably leads to trypomastigote death. Therefore, dicentrine-β-N-oxide (1), reported for the first time in this work, can contribute to future works for the development of new trypanocidal agents.

Evaluation of Ocotea puberula bark powder (OPBP) as an effective adsorbent to uptake crystal violet from colored effluents: alternative kinetic approaches

The Ocotea puberula bark powder (OPBP) was evaluated as an effective adsorbent for the removal of crystal violet (CV) from colored effluents. OPBP was characterized and presented a surface with large cavities, organized as a honeycomb. The main functional groups of OPBP were O-H, N-H, C=O, and C-O-C. The adsorption of CV on OPBP was favorable at pH 9 with a dosage of 0.75 g L^-1. The Avrami model was the most suitable to represent the adsorption kinetic profile, being the estimated equilibrium concentration value of 3.37 mg L^-1 for an initial concentration of 50 mg L^-1 (CV removal of 93.3%). The equilibrium was reached within 90 min. The data were better described by the Langmuir isotherm, reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of 444.34 mg g^-1 at 328 K. The Gibbs free energy ranged from - 26.3554 to - 27.8055 kJ mol^-1, and the enthalpy variation was - 11.1519 kJ mol^-1. The external mass transfer was the rate-limiting step, with Biot numbers ranging from 0.0011 to 0.25. Lastly, OPBP application for the treatment of two different simulated effluents was effective, achieving a removal percentage of 90%.