title: Expectorant and antioxidant activities of purified fumarprotocetraric acid from Cladonia verticillaris lichen in mice.
abstract: The lichen Cladonia verticillaris produces bioactive secondary metabolites, such as fumarprotocetraric (FUM) and protocetraric acids. Species of the genus Cladonia demonstrate anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities and have been used in folk medicine to treat respiratory diseases (throat irritation, cough, asthma and tuberculosis). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expectorant and mucolytic activities of fumarprotocetraric acid in albino Swiss mice. FUM was extracted and purified from an acetone extract of C. verticillaris. The phenol red quantification method was used on the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid following the administration of FUM (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg orally or intraduodenally and 12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for the evaluation of expectorant activity. Control groups received either saline solution (7.5 mL/kg) or ambroxol (1 mg/kg) through the same administration routes. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the thiobarbituric acid reactive species assay in mouse lung tissue treated with the FUM at 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg orally, followed by a lipopolysaccharide solution at 1 mg/kg intrapleurally. The same protocol was used for the control groups using either saline solution (7.5 mL/kg, orally) or N-acetylcysteine (20 mg/kg, orally).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orally administered FUM at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg promoted significantly greater dose-dependent phenol red activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage and expectorant activity in comparison to the controls (p < 0.05). Lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde equivalent) was reduced by 50% in the lung tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm the expectorant and antioxidant properties of fumarprotocetraric acid produced by the lichen C. verticillaris.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glícia Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: de Barros Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, CEP 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: mbsm@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: Maria Bernadete
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Sousa Maia
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, CEP 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: eryvelton_franco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Eryvelton
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Souza Franco
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Biology Applied to Health Sciences, Keizo Asami Laboratory of Immunopathology, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Martins
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Galvão
authors.affiliation: Department of Antibiotics, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Teresinha Gonçalves
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Miranda
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica Barroso
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Academic Center of Vitoria, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emerson Peter
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: da Silva Falcão
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Célia Maria Machado Barbosa
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nicácio Henrique
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000378:metabolism*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005100:Expectorants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005650:Fumarates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005100:Expectorants; D005650:Fumarates; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; C026307:fumarprotocetraric acid
keywords: Antioxidant; Cladonia verticillaris; Expectorant; Fumarprotocetraric acid