Contribuição ao estudo fitoquímico e atividades biológicas de Aeschynomene fluminensis e de Machaerium hirtum (Fabaceae) de Porto Rico – Paraná

Abstract

The Fabaceae family (Leguminosae) comprises 750 genera and over 18000 species, distributed worldwide. In Brazil it is represented by approximately 175 genera and 1500 species. The Fabaceae species are particularly rich in flavonoids and biosynthetically related compounds, such as isoflavonoids and rotenoids. Alkaloids, terpenoids and steroids are examples of other classes of substances that occur in many samples of the family. Aeschynomene fluminensis and Machaerium hirtum are among the representative species of this family in the region of Porto Rico-Paraná state, an environmental protection area. A literature review of these species indicated the absence of phytochemical and biological studies, which motivated their choice for investigation. It was also found that M. hirtum is used in folk medicine against cough, diarrhea and cancer. The phytochemical study for both species was initiated after obtaining the methanol crude extracts of leaves and twigs, by percolation, and the varieties of extract fractions by means of partitions in different polarities solvents. The obtained fractions were subjected to purification on chromatographic columns of silica gel and/or Sephadex LH-20. The chromatographic treatments performed for A. fluminensis fractions led to the isolation of the following flavonoids: kaempferitrin, α-rhamnoisorobin, quercitrin, 3-Oapiofuranosyl- 7-O-rhamnopyranosyl-kaempferol and avicularin, A2 procyanidin; the flavanone iso-hemipholin; the isoflavone daidzein and the 3-O-methyl-chiro-inositol sugar. The study of the obtained fractions of M. hirtum resulted in the isolation of the isovitexin and swertisin flavones; of the 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline alkaloid, the friedelan-3-one and lupen-20(29)-3β-ol triterpenes and the stigmasterol and sitosterol steroids mixture, which was also found in A. fluminensis. The elucidation of the structures was performed by analysis of spectroscopic data of 1H and 13C NMR and bidimensional techniques (gCOSY, gHSQC and gHMBC) and by comparison with the data reported in the literature. The crude extracts and the A. fluminensis iv fractions were tested for anti-inflammatory activity in the ear edema model and showed all active; the most significant were the extracts and hexane fractions from leaves and twigs. The tests of the myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity showed significant results for all A. fluminensis fractions with more activities for the CHCl3 and hexane fractions of leaves and twigs. The crude extracts and all M. hirtum fractions showed good results when tested for anti-inflammatory activity in the ear edema model; for the substance 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline this test resulted in moderate reduction. For the activity of the myeloperoxidase enzyme, the M. hirtum extracts and all fractions showed significant results, being more active the hexane and EtOAc fractions of leaves and twigs and CHCl3 of twigs. The swertisin and isovitexin mixture and the substance 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline showed pronounced enzyme reduction. The pleurisy test was significant only for the crude extract of M. hirtum leaves. When testing the A. fluminensis antitumor activity on Caco-2 cells, it was observed that the CHCl3 fraction of the twigs and the kaempferitrin showed the most promising results.