Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of isolated compounds from Garcinia brasiliensis

Abstract

Garcinia brasiliensis, a plant native to the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, is used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation of the urinary tract, peptic ulcers, arthritis and others. The purposes of this study were to analyze the chemical constituents of branches and leaves from G. brasiliensis and to evaluate the potential of isolated compounds to act as inhibitors of both the oxidative burst of stimulated neutrophils and oxidative damage in human erythrocyte membranes. The biflavonoids procianidine, fukugetine, amentoflavone and podocarpus flavone isolated from G. brasiliensis had potent inhibitory effect on the oxidative burst of neutrophils, reaching 50% inhibition at 1µmol L-1 on total reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and NADPH enzyme. These biflavonoids were also potent inhibitors of hemolysis and lipid peroxidation of human erythrocytes, reaching the malondialdehyde level (a biomarker of oxidative stress) of 8.5 ± 0.3 nmol/mg Hb at 50µmol L-1 for procianidine. These findings indicate that these biflavonoids modulate the oxidative stress, suggesting the use of G. brasiliensis extract as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Acknowledgements: FAPESP (grants #2010/52327 – 5, #2011/03017 – 6 and #2013/07600 – 3), CNPq and CAPES.