Avaliação da atividade antioxidante in vitro e in vivo de extrato de sementes de Licania tomentosa

Abstract

The plant species Licania tomentosa Benth, found in the Brazilian semiarid region, is known for its medicinal properties, attributed to the presence of phytochemicals such as flavonoids and tannins, widely known for their antioxidant capacity in both in vitro and in vivo models. The objective of the present study was to analyze the capacity of the dry ethanolic extract from the seeds of L. tomentosa (EELt), in antioxidant activity in vitro and the in vivo hepatoprotective effect. The EELt yield after extractive process was 20.76%. Through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, organic acids and gallocatechin were identified as constituents of the preparation. The total phenol concentration was 359.18 ± 7.04 μg gallic acid equivalent per mg of extract, whereas the ABTS and DPPH radical inhibition test exhibited, respectively, an average scavenger concentration (SC50) of 102.33 ± 12.21 μg / mL and 74.31 ± 7.25 μg / mL. The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion test presented 33,28% of bioaccessible phenolic compounds, while the index of bioaccessible antioxidant activity was 11,35%. The in vivo hepatoprotection test was shown to be inconclusive because it did not establish hepatic oxidative stress. In this context, further assays are suggested to clarify whether the extract has hepatoprotective capacity in vivo.