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.

H+ transport driven by V H+-ATPase was found in membrane fractions enriched with ER/PM and Golgi/Golgi-like membranes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae efficiently purified in sucrose density gradient from the vacuolar membranes according to the determination of the respective markers including vacuolar Ca2+-ATPase, Pmc1::HA. Purification of ER from PM by a removal of PM modified with concanavalin A reduced H+ transport activity of P H+-ATPase by more than 75% while that of V H+-ATPase remained unchanged. ER H+ ATPase exhibits higher resistance to bafilomycin (I50=38.4 nM) than Golgi and vacuole pumps (I50=0.18 nM). The ratio between a coupling efficiency of the pumps in ER, membranes heavier than ER, vacuoles and Golgi is 1.0, 2.1, 8.5 and 14 with the highest coupling in the Golgi. The comparative analysis of the initial velocities of H+ transport mediated by V H+-ATPases in the ER, Golgi and vacuole membrane vesicles, and immunoreactivity of the catalytic subunit A and regulatory subunit B further supported the conclusion that V H+-ATPase is the intrinsic enzyme of the yeast ER and Golgi and likely presented by distinct forms and/or selectively regulated.

Apigenin Inflammation Mycobacterium Nitric oxide Schinus terebinthifolius A B S T R A C TThe extract of the fruits from Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae, was obtained by exhaustive extraction with methanol. Its fractions and isolated compounds were collected by fractionation with RP-2 column chromatography. The crude extract, the flavonoid fraction and the isolated compound identified as apigenin (1), were investigated regarding its inhibitory action of nitric oxide production by LPS-stimulated macrophages, antioxidant activity by DPPH and the antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The samples exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the nitric oxide production (e.g., 1, IC 50 19.23 ± 1.64 μg/ml) and also showed antioxidant activity. In addition, S. terebinthifolius samples inhibited the mycobacterial growth (e.g., 1, IC 50 14.53 ± 1.25 μg/ml). The necessary concentration to produce 50% of the maximum response (IC 50 ) of these activities did not elicit a significant cytotoxic effect when compared with the positive control (100% of lysis). The antioxidant and nitric oxide inhibition activity displayed by S. terebinthifolius corroborates its ethnopharmacological use of this specie as an anti-inflammatory. In addition, our results suggest that the flavonoids of S. terebinthifolius are responsible for the activities found. We, describe for the first time the activity against Mycobacterium bovis BCG and the inhibition of nitric oxide production for S. terebinthifolius.

O consumo de frutas, hortaliças e condimentos têm aumentado principalmente em decorrência do seu valor nutritivo e dos seus efeitos terapêuticos. Esses alimentos apresentam substâncias que estão relacionadas com efeitos benéficos ao organismo humano, como a ação antioxidante, o que certamente vem contribuindo para uma contínua melhoria da saúde humana, com o retardo do envelhecimento e a prevenção de certas doenças. Entre as várias substâncias que têm sido consideradas responsáveis por essa proteção, podem ser citados alguns pigmentos como os carotenóides, betalaínas e os flavonóides (substâncias fenólicas). O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade antioxidante e o teor de fenóis totais na casca e polpa dos frutos:  ameixa, laranja, maçã e kiwi que foram adquiridas em mercados de Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ. A atividade antioxidante foi avaliada pelo método do DPPH e a quantificação de compostos fenólicos foi realizada por Folin-Denis. Observou-se que a casca de todas as frutas avaliadas neste trabalho apresentaram conteúdos de fenóis totais superiores ao da polpa, sendo que o kiwi apresentou maiores valores (1273,4 mg/100g e 981,8 mg/100g para casca e polpa, respectivamente). Em relação a atividade antioxidante, a polpa e a casca de todas as frutas apresentaram valores acima de 85% de sequestro de radicais livres, exceto a laranja que apresentou 51,88% e 59,87% de sequestro de radicais livres para a casca e polpa, respectivamente. Contudo, os resultados obtidos neste trabalho fazem destas frutas uma fonte promissora de compostos antioxidantes,  cujo cultivo e consumo deveriam ser estimulados no comércio local.

Os frutos de aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) são amplamente utilizados na culinária mundial e seu consumo vem sendo estimulado desde a década de 80, em função da presença de substâncias fenólicas. Sendo assim, este trabalho quantificou os teores de taninos e fenóis totais nos frutos da aroeira, buscando estabelecer uma possível correlação entre essas substâncias e sua atividade antioxidante. Os compostos fenólicos foram extraídos com acetona:água (7:3), e dosados por espectrofotometria. A atividade antioxidante foi quantificada pelo método do DPPH. Os resultados dos testes revelaram baixos teores de taninos condensados e fenóis totais nas cascas dos frutos, não sendo detectados taninos hidrolisáveis nos mesmos. Apesar disso, o extrato metanólico apresentou elevado potencial antioxidante, o que indica a inexistência de uma correlação entre a atividade antioxidante e os teores de compostos fenólicos nesses frutos.