Plants represent the main source of molecules for the development of new drugs, which intensifies the interest of transnational industries in searching for substances obtained from plant sources, especially since the vast majority of species have not yet been studied chemically or biologically, particularly concerning anti-inflammatory action. Anti-inflammatory drugs can interfere in the pathophysiological process of inflammation, to minimize tissue damage and provide greater comfort to the patient. Therefore, it is important to note that due to the existence of a large number of species available for research, the successful development of new naturally occurring anti-inflammatory drugs depends mainly on a multidisciplinary effort to find new molecules. Although many review articles have been published in this regard, the majority presented the subject from a limited regional perspective. Thus, the current article presents highlights from the published literature on plants as sources of anti-inflammatory agents.

The infusion of aerial parts (EI) of Eleusine indica Gaertn (Poaceae) is used in Brazil against airway inflammatory processes like influenza and pneumonia. Pre-treatment with 400 mg/kg of crude extract inhibited 98% of lung neutrophil recruitment in mice exposed to aerosols of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, in a dose-dependent manner. At 400 microg/kg, schaftoside (6-C-beta-glucopyranosyl-8-C-alpha-arabinopyranosylapigenin) and vitexin (8-C-beta-glucopyranosylapigenin), isolated from EI, inhibited 62% and 80% of lung neutrophil influx, respectively. These results may justify the popular use of E. indica against airway inflammatory processes.

RESUMO: São denominadas hortaliças não convencionais as espécies vegetais presentes em determinadas localidades ou regiões, mas que aos poucos foram esquecidas e desvalorizadas. Em virtude das mudanças no comportamento alimentar, o consumo destas hortaliças foi reduzido causando perdas econômicas, sociais e culturais. O resgate deste consumo é de grande importância, visando a preservação da biodiversidade brasileira, os benefícios nutricionais, assim como novas fontes de antioxidantes naturais para a indústria alimentícia. Avaliou-se a composição fitoquímica de espécies vegetais denominadas hortaliças não convencionais: beldroega (Portulaca oleracea), bertalha (Basella rubra), caruru (Amaranthus viridis), peixinho (Stachis lanata) e azedinha (Rumex acetosa), bem como o seu potencial alimentar com base no ranquemento do valor dessas características. Com relação aos minerais avaliados, o caruru apresentou os maiores teores de nitrogênio, cálcio, magnésio, enxofre e ferro. O maior conteúdo de compostos fenólicos foi detectado em peixinho, assim como a menor concentração de taninos condensados (0,14 Eag/g de extrato). Quanto aos carotenoides totais, caruru apresentou a maior concentração, mas o conteúdo de β-caroteno foi maior em peixinho, azedinha tipo I e bertalha. O extrato metanólico de peixinho apresentou forte capacidade de sequestro do radical livre. A maior percentagem de proteína foi detectada na azedinha (tipos I e II). Concluiu-se que os teores de componentes protéicos, minerais e compostos bioativos encontrados nessas hortaliças, caracterizam-nas pelo seu elevado potencial nutricional, podendo o seu consumo regular trazer benefícios à saúde humana.

This work reports on the mass transfers and retention of phenolic compounds (RPH), condensed tannins (RT) and antioxidant activity (RA) of banana slices submitted to osmotic dehydration (OD). The slices were osmotically dehydrated according to a 2 2 full factorial design with three repetitions at the central point. The independent variables were temperature (30, 40 and 50C) and sucrose solution concentration (45, 55 and 65% w/w). The analyses of banana slices were performed after 60 and 180 min of process. There was an increase in the water loss and reductions in parameters L*, RPH and RA with increasing temperature of the solution. An increase in the osmotic solution concentration boosted the gain of solids. The RA of the osmotically dehydrated fruit was greater than 97%, leading to the conclusion that OD reduces the moisture of fruits maintaining the antioxidant activity of their bioactivities compounds with an intensification of fruits color.

Ten Psychotria species were collected in two fragments of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro: Psychotria pubigera (P1A and B), P. ruelliifolia (P2), P. suterela (P3), P. stachyoides (P4), P. capitata (P5), P. glaziovii (P6), P. leiocarpa (P7), P. nuda (P8), P. racemosa (P9) and P. vellosiana (P10). Ethanol extracts of these species were evaluated for their antimycobacterial activity, in an attempt to find new antituberculosis agents. Psychotria pubigera (P1A), P. ruelliifolia (P2) and P. stachyoides (P4) were the most active against Mycobacterium. The anti-inflammatory potential of these extracts was also evaluated in vitro to learn if they inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages and if they have free-radical scavenging properties, because inflammation is a severe problem caused by tuberculosis, especially when the infection is from M. bovis or M. tuberculosis. Psychotria suterela (P3), P. stachyoides (P4) and P. capitata (P5) were the most active in inhibiting macrophage NO production but they were not the most antioxidant species. This suggests that NO inhibitory activity is not due to the scavenging of NO generated but due to a specific inhibition of iNOS activity or expression. In addition, cytotoxicity was tested in the macrophages (the host cells of the Mycobacterium) and it was verified that the extracts selectively killed the bacteria and not the host cells. When analyzing antimycobacterial, cytotoxicity and NO inhibitory activities in combination, P. stachyoides (P4) was the most promising anti-TB extract tested. Further, indol alkaloids were detected in P. suterela and P. nuda, and 5,6-dihydro-β-carboline alkaloids in all of the species studied, with the highest amounts found in P. capitata and P. racemosa.