title: Identification of chicoric acid as a hypoglycemic agent from Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract in a biomonitoring in vivo study.
abstract: Ocimum gratissimum L. is popularly used to treat diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic activity of this medicinal species has been confirmed by in vivo studies. The present study conducted a chemical investigation of a leaf decoction (10% p/v) of O. gratissimum monitored by in vivo hypoglycemic activity assays. Four phenolic substances were identified: L-caftaric acid (1), L-chicoric acid (2), eugenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (3) and vicenin-2 (4). The acute hypoglycemic activity of the O. gratissimum decoction fractions Og1-S (300 mg/kg), Og1-A (240 mg/kg) and Og1-B (80 mg/kg) was evaluated intraperitoneally in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. They reduced glycemia by 63%, 76% and 60% (in 120 min), respectively, in the diabetic mice. Subfractions of Og1-A were also evaluated under the same conditions: Og1-AS (200 mg/kg) and Og1-AP (40 mg/kg) produced a decrease of only 37% and 39%, respectively. Among the major phenolic substances, only chicoric acid (2; 3 mg/kg) reduced significantly the glycemic levels of diabetic mice by 53%, 120 min after treatment. This is the first study describing the hypoglycemic activity of chicoric acid in an animal model of diabetes mellitus. In addition, we suggest that there may be other substances contributing to this activity. Thus, for the first time, a correlation is established between the hypoglycemic activity of O. gratissimum and its chemical composition.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Livia Marques
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sola-Penna
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiza Maria de Magalhães
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Deborah de Moura
authors.initials: Dde M
authors.lastname: Celestrini
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luzineide Wanderley
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Tinoco
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21 941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: sscbh@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Sônia Soares
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D031339:Ocimum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D013386:Succinates / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002109:Caffeic Acids; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013386:Succinates; C100435:chicoric acid
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Hypoglycemic activity; Medicinal plants; Ocimum gratissimum; Phenolic compounds