Phytochemical and biological activities evaluation of latex from Himatanthus obovatus (Muell. Arg.) Woodson (Apocynaceae)

Abstract

Himatanthus obovatus is a tree species that has laticifers in its aerial organs, where it is used in folk medicine. The aim of this work was to evaluate the latex of H. obovatus regarding its phytochemical composition and biological activities. The latex was collected and lyophilized, yield (%) was carried out, phytochemical prospection for several groups, determination of the content of flavonoids, phenolics and total tannins, antioxidant activity in reducing DPPH, antifungal activity on the Candida genus, antibacterial for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella serovar Enteritidis and Thyphymurium and Enterococcus faecalis, hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes and cytotoxicity bioassay on Artemia salina. The latex yield was 19.05%, positive presence of several groups of phytocompounds was observed, total flavonoid content of 78.80 mg QE 100 g-1, total phenolic compounds of 166.51 mg AGE g 100-1, total tannins of 14.81 mg TAE 100 g-1, antioxidant activity IC50 = 178.87 µg mL-1, antifungal activity for all Candida strains and antibacterial only for E. coli and E. faecalis, hemolytic activity between 68-18% and cytotoxicity with LC50 = 433.97 µg mL-1 on A. salina. The latex of Himatanthus obovatus demonstrated in this study, important phytochemical data and biological activities.