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Kalanchoe brasiliensis and Kalanchoe pinnata are used interchangeably in traditional medicine for treating peptic ulcers and inflammatory problems. In this context, this study aims to characterize the chemical constituents and evaluate the gastroprotective activity of the leaf juices of the two species in acute gastric lesions models. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometer (UHPLC-MS) were performed for chemical characterization. Wistar rats were pre-treated orally with leaf juices (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) or ranitidine (50 mg/kg). The peaks observed in the chromatogram of K. brasiliensis showed similar mass spectra to flavonoid glycosides derived from patuletin and eupafolin, while K. pinnata showed mass spectra similar to compounds derived from quercetin, patuletin, eupafolin and kaempferol. K. brasiliensis at all doses and K. pinnata at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg significantly reduced the lesions in the ethanol induction model. In the indomethacin induction model, both species showed significant results at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. Also, the pre-treatment with leaf juices increased the antioxidant defense system, glutathione (GSH), whereas malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were significantly decreased. Treatment with leaf juices led to the upregulation of zone occludes-1 (ZO-1) and the downregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and factor nuclear-κβ transcription (NF-κB-p65), while also showing a cytoprotective effect and maintaining mucus production. These findings show that the leaf juices of the two species showed gastroprotective effects on ethanol and gastric indomethacin injury which were a consequence of gastric inflammation suppression, antioxidant activity and the maintenance of cytoprotective defenses and mucosal structure architecture.

Snakebites are a serious problem in public health due to their high morbimortality. Most of snake venoms produce intense local tissue damage, which could lead to temporary or permanent disability in victims. The available specific treatment is the antivenom serum therapy, whose effectiveness is reduced against these effects. Thus, the search for complementary alternatives for snakebite treatment is relevant. There are several reports of the popular use of medicinal plants against snakebites worldwide. In recent years, many studies have been published giving pharmacological evidence of benefits of several vegetal species against local effects induced by a broad range of snake venoms, including inhibitory potential against hyaluronidase, phospholipase, proteolytic, hemorrhagic, myotoxic, and edematogenic activities. In this context, this review aimed to provide an updated overview of medicinal plants used popularly as antiophidic agents and discuss the main species with pharmacological studies supporting the uses, with emphasis on plants inhibiting local effects of snake envenomation. The present review provides an updated scenario and insights into future research aiming at validation of medicinal plants as antiophidic agents and strengthens the potentiality of ethnopharmacology as a tool for design of potent inhibitors and/or development of herbal medicines against venom toxins, especially local tissue damage.

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This paper describes the screening of different South American plant extracts and fractions. Aqueous and organic extracts were prepared and tested for antiherpetic (HSV-1, KOS and 29R strains) and antirabies (PV strain) activities. The evaluation of the potential antiviral activity of these extracts was performed by using an MTT assay for HSV-1, and by a viral cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibitory method for rabies virus (RV). The results were expressed as 50% cytotoxicity (CC(50)) for MTT assay and 50% effective (EC(50)) concentrations for CPE, and with them it was possible to calculate the selectivity indices (SI = CC(50)/EC(50)) of each tested material. From the 18 extracts/fractions tested, six extracts and four fractions showed antiviral action. Ilex paraguariensis, Lafoensia pacari, Passiflora edulis, Rubus imperialis and Slonea guianensis showed values of SI > 7 against HSV-1 KOS and 29-R strains and Alamanda schottii showed a SI of 5.6 against RV, PV strain.