Bromelia balansae (Family Bromeliaceae) is a medicinal plant commonly used in the central region of Brazil as a cough syrup and also eaten roasted. The methanolic extract of ripe fruits was analyzed by chromatographic methods and spectrometrically. Four glycoside flavonols were isolated: kaempferol-3-O-a-l-and kaempferol 3,7-di-O-a-l-rhamnopyranoside (4). The resazurin microtiter assay was used to measure the biological activity in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The results showed a moderate activity of the methanolic extract with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 128 mg=mL. Antioxidant activity was evaluated as free radical scavenging capacity and inhibition of peroxidation. Free radical scavenging capacity was assessed by measuring the scavenging activity of methanolic extract and methanolic fraction on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The methanolic extract showed low values of antioxidant activities, whereas the methanolic fraction exhibited free radical scavenging activity ranging from 20.2% to 91.1%, and the inhibition of peroxidation values ranging from 5.6% to 27.5%. This is the first chemical study reported in the literature about this species.KEY WORDS: antioxidant activity antituberculosis activity Bromelia balansae Bromeliaceae ''caraguatá'' flavonols ''gravatá'' Mycobacterium tuberculosis B romeliaceae is a plant family from tropical and subtropical America and comprises three subfamiliesPitcairnioideae, Tillandsioideae, and Bromelioideae-with about 3,000 species in 56 genera.1 It is widely distributed on the American continent, from the states of Virginia and Texas in the southern United States to central Argentina and Chile, except for a single species of west tropical Africa. Brazil, one of the largest centers of diversity, has approximately 40% of known species. In particular, the species Bromelia balansae is popularly known in Brazil as ''gravatá'' or ''caraguatá.'' Its fruits are used in folk medicine as a cough syrup and also eaten roasted. It is indigenous in Brazil and can be considered a very important food of the Bororo people, an indigenous community, but can be found also in Argentina.
2The Bromeliaceae family has not been well screened for its chemical constituents, probably because of the inaccessibility of its species. Despite this, in Brazil this family has a great ecological and horticultural importance interest.Chemical investigations of Bromelia pinguin species have revealed the presence in the roots and stems of the flavones penduletin, cirsimaritin, and casticin, as well as of isoferulic acid and three diterpenoids. Investigations on the secondary metabolites of Bromelia plumieri in an extract of the fruits and pulp have revealed the presence of anthranilic acid and their glycoside derivatives, as well as the presence of 34 volatile substances. 4,5 In addition, in recent years, several proteolytic enzymes from species belonging to the Bromeliaceae family have been isolated and characterized: stem and fruit bromealin, ananain, and comosain, obtained...