title: Counteracting effects on free radicals and histological alterations induced by a fraction with casearins.
abstract: Casearia sylvestris Swartz is a medicinal plant widely distributed in Brazil. It has anti-inflammatory, antiulcer and antitumor activities and is popularly used to treat snakebites, wounds, diarrhea, flu and chest colds. Its leaves are rich in oxygenated tricyclic cis-clerodane diterpenes, particulary casearins. Herein, we evaluated the antioxidant activities of a fraction with casearins (FC) isolated from C. sylvestris and histological changes on the central nervous system and livers of Mus musculus mice. Firstly, in vitro studies (0.9, 1.8, 3.6, 5.4 and 7.2 μg/mL) revealed EC50 values of 3.7, 6.4 and 0.16 µg/mL for nitrite, hydroxyl radical and TBARS levels, respectively. Secondly, FC (2.5, 5, 10 and 25 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally administered to Swiss mice for 7 consecutive days. Nitrite levels in the hippocampus (26.2, 27.3, 30.2 and 26.6 µM) and striatum (26.3, 25.4, 34.3 and 27.5 µM) increased in all treated animals (P < 0.05). Lower doses dropped reduced glutathione, catalase and TBARS levels in the hippocampus and striatum. With the exception of this reduction in TBARS formation, FC displayed only in vitro antioxidant activity. Animals exhibited histological alterations suggestive of neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, indicating the need for precaution regarding the consumption of medicinal formulations based on Casearia sylvestris.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Éverton José Ferreira de
authors.initials: ÉJ
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Guilherme Antônio Lopes
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: De Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Lívia Queiroz
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Vanderlan da Silva
authors.initials: Vda S
authors.lastname: Bolzani
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Alberto José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, BR.
authors.forename: Adriana da Rocha
authors.initials: Ada R
authors.lastname: Tome
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Picos, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Peron
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, SP, BR.
authors.forename: André Gonzaga
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Antonia Maria das Graças Lopes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Citó
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, BR.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Rivelilson Mendes
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, BR.
authors.forename: Paulo Michel Pinheiro
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D037821:Casearia / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts