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This work evaluated an ethanolic extract from Morus alba leaves for toxicity to Artemia salina, oral toxicity to mice, and antimicrobial activity. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of coumarins, flavonoids, tannins, and triterpenes in the extract, which did not show toxicity to A. salina nauplii. No mortality and behavioral alterations were detected for mice treated with the extract (300 and 2000 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 days. However, animals that received the highest dose showed reduced MCV and MCHC as well as increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity. In treatments with the extract at both 300 and 2000 mg/kg, there was a reduction in number of leukocytes, with decrease in percentage of lymphocytes and increase in proportion of segmented cells. Histopathological analysis of organs from mice treated with the extract at 2000 mg/kg revealed turgidity of contorted tubules in kidneys, presence of leukocyte infiltration around the liver centrilobular vein, and high dispersion of the spleen white pulp. The extract showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus flavus. In conclusion, the extract contains antimicrobial agents and was not lethal for mice when ingested; however, its use requires caution because it promoted biochemical, hematological, and histopathological alterations.

Although tissue repair is an evolution of the body itself to resolve the wound, many need special care for proper healing. Medicinal plants, such as Rhizophora mangle, have a traditional use for wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate the healing potential of aqueous extract of leaves of R. mangle (AELRm) in cream for surgical wounds in rats. Forty-five Wistar rats were subjected to surgical wound care and divided into three groups of 15 animals each: Control group (saline solution at 0.9%), Standard group (dexpanthenol at 5%) and AELRm group (aqueous extract of leaves of R. mangle in cream at 5%), undergoing euthanasia on the 5th, 10th, and 15th days. Morphometric and histomorphometric studies of the wounds were performed, as well as macroscopical evaluation of them. The treated group showed uniform wounds and no infection, but the macroscopic analysis showed no difference on the 15th day among the three groups due to the rectangular shape of the initial wound. The microscopic study showed that all animals treated with AELRm in cream showed complete re-epithelialization on the 15th postoperative day (p = 0.033) in relation to the standard group (582.21 μm) and Control group (968.89 μm). The present study shows that the topical use of AELRm in cream at 5% has a significant effect on re-epithelialization of surgical wounds in rats.

Anacardic acids (AAs) are alkyl phenols mainly presenting in cashew nuts. The antioxidant effects of these compounds have been an area of interest in recent research, with findings suggesting potential therapeutic use for certain diseases. Nevertheless, none of these studies were performed in order to test the hypothesis of whether anacardic acids are capable of preventing behavioral changes and oxidative stress induced by the pesticide rotenone in experimental model of Parkinson’s disease. In our research, adult male rats were treated orally with AAs (1, 3, 10, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day) 1 h before rotenone (3 mg/kg; s.c.) for five consecutive days. The behavioral testing strategies, including tests for general locomotor activity (open field), motor coordination (rotarod), and spatial memory performance (elevated T-maze), were carried out. Lipoperoxidation levels and total superoxide dismutase (t-SOD) activity, as well as cytoplasmic and mitochondrial SOD gene expression, were assessed in the substantia nigra (SN), striatum, and cerebral cortex. The results showed that AAs dose-dependently prevented the rotenone-induced learning and motor impairment from 10 mg/kg/day. AAs also precluded rotenone-induced lipoperoxidation in all doses, acting directly on the mitochondria, and improved the t-SOD activity in the doses 25–100 mg/kg/day. AAs per se (100 mg/kg/day) increased SOD gene expression and t-SOD activity. Our findings indicate that the oral administration of AAs prevents rotenone-induced behavioral changes and oxidative stress, in part due to a modulatory action on the mitochondria and SOD gene expression. These data suggest that AAs have promising neuroprotective action against degenerative changes in Parkinson’s disease.

The objective of this work was to isolate a polysaccharide similar to pectin from Crataeva tapia leaves, not yet reported in the literature, and to evaluate its antioxidant, cytotoxic and immunomodulatory profile. Pectin was extracted from the leaves in three stages, organic solvent followed by acidified water and ethanol precipitation. With the pectin obtained, the physicochemical characterization of the molecule was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (13C and 1H) and different thermal and elemental analysis. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro, and using human peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture, cytotoxicity and immunostimulatory actions were investigated. Physical and chemical analyses showed characteristic signs of pectin. Antioxidant activity tests showed that pectin had moderate to low antioxidant activity. Furthermore, pectin did not affect the viability of erythrocytes and PBMC and induced an immunostimulatory state when it promoted the production of cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α and increased the activation of CD8 + T lymphocytes. This study showed that pectin from Crataeva tapia is not cytotoxic and promoted a pro-inflammatory profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cell with application as an immunostimulating and emulsifying compound.

For control of Aedes aegypti, the main vector of dengue, botanical insecticides can be a viable alternative. Herein, we evaluated the chemical composition and insecticidal activity of the essential oils of the leaves of Croton tetradenius on Ae. aegypti larvae and adults. We also evaluated the acute toxicity in Mus musculus. The essential oil chemical analysis was performed using chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and flame ionization detection. Female mice were used for assessing toxicity according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Test Guideline 423/2001. Doses administered to mice orally and intraperitoneally were 5, 50, 300, and 2000 mg kg−1. There was a greater toxic effect on larvae (LC50 = 0.152 mg mL−1 and LC90 = 0.297 mg mL−1) and on adults (LC50 = 1.842 mg mL−1 and LC90 = 3.156 mg mL−1) of Ae. aegypti after 24 h of exposure, when compared to other periods of exposure. Chemical analysis revealed 26 components, with camphor (25.49 %) as the major component. The acute toxicity via the intraperitoneal route identified an LD50 = 200 mg kg−1 and by the oral route an LD50 = 500 mg kg−1. Thus, the essential oil of C. tetradenius presents insecticidal potential for Ae. aegypti and has high safety threshold at the concentrations evaluated in this study.

Background: Yangambin, a lignan isolated from Ocotea duckei leaves, has been reported to have antitumor, anxiolytic, hypotensive, and leishmanicidal activity, but there is little information on toxicity. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity of yangambin in mice, and cytotoxicity and genotoxicity through the Allium cepa assay. Materials and Methods: The yanganbin at a dose of 2000 mg/kg was orally administered once to mice to investigate acute toxicity, and meristem of the roots of Allium cepa was used to determine inhibition of root growth (root length) and mitotic index. Results: Yangambin did not cause hemolysis in sheep erythrocytes at concentrations of 12.5, 25, and 50 μg/mL, and did not show genotoxic changes in root meristem cells of Allium cepa at the same concentrations. In the acute toxicity study in Swiss mice at a dose of 2000 mg/kg, there were no apparent clinical signs or any behavioral changes and no deaths. Conclusion: Therefore, yangambin appears to a promising active compound for future pharmacological studies.