Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schltdl.

Abstract

Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schltdl. is a tree that at maturity can reach up to 25 m in height with a straight trunk that can reach 0.8-1 m in diameter. It is commonly known as quebracho blanco and widely used in the Chaco region as medicine to treat fever, malaria, swellings, stomach upsets, cough, headaches, syphilis, impotence, benign prostatic hypertrophy and asthma related dyspnea. The stem bark is the part of A. quebracho-blanco most often used in medicinal preparations. Terpenoid indole alkaloids are the main principles associated to the medicinal properties of the tree. The bark is rich in aspidospermine, yohimbine, deacetylaspidospermine and quebrachamine. Other alkaloids are piryfolidine, 1,2-dehydroaspidospermidine, N-methyl-deacetylaspidospermine, aspidospermidine, deacetylpiryfolidine, condilocarpine, N-methylaspidospermidine, N-Methyl-desacetyldesmethoxyaspidospermine, des-O-methylaspidolimidine, fendlerine, acuamicine, condilocarpine, aspidospermatidine, N-methylaspidospermatidine, acetylaspidospermatidine, aspidospermatine, 14,19-dihydroaspidospermatine, 14,19-dihydroaspidosperatine, (?)-β-yohimbine, 3α,15α,16α,17β,20α-quebrachine, eburnamenine, eburnamine, β-hydroxyeburnamonine, eburnamonine, rhazidin, aspidoquibine, rhazinilam and 3-oxo-14,15-dehydrorhazinilam. Several of these terpenoid indole alkaloids showed in vitro and sometimes in vivo pharmacological activities that support medicinal effects traditionally attributed to A. quebracho-blanco. Aspidospermine showed in vitro antiplasmoldial activity. Aspidospermine, yohimbine and quebrachime had adrenergic blocking activities on a variety of urogenital tissues. Rhanizilam showed mild analgesic activity in mice. The high tannin levels found in the bark, leaves and woods are believed to contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Recent research suggests that bark preparations have potential for the development of antiviral and larvicidal agents. However, further investigations are needed with especial emphasis in the in vivo effects, in order to understand the real therapeutic significance of the alkaloids and other compounds of A. quebracho-blanco.