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Persea americana, popularly known as avocado, has been empirically used as analgesic and anti-inflammatory including in the skin disorder treatment. Species of the genus Persea also show a photoprotective effect against UVB radiation. We investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects from a topical formulation containing the P. americana leaf extract in a UVB irradiation-induced burn model in mice and performed a gel-formulation stability study. The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated through mechanical allodynia, paw oedema, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Phenolic compounds were quantified by UHPLC-MS/MS. The gel-formulation stability study was performed analyzing organoleptic characteristics, pH, and viscosity. P. americana (3%) gel was able to prevent the UVB irradiation-induced mechanical allodynia on the 2nd and 3rd day after irradiation with maximum inhibition of 60 ± 12% at 2nd day. Such effect may be attributed, at least in part, due the presence of (+)-catechin (302.2 ± 4.9 μg/g) followed by chlorogenic acid (130 ± 5.1 μg/g) and rutin (102.4 ± 0.9 μg/g) found in the extract. The gel was not able to prevent the inflammatory parameters such as edema and leukocyte infiltration induced by UVB irradiation. No changes important were detected in the stability study, mainly in low temperature. Our results suggest that P. americana gel-formulation, which presented stability, ensuring its quality and the therapeutic effect, could be an interesting strategy for the treatment of the pain associated with sunburn; this effect could be attributed to its biological constituents, especially catechin, chlorogenic acid, and rutin.

In some chronic disorders, as in arthritis, the inflammatory pain persists beyond the inflammation control becoming pathological. Its treatment shows limited efficacy and adverse effects which compromises patients' quality of life. Mansoa alliacea, known as 'cipo alho', is popularly used as analgesic and others species of this genus show anti-inflammatory actions. We investigated the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive potential of M. alliacea extract in an inflammatory pain model which presents inflammatory characteristics similar to those caused by arthritis, through of the intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in mice. The extract chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of ρ-coumaric, ferulic and chlorogenic acids, luteolin, and apigenin. The treatment with M. alliacea prevented and reversed the CFA-induced mechanical allodynia with maximum inhibition (I max ) of 100% and 90 ± 10%, respectively. The co-administration of M. alliacea extract plus morphine enhanced the anti-allodynic effect with I max of 100%. The M. alliacea extract also reverted the CFA-induced thermal hyperalgesia with I max of 3.6 times greater compared to the vehicle and reduced the thermal threshold under physiological conditions. However, M. alliacea extract did not reduce the CFA-induced edema and myeloperoxidase activity. Additionally, non-selective and δ-selective opioid receptor antagonists, but not κ-opioid, prevented extract anti-allodynic effect with I max of 98 ± 2% and 93 ± 2%, respectively. Moreover, M. alliacea extract did not induce adverse effects commonly caused by opioids and other analgesic drugs, at least in the tested pharmacological doses after the acute treatment. M. alliacea extract presents antinociceptive activity in an inflammatory pain model, which presents inflammatory characteristics similar to those arthritis-induced, without causing adverse effects in tested pharmacological doses. These effects seem to be mediated mainly via δ-opioid receptors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gout is a disorder that triggers a severe inflammatory reaction which generates episodes of intense pain and discomfort to the patient. Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. (Asteraceae) is known as "burdock" and displays anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, against rheumatic pain and radical-scavenging activities. Species of the genus Arctium have been used in assistant therapy of gout and other inflammatory processes. We investigated the antinociceptive and anti-edematogenic effects of the crude extract of A. minus seeds in an acute gout attack model induced by intra-articular injection of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in adult male Swiss mice (25-30 g). The crude extract of A. minus (100 mg/kg, p.o.) reduced the mechanical allodynia induced by the injection of MSU (1.25 mg/site, i.a.) from 4 until 8 h after its administration. A. minus seeds crude extract prevented mechanical allodynia at doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg, but not 10 mg/kg. Allopurinol (10 µg/mL) and A. minus crude extract (10-300 µg/mL) inhibited the xanthine oxidase activity in vitro. The A. minus seeds crude extract did not cause adverse effects since did not change the toxicological parameters evaluated. A. minus crude extract can be used as an assistant therapy of gout pain, supporting its traditional use, without causing adverse effects.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Vitex megapotamica (Spreng) Moldenke has been used in South American folk medicine to treat inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of V. megapotamica on animal models of nociception and depression have not been evaluated., Aim of the Study: This study investigated whether the crude leaf extract of V. megapotamica exhibits antinociceptive and antidepressant-like effects in a Freund's adjuvant-induced chronic inflammation and depression model., Materials and Methods: Chronic inflammation was induced in rats by the intraplantar administration of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA; 100μl). The effect of oral crude extract of V. megapotamica (VmE; 3-30mg/kg, p.o.) on nociception (thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia and arthritis score), inflammation (edema, myeloperoxidase activity), immobility (forced swimming test), locomotor activity (open field), gastrointestinal transit, hyperalgesia and naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal syndrome was evaluated. Naloxone (0.4mg/kg, i.p.) was used to investigate the involvement of opioid system in the currently described effects of VmE., Results: Crude extract caused antinociceptive/antidepressant-like effects in the CFA-induced chronic inflammation model, which was prevented by naloxone. The VmE extract (10mg/kg, p.o.) did not alter the locomotor activity, gastrointestinal function and inflammatory parameters and did not cause hyperalgesia., Conclusion: V. megapotamica induces opioid-dependent antinociception and antidepressant-like effect, without anti-inflammatory activity. The results support the use of VmE as analgesic and antidepressant., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An analytical method using liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry with toluene as a dopant was developed for the determination of triterpenes in medicinal plant extracts. The 12 compounds determined have been shown to exhibit biological activity, such as gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-tumor effects. The parameters of the atmospheric pressure photoionization interface were optimized to obtain the highest possible sensitivity for all of the compounds. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.4 to 157.9 µg l -1 and 1.3 to 526.4 µg l -1 , respectively. The method was validated and applied to extracts of five medicinal plants species (Mansoa alliacea (Lam.) A.H.Gentry, Bauhinia variegata var variegata, Bauhinia variegata var alboflava, Cecropia obtuse Trécul and Cecropia palmate Willd) from the Amazonian region. The concentrations of the six triterpenes quantified in the samples ranged from 0.424 mg kg -1 for ursolic acid to 371.96 mg kg -1 for β-amyrin, which were quantified by using the standard addition method (n = 3). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

A systematic study on the various sources of ion suppression in UHPLC-MS-MS analysis was carried out for 24 phenolic antioxidants in 6 different extracts of medicinal plants from Amazonia. The contributions of matrix effects, mobile-phase additives, analyte co-elution and electric charge competition during ionization to the global ion suppression were evaluated. Herein, the influence of mobile-phase additives on the ionization efficiency was found to be very pronounced, where ion suppression of approximately 90% and ion enhancement effects greater than 400% could be observed. The negative effect caused by the wrong choice of internal standard (IS) on quantitative studies was also evaluated and discussed from the perspective of ion suppression. This work also shows the importance of performing studies with this approach even for very similar matrices, such as varieties of medicinal plants from the same species, because different effects were observed for the same analyte., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effects of different solvents and extraction techniques upon the phytochemical profile and anti-Trichophyton activity of extracts from Piper aduncum leaves were evaluated. Extract done by maceration method with ethanol has higher content of sesquiterpenes and antifungal activity. This extract may be useful as an alternative treatment for dermatophytosis.

In this work were extracted bioactive compounds from Brassica oleracea var capitata using supercritical CO2 and evaluated the antioxidant potential of the extracts. Five extractions were accomplished to investigate the influence of pressure (10-25 MPa) and temperature (20-60 °C) in the extraction yield, chemical composition and antioxidant potential towards peroxyl, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The highest extraction yield was obtained at 60 °C and 25 MPa, which was 0.47 wt% (run 2). In the characterisation of the extracts obtained was possible the identification of sulforaphane and iberin nitrile that present known biological properties. The extracts of all runs presented antioxidant activities towards the three radicals, but the highest activities for all radicals were using the extracts obtained in the run 2. The use of supercritical CO2 extraction to obtain bioactive compounds of B. oleracea var capitata showed to be a promising alternative to conventional extraction methods, since allowed the extraction of compounds with scientific and industrial interest., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the protective effect of pecan nut (Carya illinoensis) shell aqueous extract (AE) on the oxidative and morphological status of rat testis treated with cyclophosphamide (CP). Wistar rats received water or AE (5%) ad libitum for 37 days. On day 30, half of each group received a single intraperitoneal administration of vehicle or CP 200 mg/kg. After 7 days, the animals were killed and their testis removed. Rats treated with CP presented reduced levels of lactate dehydrogenase, vitamin C, and gluthatione, as well as decreased catalase activity, increased lipid peroxidation levels and superoxide dismutase activity, no alteration in carbonyl protein levels, and a loss of morphological testicular integrity. In contrast, cotreatment with pecan shell AE totally prevented the decrease of lactate dehydrogenase and vitamin C levels and catalase activity and partially prevented the depletion of gluthatione levels. Moreover, it totally prevented the increase in superoxide dismutase activity and lipid peroxidation levels and maintained testicular integrity. These findings show the protective role of pecan shell AE in CP-induced testicular toxicity. The use of this phytotherapy may be considered to minimize deleterious effects related to this chemotherapy.