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- Bioactivity studies and chemical profile of the antidiabetic plant Genista teneraPublication . Rauter, A. P.; Martins, F.; Lopes, R.; Ferreira, J.; Serralheiro, L. M; Araújo, M. E.; Borges, C; Justino, Jorge; V.M. Silva, Filipa; Goulart, Margarida; Thomas-Oates, J.; Rodriges, J. A. P; Edwards, E; Noronha, J. P.; Pinto, R.; Mota-Filipe, H.Aim of the study: Genista tenera is a plant endemic to the island of Madeira and is used in folk medicine to control diabetes. In the present work we evaluate the antihyperglycaemic activity of its n-butanol extract and determine its chromatographic profile. In addition, this extract, the ethyl acetate and diethyl ether plant extracts were studied in order to assess the plant antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities, as well as its cyto- and genotoxicities. Materials and methods: HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS was used to analyze the flavonoid profile of the n-butanol extract. The antihyperglycaemic activity of this extract was performed over streptozotocin induced diabetic Wistar rats (200mg/kg, bw/day), for 15 days. Antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect (Ellman method) were also performed. Acute cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were assessed by proliferative index quantification and the short-term chromosomal aberration technique, after exposure of lymphocytes to the extracts. Results and conclusions: The n-butanol extract, where 21 monoglycosyl and 12 diglycosyl flavonoids were detected, significantly lowered blood glucose levels, bringing them to normal values after 15 days of treatment. The best radical scavenging activity was observed for the ethyl acetate extract (48.7% at 139.1μg/mL), which was also the most effective one at the minimal concentration tested. The highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (77.0% at 70. 0μg/mL) was also obtained with the ethyl acetate extract. In vitro toxicity studies showed no evidence for acute cytotoxicity or genotoxicity. This is the first report on antidiabetic activity of genus Genista.
- Non-toxic Salvia sclareoides Brot. extracts as a source of functional food ingredients: Phenolic profile, antioxidant activity and prion binding propertiesPublication . Justino, Jorge; Rauter, Amélia; Dias, Catarina; Martins, Alice; Branco, Isabel; Goulart, Margarida; Nogueira, José; Neng, Nuno; Silva, Filipa; Trevitt, Clare; Waltho, JonSalvia sclareoides is an aromatic herb native to Portugal, of which phenolic content (Folin–Ciocalteau method), chemical profile (HPLC/DAD), antioxidant activity (DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid assays), acute toxicity (MTT method, adapted for non-adherent cells), genotoxicity (short-term chromosomal aberration assay) and prion binding properties were evaluated in the acetone, water, ethanol, methanol and n-butanol extracts. The latter presented the highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), and was the single one with the flavonoids (+)-catechin, kaempferol O-glucoside and quercetin. Vanillic acid was the major component of all extracts but gallic, gentisic, caffeic, syringic, coumaric and ferulic acids were also found in some extracts. Only the n-butanol extract had components binding to the cellular form of human prion protein detected by NMR which showed specificity for two regions of the folded domain and for the unstructured N-terminal region. Extracts were not cytotoxic nor genotoxic, reinforcing the potential of S. sclareoides for nutraceutical purposes.