Abstract Trichilia catigua A. Juss., Meliaceae, known as "catuaba" in Brazil, has been popularly used as a tonic for fatigue, impotence and memory deficits. Previously, we have demonstrated that T. catigua ethyl-acetate fraction exerted antidepressive-like effects in mice. Affective-like symptoms are also well recognized outcome of cerebral ischemia in clinical and preclinical settings. Therefore, here we evaluated the effects of ethyl-acetate fraction on the emotional outcomes and its relation with hippocampal neurogenesis in ischemic mice. Male Swiss mice were subject to the bilateral common carotid occlusion during 20 min. The animals received ethyl-acetate fraction (400 mg/kg, orally) 30 min before and once per day during 7 days after reperfusion. Emotional outcomes were assessed using the open field test, elevated zero maze, and the tail suspension test. After the behavioral testing, the animals were sacrificed and their brains were processed to immunohistochemistry and Nissl staining. Ischemic mice exhibited anxiogenic-like behaviors in the elevated zero maze, hippocampal neurodegeneration and decreased hippocampal neurogenesis. The anxiogenic-like effect was counteracted by ethyl-acetate fraction administration. Furthermore, ethyl-acetate fraction restored the number of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus of ischemic mice. In conclusion, T. catigua ethyl-acetate fraction promoted functional recovery and restored hippocampal neurogenesis in ischemic mice.

ABSTRACT Medicinal plants play an important role in human health care. It is estimated that about 25–30% of all drugs are evaluated as therapeutic agents derived from natural products. Research in the pharmaceutical industry has demonstrated that for complex diseases, natural products still represent a valuable source for the production of new chemical compounds, since they possess privileged structures. Among Brazilian biodiversity, "catuaba" is popularly used as a tonic to treat fatigue, stress, impotence, memory deficits, and digestive disorders. Studies show antibacterial, trypanocidal, antioxidant, antiarrhythmic, antidepressant, improvement of memory, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, as well as phytocosmetic activity in cellulite treatment and in anti-ageing. The Brazilian plants known and used as catuaba are represented by more than twenty different species; however, the plant most commonly found in Brazil as "catuaba" is the species Trichilia catigua A. Juss., Meliaceae. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present a review of T. catigua, with emphasis on biological activities, chemical and analytical development and formulations in order to provide a broader and deeper insight, seeking a herbal medicine and/or phytocosmetic as well as future prospects for commercial exploitation and directions for future studies.

A statistical mixture-design technique was used to study the effects of different solvents and their mixtures on the yield, total polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity of the crude extracts from the bark of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae). The experimental results and their response-surface models showed that ternary mixtures with equal portions of all the three solvents (water, ethanol and acetone) were better than the binary mixtures in generating crude extracts with the highest yield (22.04 ± 0.48%), total polyphenol content (29.39 ± 0.39%), and antioxidant capacity (6.38 ± 0.21). An analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of total polyphenols in the extracts. Optimal conditions for the various parameters in this analytical method, namely, the time for the chromophoric reaction to stabilize, wavelength of the absorption maxima to be monitored, the reference standard and the concentration of sodium carbonate were determined to be 5 min, 780 nm, pyrogallol, and 14.06% w v-1, respectively. UV-Vis spectrophotometric monitoring of the reaction under these conditions proved the method to be linear, specific, precise, accurate, reproducible, robust, and easy to perform.

This study investigated the effects of repeatedly administration of an aqueous fraction of Paullinia cupana Kunth, Sapindaceae (guaraná) seeds (8 mg/kg) on rats submitted to the elevated T-maze, model of generalized anxiety and panic disorders. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine (3 mg/kg), was used as a positive control. To evaluate possible neurotransmissions involvement, ineffective doses of metergoline (3 mg/kg - non-selective serotonin receptor antagonist), sulpiride (20 mg/kg - non-selective dopaminergic receptor antagonist) or ketamine (0.125 mg/kg - non-selective glutamate receptor antagonist) were acutely administered in association with the aqueous fraction of P. cupana. Both aqueous fraction and paroxetine decrease the inhibitory avoidance latencies of the elevated T-maze, indicating anxiolytic effect and increased one-way escape latencies from the open arm of the elevated T-maze, indicating a panicolytic effect. The pre-treatment with metergoline, sulpiride and ketamine blocked the anxiolytic effect of aqueous fraction. The panicolytic effect of aqueous fraction was blocked by both metergoline and sulpiride. These results show that the serotonergic, dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission systems are involved in anxiolytic effect promoted by aqueous fraction, whereas only the serotonergic and the dopaminergic neurotransmission systems are involved in the panicolytic effect promoted by aqueous fraction of P. cupana. The effects produced by paroxetine, were blocked only by metergoline, validating this experimental procedure.

As monografias sobre plantas medicinais ou drogas vegetais contêm informações para atender não somente aos órgãos de regulamentação, mas também às empresas industriais farmacêuticas e farmácias, e mesmo ao público consumidor. Este artigo revê as monografias da Comissão E, do American Botanical Council, ESCOP, PDR e da Organização Mundial de Saúde em suas origens, objetivos e formatos. Duas publicações recentemente organizadas pela FIOCRUZ do Rio de Janeiro e as contribuições da Farmacopéia Brasileira também são avaliadas.

The medicinal plants monographs are very important information collections about some of the most consumed plants all over the world that attend not only the regulatory agencies but also pharmaceutical industries and the general consumer. This manuscript reviews the origins, objectives and formats of the most important monographs, like Commission E, American Botanical Council, ESCOP, PDR and WHO. Two recently published Brazilian experiences organized by FIOCRUZ and the contributions from Brazilian Pharmacopoeia are also evaluated.