Traditional Medicine Heteropterys cotinifolia: A Neuropharmacological and Phytochemical Approach with Possible Taxonomic Implications
Emerging Issues in Science and Technology Vol. 4,
Page 33-47
Abstract
Heteropterys cotinifolia (Malpighiaceae) has been used in traditional Mexican medicine mainly for the treatment of nervous disorders. However, the specific neuropharmacological activities responsible for this use remain to be defined. The present study evaluates the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects produced by the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia and the influence of such effects on motor activity in ICR mice. Our results show that the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia produces a dose-dependent antidepressant effect in the forced swimming test in mice at doses from 31 to 310 mg/kg, with no reduction of mice locomotion. However, no anxiolytic properties were observed. Our findings suggest that the main extract compounds identified as chlorogenic acid and rutin may be involved in the antidepressant effects. The presence of flavonoids in the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia may also provide further data to characterize taxonomically this species in order to be distinguished from others species closely related and belonging to the same genus.
According with recent reports, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties could be involved in the progression and chronicity of various CNS diseases and cancers. Since the fact that other species from the genus Heteropterys possess outstanding antioxidant properties and the flavonoid content finding in this extract, we continue our investigations on the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia from which, the flavonoid 5,4´-dihydroxy-3,6-dimetoxiflavone was isolated. The extract and flavonoid showed significant antioxidant effect in DPPH and TBARS assays, while IC50 values for extract (24.46±5.96) (25.92±0.56) and flavonoid (9.54±0.14) (35.88±2.24), respectively, were higher than references. Flavonoid exhibited a high percentage of inhibition (>50%) against the total cancer cell lines evaluated, contrasting with extract (<11.90%). However, no anti-inflammatory activities were observed in TPA-induced ear edema in ICR-strain mice. Taking all this information together, Heteropterys cotinifolia possesses additional to neuropharmacological activities such as the potential for considerating as candidate-for-study in cancer research due to its antioxidant properties, and additionally, for the flavonoid, due to its cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines.
Keywords:
- Heteropterys cotinifolia
- antidepressant
- anxiolytic
- chlorogenic acid
- rutin
- antioxidant
- anti-inflammatory
- cancer cell lines
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