Abstract
Tacinga inamoena (K. Schum.) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy, also known as quipa, is a native cactus of the Caatinga used in traditional medicine to treat urethral infections and inflammation. This study aimed to determine the physicochemical characteristics of vegetal drug obtained from the roots of T. inamoena. Analytical techniques and phytochemical tests were used, such as thermal analysis, qualitative and semiquantitative determination of secondary metabolites and spectroscopy at the infrared region. The powder of the vegetal drug met the parameters established by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, except for compressibility, which was low. On the thermogravimetric curve, three events related to the mass loss were verified, which correlate with the vegetal drug quality control and play a part in their standardization. The qualitative screening suggested the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenes. The infrared spectrum reinforced the presence of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and ether groups. In the semiquantitative screening, a concentration for total polyphenols of 65 mg equivalent to gallic acid g-1 to the crude ethanol extract (CEE) was obtained. On the correlation of flavonoid content to seasonality, a concentration was obtained of 3.3 mg equivalent to quercetin g-1 to the CEE obtained during the drought period and of 10.6 mg equivalent to quercetin g-1 to the CCE obtained during the rainy season. In T. inamoena, the presence of important classes of secondary metabolites, which are associated with the pharmacognostic characterization, aids the authentication and quality control of vegetal drugs of importance in traditional Brazilian medicine.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics of the vegetal drug obtained from the roots of T. inamoena
The powder resulting from the vegetal drug was classified as semi-thin
The granulometric distribution of vegetal drugs represents a parameter for the choice of the extractive process and, obtaining the chemical constituents of pharmaceutical interest, as well as the aspects inherent to the pulverized vegetal material, represent a critical stage in the production of phytotherapeutic drugs (Alves et al, 2010)
Summary
Schum.) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy is a cactus known as quipá, cumbeba, or gogóia. Taylor & Stuppy is a cactus known as quipá, cumbeba, or gogóia It is a native of the northeast region in Brazil and is spread throughout almost all of the semiarid region. It is used in the countryside for animal feed and as a popular medicine to treat urethral diseases, asthma and inflammation, as well as to combat worms & Cavalcante, 2011; Zappi, Taylor, & Machado, 2012; Menezes, Taylor, & Loiola, 2013). In Brazil’s semiarid areas, a growing interest has been observed in studies of the region’s species (Arrais et al, 2014), for their potentially abundant curative properties; yet there is been little study regarding their molecules’ bioactive powers to this date (Arrais et al, 2014; Ribeiro et al, 2014)
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