Publications by authors named "Valdir A Facundo"

Introduction: Bioprospection of plant products is used to discover new insecticides.

Methods: The larvicidal activity of ethanolic extract and triterpene (tingenone B) from the bark of Maytenus guianensis and their effect on pupation and emergence were evaluated against Aedes aegypti.

Results: Crude extract LC50 was 11.

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Leishmaniases, caused by Leishmania spp., are among the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world and their treatment may present high toxicity and side/adverse effects. This study evaluated the antileishmanial activity of the Hexanic Eluate subfraction from Maytenus guianensis bark (HEMg) incorporated in microparticles of PLGA.

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Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases. It is characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures, where one-third of patients are refractory to existing treatments. Evidence revealed the association between neuroinflammation and increased susceptibility to seizures since there is a pronounced increase in the expression of key inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandin E (PGE), during seizures.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health problem characterized by a combination of immediate mechanical dysfunction of the brain tissue, and secondary damage. Based on the hypothesis that selected targets, such as Na K-ATPase are involved in the secondary damage after TBI and modulation of this enzyme activity by triterpene 3β, 6β, 16β-trihidroxilup-20 (29)-ene (TTHL) supports the ethnomedical applications of this plant, we decided to investigate whether previous TTHL treatment interrupts the progression of pathophysiology induced by TBI. Statistical analyses revealed that percussion fluid injury (FPI) increased Na,K-ATPase activity in all isoform (α and α) 15 min after neuronal injury.

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Introduction: This aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of fractions and isolates of Maytenus guianensis, a plant species used in Amazonian folk medicine.

Methods: A disk diffusion technique was used to investigate the antibacterial potential.

Results: The hexanic fractions and tingenone B isolate showed inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

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Introduction: This study assessed the activity of compounds from Piper tuberculatum against Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania guyanensis.

Methods: The effects of compounds from P. tuberculatum fruits on P.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: 3β,6β,16β-Trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) is a triterpene isolated from the flowers of Combretum leprosum, a plant used in folk medicine in the north of Brazil for the treatment of skin disorders.

Aim Of The Study: In the present study, TTHL was evaluated as a potential topical anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative agent through in vivo and in vitro models.

Material And Methods: Anti-inflammmatory and anti-proliferative effects of TTHL were assessed using Swiss mice in acute and chronic models of skin inflammation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-acetate (TPA) application.

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Introduction: Maytenus guianensis is a member of the Celastraceae family that is used in traditional medicine, particularly for its anti-parasitic and anti-cancer effects. To explore the ethnopharmacological potential of this plant, the present study was designed to screen the in vitro antileishmanial activities of extracts and compounds isolated from M. guianensis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Combretum leprosum Mart. is a Brazilian medicinal plant lacking documented evidence of its antioxidant properties and safety, prompting further investigation.
  • The study evaluated the antioxidant effectiveness of its ethanolic extract and two specific flavonoids in yeast strains to assess their mutagenic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic effects.
  • Results indicated that while the extract and compounds provided protection against hydrogen peroxide, FCL2 showed the strongest antioxidant activity and lower toxicity, suggesting its potential for pharmacological application.
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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Combretum leprosum is a popular medicinal plant distributed in north and northeastern regions of Brazil. Many different parts of this plant are used in traditional medicine to treat several inflammatory diseases. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder associated with inflammatory toxic factors and the treatments available provide merely a delay of the neurodegeneration.

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Background: The Combretum leprosum Mart. plant, popularly known as mofumbo, is used in folk medicine for inflammation, pain and treatment of wounds. From this species, it is possible to isolate three triterpenes: (3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene) called lupane, arjunolic acid and molic acid.

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Background: 3beta,6beta,16beta-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene is a lupane triterpene isolated from Combretum leprosum fruit. The lupane group has been extensively used in studies on anticancer effects; however, its possible activity against protozoa parasites is yet poorly known. The high toxicity of the compounds currently used in leishmaniasis chemotherapy stimulates the investigation of new molecules and drug targets for antileishmanial therapy.

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Arjunolic acid (AA) obtained from plants of the Combretaceae family has shown anti-diabetic effects. Here, we analyzed whether the diabetogenic effects of dexamethasone (DEX) treatment on glucose homeostasis may be prevented or attenuated by the concomitant administration of AA. Adult Wistar rats were assigned to the following groups: vehicle-treated (Ctl), DEX-treated (1 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally for 5 days) (Dex), AA-treated (30 mg/kg body weight by oral gavage twice per day) (Aa), AA treatment previous to and concomitant to DEX treatment (AaDex), and AA treatment after initiation of DEX treatment (DexAa).

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Background: The 3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) is a pentacyclic triterpene obtained from the medicinal plant Combretum leprosum Mart. In folk medicine, this plant is popularly known as mofumbo, cipoaba or mufumbo, and is used to treat several diseases associated with inflammation and pain.

Methods: We investigated the antitumor efficacy of TTHL isolated from C.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Serotherapy against snakebite is often unavailable in some regions over Brazil, where people make use of plants from folk medicine to deal with ophidic accidents. About 10% of Combretum species have some ethnopharmacological use, including treatment of snakebites.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the ability of the extract of Combretum leprosum and its component arjunolic acid to reduce some in vivo and in vitro effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Bothrops jararaca venoms.

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Leishmania amazonensis causes human diseases that range from self-healing to diffusion cutaneous lesions. The chemotherapy of leishmaniasis requires long-term treatment and has been based on the use of pentavalent antimonials. Liposomes have been used as antileishmanial drug carries and have adjuvant activity in vaccines against several microorganisms, representing an important option to the development of new therapeutics for the disease.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Piper tuberculatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) is medicinally used as an analgesic and as a treatment for gastric complaints. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective and antisecretory properties of the dichloromethane fraction of the fruit of Piper tuberculatum (DFPT) and piplartine, a compound isolated from the DFPT, in rats.

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Administration of the compound triterpene 3β, 6β, 16β-trihidroxilup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) resulted in antinociceptive activity in several pain models in mice. Because pain and epilepsy have common mechanisms, and several anticonvulsants are clinically used to treat painful disorders, we investigated the anticonvulsant potential of TTHL. Behavioral and electrographic recordings revealed that pretreatment with TTHL (30 mg/kg; i.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Combretum leprosum is a species that is popularly used in Brazil as a healing agent to treat skin problems and lesions. In this study we investigated the possible potential of this extract to treat inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin conditions.

Materials And Methods: Classical models of skin inflammation such as TPA- and croton oil-induced mouse ear oedema were applied in order to verify the potential topical anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract from flowers of Combretum leprosum.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Piper aleyreanum is a small tree that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, mostly in North and South America, and is used as an immunomodulator, analgesic and antidepressant in folk medicine.

Aim Of The Study: This study was designed to investigate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and gastric antiulcer activities of the essential oils from the aerial parts of Piper aleyreanum (EOPa) in rodents.

Materials And Methods: The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of orally administered EOPa were evaluated in mice subjected to the formalin and pleurisy models, respectively.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The 3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) is a pentacyclic triterpene obtained from a medicinal plant named Combretum leprosum. In folk medicine, this plant is used to treat several diseases associated with inflammation and pain. We previously demonstrated that TTHL presents a significant antinociceptive effect, suggesting the involvement of the glutamatergic system.

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The present study investigated the mechanisms involved in the antinociception produced by the triterpene 3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) in mice. TTHL administered by intra-gastric (i.g.

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This study investigated the possible antinociceptive effect of the crude extract, fractions and pure compounds (three alkaloids) obtained from fruits of Piper tuberculatum JACQ. (Piperaceae) in acetic acid-induced visceral pain in mice. Oral administration of crude extract and fractions (CH(2)Cl(2), EtOAc, methanol and hexane) (3-300 mg kg(-1)) caused a dose-related and significant inhibition of the acetic acid-induced visceral nociceptive response.

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The present study investigated the possible involvement of the glutamatergic and neurokinin systems in the antinociception caused by triterpene 3beta, 6beta, 16beta-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) in mice. TTHL given by intraperitoneal (i.p.

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The present study examined the antinociceptive effects of the ethanolic extract (EE) and of the triterpene 3beta,6beta,16beta-trihidroxilup-20(29)-ene obtained from the flowers of Combretum leprosum in chemical and thermal behavioural models of pain in mice. The EE (10-1000 mg/kg) given orally (p.o.

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