Method development and validation for standardization of Morus spp. leaves extracts and evaluation of biological activity of phytotherapic formulation for climacteric symptoms treatment

• Grant number: 11/24137-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal researcher: Moacir Rossi Forim
• Grantee: Patrícia Luísa de Souza Bergo
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The female climacteric period (or peri-menopause) is the transition from fertile to infertile phases. Physiologically, during this time, the plasma estrogen level decreases, meanwhile the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in the pituitary gland increase. Due to the estrogen secretion step-down, many women can show some typical climacteric symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, atrophic changes of the urogenital tract, osteoporosis, headache, insomnia, fatigue and mood swings. In order to minimize those effects, many women receive Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The most known HRT is based on estrogen - progestin association, but the combined use of both hormones might potentiate the risk of breast cancer. Therefore, the search effort for alternative therapeutics, especially those based on phytotherapy, is growing very fast. Mulberry leaves have been prescribed for a long time in the folk medicine, for relieving hot flashes. They are also been studied around the world to be applied in other climacteric symptoms. Besides, mulberry extracts presented very interesting antitumoral activity. Most of the phytotherapic drugs commercially available are mixtures of plants with different active ingredients, without more detailed labels. Although this kind of medicine is very accessible for people, there is no rigorous control by the sanitary authorities. Unwanted side effects might be reported, once there is no standardization for the medicine manufacturing. Accordingly, this project intends to develop and validate a method for standardization of mulberry leaves extract, optimization of extraction techniques up to the quantitation of bioactive compounds in the formulation until biological evaluation. The complimentary purpose of the same project is to evaluate the biological activity of the standardized extract in different formulations for HRT. Moreover the extract will be tested in in vitro assays for antitumoral potential. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PADOVAN, RODRIGO NOGUEIRA; CARVALHO, LUCAS SPONTON DE; BERGO, PATRICIA LUISA DE SOUZA; XAVIER, CHUBRAIDER; LEITAO, ANDREI; NETO, ALVARO JOSE DOS SANTOS; LANCAS, FERNANDO MAURO; AZEVEDO, EDUARDO BESSA. Degradation of hormones in tap water by heterogeneous solar TiO2-photocatalysis: Optimization, degradation products identification, and estrogenic activity removal. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, v. 9, n. 6 DEC 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.

GOMES, FRANCISCO E. R.; BERGO, PATRICIA L. S.; TRAP, MARILIA A.; SPADOTO, MARIANGELA; GALINARO, CARLOS A.; RODRIGUES-FILHO, EDSON; LEITAO, ANDREI; TREMILIOSI-FILHO, GERMANO. Photolysis of parabens using medium-pressure mercury lamps: Toxicity effects in MCF7, Balb/c 3T3 cells and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Chemosphere, v. 208, p. 325-334, OCT 2018. Web of Science Citations: 4.