Evaluation of cytoprotective effects of compounds isolated from Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. against induced cytotoxicity by exposure to methylmercury and lead

Author(s)

Jennyfer Andrea Aldana Mejia

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2017-09-15

Examining board members

Jairo Kenupp Bastos; Gilberto Ubida Leite Braga; André Gonzaga dos Santos; Rodrigo Cassio Sola Veneziani

• Advisor: Jairo Kenupp Bastos

Abstract

The Copaifera plants, better known as \"copaibeira\", are tropical trees recognized by the production of an oleoresin extracted from the tree trunk, which has been used for more than 500 years in traditional folk medicine. Among the most abundant species in Brazil is Copaifera langsdorffii L., which in its leaves have a large number of phenolic compounds with potential biological activity as antioxidant. Then, this study aimed to isolate compounds of the classes of flavonoids and galloylquinic derivatives present in the leaves of C. langsdorffii and to investigate their possible cytoprotective effects against heavy metal poisoning. The hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves was obtained and submitted to liquid-liquid partitions. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC), and the fraction in n-butanol was subjected to Sephadex gel exclusion chromatography. Two flavonoids (quercitrin and afzelin) from the ethyl acetate fraction and ten galloylquinic derivatives of n-butanolic fraction were isolated and identified by NMR, using semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (CLAE-UV). Flavonoids and two galloylquinic acids (AGQ3 and AGQ4) were evaluated in alamar blue cytotoxicity assays in HepG2 cell lines (human hepatocarcinoma cells) and PC12 (rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells), in three different concentrations (1, 10 and 100 ?M) for 24 h. The safety of compound AGQ4 was also assessed by the clonogenic efficiency assay against V79 (Chinese hamster lung) cell line. Once was proved that compound concentrations did not affect cell viability, association assays were performed by one hour pre-treatments of the compounds for further exposure to toxic doses of the metals. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that none of the evaluated concentrations of the four compounds affected the viability of the cell lines. The clonogenic efficiency assay showed that only a concentration of 3.8 mM of AGQ4 can significantly reduce viability in the normal cell line, showing the galloylquinic derivative as a highly safe compound for in vitro use. The association assays showed that the four compounds have a significant cytoprotective effect for the HepG2 cell line against Hg and Pb, except for AGQ3 which at 100 ?M concentration did not show protection against lead. Also the compounds did not show activity against Hg in the cell line PC12 and, in addition, they gave the opposite effect by decreasing cell viability in comparison with the treatments with only the metal. Only the concentrations of 1 and 10 ?M showed a protective effect of the compounds against lead. In general, a lower activity effect was also observed at the higher concentrations of the compounds, which may be related to the protoxic effect of some phenolic compounds. Both flavonoids and galloylquinic acid derivative compounds showed potential on the cytoprotection for exposure to lead and methylmercury. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/05954-8 - Potential antigenotoxic and against poisoning by methylmercury and lead of flavonoids and galloylquinic compounds from Copaifera langsdorffii Desf.
• Grantee: Jennyfer Andrea Aldana Mejía
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master