The genus Cryptostegia comprises two species, C. madagascariensis (Bojer) and C. grandiflora (Roxb. Ex R. Br) that belong to the Apocynaceae family and are widely distributed in the tropics, as in Australia, New Zealand, India and Brazil, where they cause great socioeconomic and environmental damage, as they are invaders causing damage, mainly in the cultivation of carnaúba, a native plant of great importance in the wax and derivatives industry in Northeast Brazil. Both are perennial shrubs, native to the island of Madagascar, have abundant latex and are known as rubber vine. The plants have the potential for pharmacological, biological and industrial applications. This is due to a rich source of chemical compounds (proteins, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, cardiac glycosides, etc.) resulting from primary and secondary metabolism. The plants of the Cryptostegia genus showed many activities against bacteria, fungi, insects, Ae. aegypti larvae, Shistosoma sp., as well as for human health as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumoral, and for industrial purposes acting as fibrinogenolytic, hydrolytic, anticorrosive, coagulant and depilatory for leather. Nevertheless, the toxicity is a limitation for the plant use then in order to stand out the economic potential a detailed research on toxicity and management of growing conditions is necessary.

Chemotherapy treatment of leishmaniasis is based on the use of pentavalent antimonials, but these drugs present low efficacy and high toxicity. In the search for new antileishmanial agents, essential oils (EOs) from four Croton species (C. argyrophylloides, C. jacobinensis, C. nepetifolius and C. sincorensis) were evaluated against Leishmania infantum chagasi, L. amazonensis and L. braziliensis. EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Spathulenol, β-caryophyllene, β-caryophyllene oxide, 1,8-cineole and methyl eugenol were the major constituents. The evaluation of antioxidant activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) method showed that all EOs have moderate antioxidant activity. All oils were similarly active against L. i. chagasi, and C. nepetifolius EO showed the best result against L. amazonensis, with median inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 9.87 μg mL-1, similar to amphotericin B (IC50 = 7.38 μg mL-1). The oils presented low cytotoxicity in macrophages. The in silico analysis revealed that spathulenol and 1,8-cineole were active against the enzyme Leishmania infantum trypanothione reductase (LiTR), showing excellent interaction energies, making them promising agents for leishmaniasis control.

RESUMO Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a composição físico-química de frutas nativas do litoral cearense em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento. Os frutos de guajiru, manipuçá, murici-pitanga e murta, foram colhidos durante o ano de 2014, através das seguintes avaliações: sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total titulável, pH e relação sólidos solúveis totais e acidez total titulável. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 5 ou 6 tratamentos, dependendo do estádio de maturação do fruto e 4 repetições. Para sólidos solúveis totais a murta obteve mínimo de 2,6 ºBrix no estádio 1 e o manipuçá obteve máximo de 24,53 ºBrix no estádio 5. Na acidez total titulável, o guajiru com mínimo de 0,09% nos estádios 3 e 4, e o murici-pitanga com máximo de 3,29% no estádio 6. Para o pH no murici-pitanga foi obtido mínimo de 3,44 no estádio 5 e o guajiru, máximo de 5,9 no estádio 2. Para a relação sólidos solúveis totais e acidez total titulável, o murici-pitanga com mínimo de 3,25 nos estádios 1 e 3 e o guajiru com máximo de 141,11 no estádio 4. Concluiu-se que os frutos do guajiru e do manipuçá atingiram a maturidade fisiológica no estádio 3; já os frutos do murici-pitanga e da murta os atingiram no estádio 4; portanto, esses são os estádios ideais para a colheita dos frutos.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the physico-chemical composition of native fruits of the Ceará coast at different development stages. The fruits of ‘guajiru’, ‘manipuçá’, ‘murici-pitanga’ and ‘murta’ were collected during the year 2014, and the following evaluations were made: total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity ratio. A completely randomized design was used, with 5 or 6 treatments, depending on the maturation stage and 4 replicates. For total soluble solids, ‘murta’ obtained a minimum of 2.6 °Brix in stage 1 and ‘manipuçá’ obtained maximum of 24.53 °Brix in stage 5. For the total titratable acidity, ‘guajiru’ showed minimum of 0.09% in stages 3 and 4, and ‘murici-pitanga’ showed maximum of 3.29% in stage 6. ‘Murici-pitanga’ had minimum pH of 3.44 in stage 5 and ‘guajiru’, maximum pH of 5.9 in stage 2. For total soluble solids and titratable acidity ratio, ‘murici-pitanga’ exhibited a minimum of 3.25 in stages 1 and 3, and ‘guajiru’ showed maximum of 141.11 in stage 4. It was concluded that ‘guajiru’ and ‘manipuçá’ fruits reached physiological maturity in stage 3, whereas ‘murici-pitanga’ and ‘murta’ fruits reached in stage 4; thus, these are the ideal stages for fruit harvest.