Gastrointestinal mucositis induced during cancer treatment is considered a serious dose-limiting side effect of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Frequently, interruption of the cancer treatment due to this pathology leads to a reduction in cure rates, increase of treatment costs and decrease life quality of the patient. Natural products such as Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae), represent a potential alternative for the treatment of mucositis given its anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, B. pilosa glycolic extract was formulated (BPF) with poloxamer, a mucoadhesive copolymer, was used for treatment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced mucositis in mice. As expected, animals only treated with 5-FU (200 mg/kg) presented marked weight loss, reduction of intestinal villi, crypts and muscular layer, which was associated with severe disruption of crypts, edema, inflammatory infiltrate and vacuolization in the intestinal tissue, as compared to the control group and healthy animals only treated with BPF. On the other hand, the treatment of intestinal mucositis-bearing mice with BPF (75, 100 or 125 mg/kg) managed to mitigate clinical and pathologic changes, noticeably at 100 mg/kg. This dose led to the restoration of intestinal proliferative activity through increasing Ki-67 levels; modulated the expression of Bax, Bcl2 and p53 apoptotic markers protecting intestinal cells from cell death. Moreover, this treatment regulated lipid peroxidation and inflammatory infiltration. No acute toxic effects were observed with this formulation. This work demonstrated that BPF was safe and effective against 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in mice. Additional studies are already in progress to further characterize the mechanisms involved in the protective effects of this technological formulation toward the development of a new medicine for the prevention and treatment of intestinal injury in patients undergoing chemotherapy/radiotherapy.

In the context of developing a new natural product-based cosmetic, the in vitro efficacy and safety evaluations of a complex botanical mixture based on Eugenia dysenterica leaf hydroalcoholic extract (EDE) (2.5-1000μg/mL) were carried out. Chromatographic analysis demonstrated the presence of the tannin (ellagic acid) and flavonoids (quercetin and gallic acid) which characterize the EDE as a polyphenol-rich mixture. Using HFF-1 fibroblasts, it was shown that EDE promoted cell regeneration after UVA exposure. It also led to the inhibition of the collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase enzymes, which are involved in skin-related disorders. In terms of toxicological evaluation, the EDE was classified as non-phototoxic through the 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test (OECD N° 432, 2004) and non-eye irritant by Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (OECD N° 437, 2013) assay, in conjunction with corneal histomorphometric analysis. Furthermore, the EDE has no skin sensitization potential as demonstrated by a two-out-of-three prediction model [protein-binding/haptenization (OECD N° 442C, 2015), keratinocyte and dendritic cell activations]. In addition, it was shown that the EDE seems to be non-genotoxic through the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (OECD N° 487, 2014) using HepG2 cells. When considered together, these findings support the use of EDE botanical mixture in cosmetic/pharmaceutical products.

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IntroductionSeveral studies towards the development of an effective treatment for intestinal mucositis have been reported, since this condition represents a major problem in clinical oncology practice due to cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. However standardized protocols and universally accepted treatment options are yet to be established.ObjectivesGiven above, this study evaluated the protective effects of a mucoadhesive formulation containing both Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae) (BP) and curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) (CL) on intestinal mucositis induced by 5-fluoruoacil (5-FU) in mice.ResultsAs expected, animals only treated with 5-FU (200 mg/kg) showed a significant reduction of 60.3 and 42.4% in villi and crypts size, respectively, when compared to control. On the other hand, the proposed therapeutic/prophylactic treatment with mucoadhesive formulations managed to reduce histopathologic changes in mice bearing mucositis, especially at 125 mg/kg BP + 15 mg/kg CL dose. The formulation promoted an increase of 275.5% and 148.7% for villi and crypts size, respectively. Moreover, chemotherapy-related weight loss was reduced by 7.4% following the treatment. In addition, an increase of 10 and 30.5% in red and white blood cells was observed when compared to 5-FU group. Furthermore, treatments with the mucoadhesive formulation containing BP/CL up modulated Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression while reduced pro-apoptotic regulator Bax. The formulation also modulated inflammatory response triggered by 5-FU through reduction of 68% of myeloperoxidase activity and a 4-fold increase in anti-inflammatory IL-10 levels. In parallel, the oxidative stress via lipid peroxidation was reduced as indicated by decrease of 63% of malondialdehyde concentrations. Additionally, the new formulation presented low acute oral systemic toxicity, being classified in the category 5 (2000 mg/kg < LD50 < 5000 mg/kg) of the Globally Harmonized Classification System.ConclusionsThis study showed an interesting potential of the mucoadhesive formulation of BP/CL for the treatment of 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis. Given the perspectives for the development of a new medicine, clinical studies are in progress to better understand the protective effects of this innovative formulation in treating mucositis.

Campomanesia adamantium (Myrtaceae) is an antioxidant compounds-rich Brazilian fruit popularly known as gabiroba. In view of this, it was evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of pulp (GPE) or peel/seed (GPSE) hydroalcoholic extracts of gabiroba on injured liver-derived HepG2 cells by CCl4 (4 mM). The results showed the presence of total phenolic in GPSE was (60%) higher when compared to GPE, associated with interesting antioxidant activity using DPPH• assay. Additionally, HPLC chromatograms and thin layer chromatography of GPE and GPSE showed the presence of flavonoids. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with GPE or GPSE (both at 800–1000 μg/mL) significantly (p < 0.0001) protected against cytotoxicity induced by CCl4. Additionally, the cells treated with both extracts (both at 1000 μg/mL) showed normal morphology (general and nuclear) contrasting with apoptotic characteristics in the cells only exposed to CCl4. In these experiments, GPSE also was more effective than GPE. In addition, CCl4 induced a marked increase in AST (p < 0.05) and ALT (p < 0.0001) levels, while GPE or GPSE significantly (p < 0.0001) reduced these levels, reaching values found in the control group. In conclusion, the results suggest that gabiroba fruits exert hepatoprotective effects on HepG2 cells against the CCl4-induced toxicity, probably, at least in part, associated with the presence of antioxidant compounds, especially flavonoids.