Avaliação das atividades biológicas da podagrina: uma proteína inativadora de ribossomos tipo 1 de Jatropha podagrica

Abstract

Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are toxic proteins that exhibit rRNA-Nglycosidase activity and irreversibly bind to the ribosome, inhibiting protein synthesis. RIPs have been shown to bind to A4324 (Adenine 4324) of the 28S portion of the rat ribosome, which prevents the 60S subunit from binding to the releasing factors required for protein synthesis. Despite being divided into two major groups (RIPs type 1 and 2), new studies have shown that there are other types of RIPs different from those already known and deserve to be highlighted for a new classification. RIPs have approximately 30 kDa in each chain. Type 1 is less toxic than type 2 because it does not have a lectin domain, such as the latter. Jatropha podagrica presents some important biological activities, such as antipyretic, diuretic, choleretic and purgative. These plants are used in skin infections or for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) thus showing an important biotechnological application. In this work the biological activity of podagrin, a type 1 RIP, extracted from the seeds of Jatropha podagrica, in helminths (Ascaridia galli) and in a cell-free system was studied. Anti-podagrin antibodies were also produced in New Zealand albino rabbits. The results showed podagrin to be a typical RIP 1. There were satisfactory results in inhibition of protein synthesis in helminths and in the cell free system. Results related to antibody production were also satisfactory. As a conclusion, the potential of podagrin as anthelmintic, potential for the development of immunotoxicins and future applications in veterinary medicine and agriculture is seen.