Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) Leaves: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities.
The aims of this work were to study the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pereskia aculeata and to evaluate some biological activities of three leaf extracts. The phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and in vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activities were determined. The methanol extract showed antioxidant activity (EC50 7.09 mg/mL) and high polyphenols content (15.04 ± 0.31 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g). The petroleum ether extract exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, whereas the chloroform extract showed inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The petroleum ether and methanol extracts were more effective in inhibiting the growth of Aspergillus versicolor. The possible cytotoxicity of extracts on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cancer cell line and the influence on adenylate cyclase (ADCY) expression was also studied. P. aculeata chloroform extract showed antiproliferative activity with an IC50 value of 262.83 µg/mL. Treatments of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with 100 µg/mL of methanol extract significantly reduced ADCY1 expression.
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy. luceia.souza@ufrgs.br.|Department of Agronomy, University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Brazil. luceia.souza@ufrgs.br.
Lucèia Fàtima
LF
Souza
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy. lcaputo@unisa.it.
Lucia
L
Caputo
Department of Agronomy, University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Brazil. ingridb@ufrgs.br.
Ingrid Bergman
IB
Inchausti De Barros
Istituto di Scienze dell'Alimentazione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISA-CNR), 83100 Avellino, Italy. florinda.fratianni@isa.cnr.it.
Florinda
F
Fratianni
Istituto di Scienze dell'Alimentazione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISA-CNR), 83100 Avellino, Italy. mena@isa.cnr.it.
Filomena
F
Nazzaro
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy. defeo@unisa.it.
Vincenzo
V
De Feo
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D029421:Cactaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts
Pereskia aculeata; adenylate cyclase (ADCY); antibacterial activity; antifungal activity; antioxidant activity; cytotoxicity; essential oil; leaf extracts