Development of a new topical use phytotherapic with antiinflammatory activity from the alcoholic fraction of Agave sisalana

• Grant number: 14/12464-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Ethnopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Lucinéia dos Santos
• Grantee: Bruno Araujo Soares
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil holds the greatest biodiversity on the planet, but it keeps an immense medicinal flora still unknown, little studied and underexplored. This direction, through specific literature is possible to observe that, although Brazil is the largest world producer of sisal, Agave sisalana, the number of scientific studies about its juice, the liquid waste resulting from shredding the leaves of this plant, is limited. Very little is known about the pharmacological actions of the sisal juice, as well as its chemical composition. However, the few researches carried out up to now shown that the sisal juice is rich in steroidal saponins and it possess different pharmacological actions. A study still unpublished conducted in our laboratory already showed the acute anti-inflammatory activity of the extract resulting from the acid hydrolysis of sisal juice (AHE). Faced with this panorama, the objective is, through repeated administration, to evaluate the alcoholic fraction of the acid hydrolysis of sisal (AFAHE) extract in order to enhance and solidify the anti-inflammatory effect already observed with AH, as well as to evaluate its analgesic activity after acute treatment. Furthermore, this project's purpose is to establish the toxicological profile of these extract in order to ensure its use. The analysis of AFAHE anti-inflammatory activity will be made in vivo by means of carrageenan induced rat paw edema test and rat ear edema test. The analgesic activity will be verified by formalin test. The acute toxicity evaluation will be made by determination of Median Lethal Dose (LD50) and by analysis of toxicity manifestation on animals related to motor control and conscience. In order to certify if the evaluated pharmacological activities are related with the presence of saponins and sapogenins the presence of these metabolites will also be analyzed. This project is a cooperation between UNESP and SECTI (UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista; SECTI - Secretaria de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação da Bahia) and seeks a technical-scientifical solution, economically viable, for the use of sisal waste that has being mostly discarded; it also seeks sustainable development and social promotion of the sisal-producing region, which lies among the country's poorest areas. (AU)