Abstract
Paullinia cupana (Guarana) is a native plant of Amazon region that has very traditional importance. Its seeds are rich in bioactive compounds, including tannins, which exhibit relevant properties. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate antibacterial, antineoplastic, and immunomodulatory activity of P. cupana seeds crude extract (CE) and ethyl-acetate fraction (EAF). Methods. Antibacterial activity was evaluated by determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Antineoplastic activity was evaluated by MTT assays in hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), ductal carcinoma (T47-D), non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma (Toledo), T cell leukemia (Jukart), and Acute Leukemia (HL-60) cell lines. BALB/c mice splenocytes were treated to assess IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-10 levels by sandwich ELISA. Results. CE and EAF were not toxic to peripheral blood cells and splenocytes. CE and EAF fractions showed a bacteriostatic activity (MIC = 250 μg/mL) and presented IC50 values of 70.25 μg/mL and 61.18 μg/mL in HL-60 leukemia cell line. All cytokines evaluated had their levels reduced after treatment, following dose-response model. Discussion and Conclusion. Different biological activities were observed for both CE and EAF, suggesting P. cupana as a source of bioactive substances, especially tannins that may be used for several diseases treatments.
Highlights
The use of plants with the aim of treating, preventing, and curing diseases is one of the oldest forms of human medical practice [1]
Crude extract (CE) and ethylacetate fraction (EAF) of P. cupana seeds were obtained already lyophilized from Palafito and these materials were prepared by Klein et al (2012)
Before performing any biological activity of guarana crude extract (CE) and ethyl-acetate fraction (EAF), cytotoxicity assays in Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and splenocytes BALB/c mice were initially assessed
Summary
The use of plants with the aim of treating, preventing, and curing diseases is one of the oldest forms of human medical practice [1] In this context, many plants used in traditional medicine are being studied, including Paullinia cupana Kunth, popularly known as guarana. Guarana plays an important role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, promoting a reduction in blood pressure levels and LDL fraction in an elderly population residing in the Amazon region [10]. These effects observed in P. cupana extracts are attributed to secondary metabolites present in its composition. Polyphenols, and especially the tannins are found in extract fractions of guarana seeds [11, 12]
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