ABSTRACT Guavira fruits have antimicrobial, antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activities. Spray drying has been widely used in the food industry presenting good retention in bioactive compounds used to transform the pulp/fruit juice into powder form. Therefore, the present study has evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the microencapsulated pulp of Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O.Berg, Myrtaceae, by spray drying. Different groups of mice were treated with the doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg of microencapsulated "guavira" pulp and inflammatory parameters were assessed in a carrageenan paw edema-model and leukocyte migration with pleurisy model, while the antinociceptive activity was assessed using the formalin method and CFA-induced hyperalgesia model. A significant reduction in leukocyte migration and in paw edema was observed in rodents in all time after carrageenan injection for both doses of microencapsulated pulp of C. adamantium when compared with control group. Microencapsulated pulp of C. adamantium also reduced licking time at the first (nociceptive) and second (inflammatory) phases in the formalin model. In CFA-induced cold and mechanical hyperalgesia, depressive behavior, and knee edema, all parameters analyzed were significantly inhibited by microencapsulated pulp of C. adamantium. Microencapsulation by spray drying proved to be a technique that promotes bioavailability and the preservation of bioactive components in guavira pulp.

Inflammatory and genetic alterations are related to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer. Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae, is used in folk medicine to treat inflammation, wounds and tumors. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, chemopreventive, and wound healing potentials of the methanolic extract from the leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius. The chemical composition of the extract was characterized using preliminary analytical LC methods. The results showed that the anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract was similar to that of dexamethasone for edema reduction. Also, it inhibited the leukocyte migration into the air pouch and decreased plasma extravasation. In addition, the methanolic extract showed a healing action similar to that observed with collagenase. The methanolic extract is not genotoxic nor mutagenic, and in contrast it has chemopreventive activity, which elicits a high percentage of damage reduction by comet and micronucleus assay, preferably by bioantimutagenic action. The methanolic extract induced apoptosis and enhanced splenic phagocytosis in animals treated with cyclophosphamide. The methanolic extract contents, resolved by LC, include phenolic acid and flavonoids. Our results suggest a therapeutic potential for the methanolic extract.