Hypoglycemic Activity of Aqueous Extract of Latex from Hancornia speciosa Gomes: A Study in Zebrafish and In Silico

Rosana Tomazi,Adriana Maciel Ferreira,Wandson Braamcamp De Souza Pinheiro,José Rodrigues Pinheiro Neto,Gisele Custódio De Souza,Lorane Izabel Da Silva Hage-Melim,Diego Quaresma Ferreira,Ângela Costa Figueira,Henrique Barros De Lima,José Carlos Tavares Carvalho,Arlindo César Matias Pereira,Sheylla Susan Moreira Da Silva De Almeida,Geilson Alcantara Da Silva

doi:10.3390/ph14090856

Abstract

Hancornia speciosa Gomes is a tree native to Brazil and has therapeutic potential for several diseases. Ethnopharmacological surveys have reported that the plant is used as a hypoglycemic agent and to lose weight. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the aqueous extract from H. speciosa latex (LxHs) in a zebrafish model of diabetes. The extract was evaluated through high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HTPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). We then tested treatments with LxHs (500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg) by assessing blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic animals, and metformin was used as a control. The toxicity was evaluated through histopathology of the pancreas and biochemical assessment of serum levels of AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea. The extract was also assessed for acute toxicity through several parameters in embryos and adult animals. Finally, we performed in silico analysis through the SEA server and docking using the software GOLD. The phytochemical study showed the compounds cornoside, dihydrocornoide, and 1-O-methyl-myoinositol (bornesitol). The treatment with all doses of LxHs significantly decreased alloxan-induced hyperglycemia without any significant histological or biochemical abnormalities. No significant frequency of teratogenesis was observed in the embryos exposed to the extract, and no significant behavioral changes or deaths were observed in adult animals. In silico, the results showed a potential interaction between inositol and enzymes involved in carbohydrates’ metabolism. Overall, the results show a hypoglycemic activity of the extract in vivo, with no apparent toxicity. The computational studies suggest this could be at least partially due to the presence of bornesitol, since inositols can interact with carbohydrates’ enzymes.

Highlights

Plants are used for therapeutic purposes in the healing or treatment of a range of diseases
After derivatization with fast blue B salts (FBS), brown bands were observed both in the LxHs and the Analysis control plate of gallic acid (Figure 1B), which is in line with the results of Royer [38]; these and derivatization were to detectcompounds
Based on the Similarity Ensemble Approach (SEA) results and the crystallographic structures’ availability with an appropriate resolution, we performed a docking of inositol with the enzymes galactosidase and maltase-glucoamylase

Summary

Introduction

Plants are used for therapeutic purposes in the healing or treatment of a range of diseases. A significant part of traditional uses is not supported by scientific studies [1]. In Brazil, the use of plants is widespread in folk medicine inside traditional communities. One of these plants is Hancornia speciosa Gomes, popularly known as “mangabeira”. Native to this country, this species is found throughout the Amazon forest, the Brazilian semiarid region (called “caatinga”), and the Atlantic forest [2]. Traditional, and research importance, this species is currently endangered [3]

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