Atividades anti-inflamatória in vitro e gastroprotetora in vivo da semente de Licania rigida Benth. (Chrysobalanaceae), uma espécie endêmica brasileira

Abstract

Brazil has a gigantic diversity, but the growing environmental degradation can lead to the disappearance of several endemic and yet little investigated species. Bioprospecting for new compounds can foster the creation of conservation programs and traditional use can speed up this process. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the species Licania rigida Benth., regarding its anti-inflammatory activity and gastroprotective effect. The ethanol extract of the seed of L. rigida Benth (EELr) was prepared and the phytochemical profile determined and quantified. Subsequently, the in vitro antioxidant activity was investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) methods. To assess the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, the ovalbumin denaturation method was used with sodium diclofenac as standard. The preventive and therapeutic gastroprotective effect of EELr (250 and 500 mg/kg) was evaluated by the method of gastric injury by high dose (500 mg/kg) of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in male mice. Omeprazole (20 mg/kg) was used as the standard drug. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, analyzed mostly by one-way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett's test (p < 0.05). EELr exhibited a relevant amount of phenolic compounds, demonstrating antioxidant capacity in vitro by both methods performed. As for the anti-inflammatory activity, EELr was able to inhibit almost 60% of ovalbumin denaturation, diclofenac inhibited about 80%, but at higher concentrations. As preventive gastroprotection, the extract improved levels of biochemical markers of oxidative stress, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the stomach, but without significant protection on gastric ulcers. However, it exerted influence on the levels of SOD and catalase (CAT) enzymes in the liver, while the standard drug used did not improve these liver parameters. As therapeutic, EELr promoted a significant decrease in the number of lesions mainly in the ulcerated area, and an increase in hepatic SOD and GSH. The observed effect of the extract may be due to its phenolic compounds, such as tannins, chlorogenic and caffeic acids. The results reveal that the extract is a potential source of compounds with anti-inflammatory activity, protects the liver from oxidative damage and improves the healing of aspirin-induced ulcers. Furthermore, this work contributes to the knowledge of the species L. rigida, aiming its sustainable use and conservation.