Name: JEAN CARLOS VENCIONECK DUTRA
Type: PhD thesis
Publication date: 25/02/2019
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Maria do Carmo Pimentel Batitucci | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Elias Terra Werner | Internal Examiner * |
| Geralda Gillian Silva Sena | External Alternate * |
| Hildegardo Seibert França | Internal Examiner * |
| Juliana Macedo Delarmelina | External Examiner * |
| Maria do Carmo Pimentel Batitucci | Advisor * |
| Ricardo Machado Kuster | External Examiner * |
| Silvia Tamie Matsumoto | Internal Alternate * |
Summary: Plants of the Cactaceae and Lamiaceae Family are used by the population as food
and in traditional medicine to treat or prevent diseases. The objective of this work
was to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-cytotoxic and
antiproliferative activities of plant extracts of one plant of the Cactaceae Family and
seven plants of the Lamiaceae Family, relating the results obtained to the
phenological aspects or variations between species. The fruit and cladodes of
Cereus jamacaru (Cactaceae) were collected at vegetative and fruiting stage and
the total aerial part of Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum,
Ocimum selloi, Plecthanthus amboinicus, Plectranthus amboinicus "variegata" and
Plectranthus ornatus (Lamiaceae) were collected for the production of
hydroalcoholic extracts. Extracts were evaluated by preliminary phytochemical
tests; the total content of flavonoids and rosmarinic acid were determined by
spectrophotometric and HPLC techniques, respectively; the antioxidant activity was
evaluated by the DPPH, ABTS, Fe2+ ion chelation activity and the β-
carotene/linoleic acid system; cytotoxicity and anti-cytotoxicity against cisplatin in
human lymphocytes and antiproliferative effects on sarcoma cells 180 in vitro by
the MTT assay; and antitumor activity and evaluation of mutagenicity in vivo. The
fruit and cladodes of C. jamacaru were effective in promoting anticancer activity in
vitro, and cladodes were able to inhibit cytotoxic damage induced by cisplatin in
vitro and induced significant tumor reduction in sarcoma-induced rodents in vivo.
Investigation on leaf variegation in Plecthanthus amboinicus showed that the
variegation, in addition to morphological changes, leads to changes in the chemical
composition and biological activity exhibited by this plant, leading to an increase in
total flavonoid and rosmarinic acid content, as well as increased in vitro anticancer
effects of Plectranthus amboinicus "variegata". The comparison between the other
plants of the Lamiaceae Family studied suggests that rosmarinic acid biosynthesis
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occurs in detriment of flavonoid synthesis, and also suggests that Melissa
officinalis and Mentha piperita, plant species with higher rosmarinic acid contente
in this study, are more promising as natural antioxidants used to prevent cytotoxic
damage and as anticancer agents. These results reinforce the use of these plants
as much as food as in traditional medicine and provide information relevant to the
development of new drugs.
