Campomanesia adamantium (Myrtaceae) is a medicinal plant distributed in Brazilian Cerrado. Different parts of this plant are used in popular medicine for treatment of several diseases like fever, diarrhea, hypercholesterolemia and rheumatism. The aim of this work was to evaluate the inhibition of heat-stable enterotoxin type A (STa) by gallic acid present in the peel of C. adamantium fruit and assays to assess the antidiarrheal activity, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties of peel extract using the T84 cell line model. The possible inhibition exerted by the gallic acid of the peel extract on the STa peptide was inferred by molecular dynamics simulations. The antidiarrheal effects were investigated measuring cGMP accumulation in cells after stimulation by STa toxin and antibacterial activity was assessed. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2. MTT and LDH assays were used to evaluate any possible cytotoxic action while the CyQUANT test was used to investigate the effect on cell proliferation. A representation showing how the possible interactions between STa and the gallic acid of the extract might reduce the action of the enterotoxin is presented. C. adamantium peel extract significantly decreased the levels of cGMP in T84 cells. However, no effect on the species of microorganisms was observed. The extract also inhibited COX-1 (IC50 255.70 ± 0.04 ng/mL) and COX-2 (IC50 569.50 ± 0.11 ng/mL) enzymes. Cytotoxicity assay have shown significant changes in cells treated with the extract, which inhibited the cell proliferation until 72 hours of treatment. Direct interactions of phenolic compounds present in the extract with the STa toxin may limit its activity. Curative effect in the diarrhea treatment and its anti-inflammatory action is based on the pharmacological properties, mechanism of action of the C. adamantium peel extract, and no toxic effects of the peel extract presented on this work.
Idiopathic Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 1 % of the population over 55 years of age. The disease manifests itself through motor and nonmotor symptoms induced mainly by the neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The possible mechanisms involved in this pathology include mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. The present study evaluated the effects of the nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen on motor and depressive-like behavior induced by rotenone in rats. Rotenone (2.5 mg/kg, i.p., for 10 days) decreased tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the SNpc, and ibuprofen treatment (15 mg/kg, p.o., for 22 days) blocked this impairment. We also found that rotenone-induced motor deficits (hypolocomotion) and depressive-like behavior, and ibuprofen was able to reverse these deficits. In addition to motor and nonmotor behaviors, we evaluated oxidative stress induced by rotenone. Rotenone administration depleted glutathione levels in the hippocampus and reduced catalase activity in both the hippocampus and striatum. Post treatment with ibuprofen blocked the depletion of glutathione induced by rotenone and increased the basal levels of this antioxidant in the striatum. Ibuprofen also restored catalase activity. The neuroprotective effects of ibuprofen against toxicity induced by rotenone appear to be attributable to its antioxidant properties, in addition to cyclooxygenase inhibition.
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