Análise das atividades farmacológicas e toxicidade de Urera baccifera Gaudich

Abstract

The specie Urera baccifera (L.) Gaudich. ex Wedd., native of Brasil, has its roots popularly used to mycoses and prostatic hyperplasia. This plant presents stinging hairs that cause irritation in the skin and originated its folk’s names: stinging nettle and red nettle. In the literature are present few studies concerning the toxicity of this plant and only anti-inflammatory activity of their leaves was found. That way, this study aim to test the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptiva, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and antitumor activities of the leaves and roots of the vegetable, as well as to evaluate their genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, correlating these results to the chemical constituents determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled in Diode Array Detector and Mass Detector (HPLC-DAD-MS). The leaves and roots was collected, extracted by maceration and fractioned with chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptiva activities were made in Swiss adult male mice, the antiviral activity was determined in HEP-2 cells infected with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and the antifungal, anti-algae and antibacterial activities was made in broth microdilution. The genotoxicity was conducted in Allium cepa rootlets (in vivo assay) and in dsDNA (in vitro assay). The in vitro cytotoxicity was performed in the clonogenic assay. The antitumor activity was evaluated in prostate adenocarcinoma cell line. The secondary methabolite quantification was performed in HPLC-DAD-MS, searching for several polyphenols. In these assays, the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities were not evidenced by oral administration, although an excellent in vitro antiviral activity was evidenced to all samples. The plant fractions was active against Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Prototheca zopfii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. High genotoxicity was verified to U. baccifera roots, being more reduced to its leaves, occurring the opposite in the cytotoxicity assay. This plant leaves showed more active than the roots in the antitumor assay. Were quantified in the samples the isoflavones daidzein, genistein and glycitin, substances correlated with the pharmacological activities observed in this work. The roots and leaves presented promising results in this study, however more studies are necessary before this plant be considered secure and effective for medicinal use. Additionally, it is important to elucidate the antitumor, antiviral and anti-bacterial mechanisms of action, besides the isolation of active constituents of this plant.