Recebido em 20/7/06; aceito em 11/9/06; publicado na web em 28/5/07 INDOLE ALKALOIDS FROM SPECIES OF THE Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) GENUS. Species from genus Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) are popularly employed to treat various diseases. This genus is characterized by the occurrence of indole alkaloids. Taking into account the various biological activities attributed to these alkaloids, the description of the chemical diversity in genus Aspidosperma is important. A review of simple carbolinic alkaloids isolated from species of various genera was published in 1979. In 1987, it was published another one dealing with the relationships between the chemical structures of the indole alkaloids and the evolution of Aspidosperma species. This work updates the information about the indole alkaloids isolated from Aspidosperma species.

Infusions of Aspidosperma nitidum (Apocynaceae) wood bark are used to treat fever and malaria in the Amazon Region. Several species of this family are known to possess indole alkaloids and other classes of secondary metabolites, whereas terpenoids, an inositol and the indole alkaloids harmane-3 acid and braznitidumine have been described in A. nitidum . In the present study, extracts from the wood bark, leaves and branches of this species were prepared for assays against malaria parasites and cytotoxicity testing using human hepatoma and normal monkey kidney cells. The wood bark extracts were active against Plasmodium falciparum and showed a low cytotoxicity in vitro, whereas the leaf and branch extracts and the pure alkaloid braznitidumine were inactive. A crude methanol extract was subjected to acid-base fractionation aimed at obtaining alkaloid-rich fractions, which were active at low concentrations against P. falciparum and in mice infected with and sensitive Plasmodium berghei parasites. Our data validate the antimalarial usefulness of A. nitidum wood bark, a remedy that can most likely help to control malaria. However, the molecules responsible for this antimalarial activity have not yet been identified. Considering their high selectivity index, the alkaloid-rich fractions from the plant bark might be useful in the development of new antimalarials.

Recebido em 13/7/10; aceito em 24/12/10; publicado na web em 15/4/11 CHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae). Species of the Byrsonima genus are widely distributed around the neotropical zone, being frequently used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin diseases. This article briefly reviews the ethnopharmacology, pharmacology and phytochemistry of the Byrsonima genus. Eighty three compounds isolated from different species are reported, most of them being flavonoids or triperpenes. The pharmacological studies carried out with the extracts from these plants emphasize on the antimicrobial activity, however other activities have also been investigated leading to promising results. The data presented in this work strongly supports the view that plants of Byrsonima genus have potential therapeutic action.Keywords: Malpighiaceae; Byrsonima; review. INTRODUÇÃOMalpighiaceae é uma família de árvores, arbustos, subarbustos e lianas com aproximadamente 71 gêneros e 1250 espécies, que se distribuem em florestas tropicais, subtropicais e savanas do Velho e Novo Mundo, onde estão localizadas 85% das espécies.1 Várias espé-árias espé-cies dessa família são utilizadas com fins medicinais pela população de países americanos, principalmente como moduladores do sistema nervoso central (gêneros Banisteriopsis, Diplopterys, Galphimia e Heteropteris) e afrodisíacos (gênero Heteropteris). 2Uma revisão acerca da constituição química dessa família registra como principais fitoconstituintes os alcaloides carbolínicos, bases indólicas simples, fenilpropanoides, flavonoides, triterpenoides e polissacarídeos em diferentes gêneros. Esse mesmo trabalho destaca o uso ritualístico-religioso de algumas espécies, que é registrado até os dias atuais, além o valor nutricional de espécies do gênero Malpighia, ricas em ácido ascórbico (vitamina C) em seus frutos, que são saborosos e bastante apreciados na culinária brasileira. Entretanto, o gênero mais extensivamente estudado tem sido o Byrsonima, um dos maiores da família Malpighiaceae, possuindo 150 espécies com distribuição marcadamente neotropical.4 O Brasil concentra cerca de 50% das espécies, que são encontradas principalmente nas regiões Norte, Nordeste e Central, podendo também ser encontradas na região Sudeste do país, em áreas de cerrado. No Brasil, essas espécies são conhecidas popularmente como "muricis", sendo diferenciadas pela cor de suas flores e frutos, ou pelo local de ocorrência. Desse modo, recebem nomes como murici da várzea, murici da mata, murici-amarelo, entre outros. 5A madeira das espécies arbóreas é leve, sendo utilizada na construção civil para a fabricação de caibros e vigas. Algumas delas já foram bastante empregadas em curtumes e para tingir tecidos, devido à grande quantidade de taninos e matéria tintorial nas cascas. Com flores vistosas, frutos que atraem aves e rápido crescimento, tais espécies têm grande potencial como plantas ornamentais e também são úteis na recuperação de áreas degradadas. 6 Os frutos de B. cras...

Species of the Byrsonima genus are widely used in Brazil, especially for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. However, species from the Amazonian region are still poorly studied. Thus, we studied the antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activities of for Amazonian species, Byrsonima crispa, Byrsonima duckeana, Byrsonima garcibarrigae, and Byrsonima incarnata. Phenolic composition was determined by chemical and chromatographic methods. The aqueous extracts were evaluated in DPPH , ABTS , and superoxide (O ) tests, LPS-activated macrophage assay, and formalin test. All species contained a high phenolic and flavonoid content. We identified 15 phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, and catechins. The extracts showed high antioxidant activity and were more active than quercetin at inhibiting nitric oxide release in the LPS-activated macrophage assay. B. duckeana and B. garcibarrigae showed higher in vivo antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities. B. garcibarrigae presented significant effect on the early phase of the formalin test, pointing to an antinociceptive mechanism distinct from traditional anti-inflammatory medicines. In conclusion, the pharmacological potential of these species is closely related to their flavonoid-rich chemical composition, which seems to act through antioxidant mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley& Sons, Ltd.

According to our results, it was concluded that stem bark of Byrsonima japurensis has significant and safe anti-inflammatory activity, which is closely related with their potent antioxidant activity, supporting the folk medicinal use of this species.