Rita Serrano | Universidade de Lisboa (original) (raw)
Papers by Rita Serrano
Species of Terminalia L. genus (Combretaceae) were worldwide used in traditional medicine to trea... more Species of Terminalia L. genus (Combretaceae) were worldwide used in traditional medicine to treat different kind of diseases. In Africa, 30 Terminalia species were described and the traditional uses of most of it as antimicrobial agents were reported by different authors. In the present work a summary of the principal studies and results concerning the evaluation of the potential of 11 Terminalia species from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents or source of these will be presented. In detail, results obtained by our team concerning the antimicrobial activity of Terminalia macroptera Guill & Perr., a tree widely distributed in the savannahs and woodlands of Tropical Africa and used in Guinea-Bissau to treat infectious diarrhoeal diseases and venereal diseases, will be presented and discussed. Extracts of T. macroptera leaf and/or root have been found to be slight active against Candida albicans, and showing an interestin...
Planta Medica, 2014
Introduction: Anacardium occidentale L., commonly known as cashew tree, has been traditionally us... more Introduction: Anacardium occidentale L., commonly known as cashew tree, has been traditionally used in several countries of Asia, Africa and America, due to its antihyperglycemic properties. Aim of work: To perform comparative studies between Traditional Herbal Preparation (THP) of A. occidentale stem bark red (AOR) and white (AOW) in order to assess their free radical scavenging, α- and β-glucosidase inhibition activities and total phenolic content. Methods: THP total phenol content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method [1], using gallic acid as standard. Simultaneously, the free radical scavenging activity of the THPs was assessed with a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) assay, using ascorbic acid as reference standard [2]. Moreover bioautographic assays with thin layer chromatography were performed for the detection of α- and β-glucosidase inhibitors [3]. Results: Total phenolic content was found to be 51.3 ± 1.6 and 58.0 ± 0.4 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gram of dried cashew stem bark in AOR and AOW THP, respectively. Concerning the free radical scavenging activity, IC50 value was 180.7 ± 6.7 µg/mL for the AOR THP and 143.8 ± 2.8 µg/mL for the AOW THP. Bioautography showed two chromatogram zones that were identified as α-glucosidase (Rf between 0.55 and 0.68) and β-glucosidase (Rf between 0.63 and 0.87) inhibitors in both THP. Conclusion: Assessed THP proved to be a source of natural antioxidants that may scavenge free radicals. According to data obtained from all experimental assays, AOW THP has higher antioxidant activity and total phenolic content than AOR THP. Moreover, extracts from both types of A. occidentale promoted inhibition of α- and β-glucosidase. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by grant Pest-OE/SAU/UI4013/2011 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Lisbon, Portugal. Keywords: Cashew stem bark, Traditional Herbal Preparation References: [1] Scalbert A, Monties B, Jannin G. Tannins in wood: comparison of different estimation methods. J Agricult Food Chem 1989; 37(5): 1324 – 1329. [2] Silva T, Camara C, Lins A, Barbosa-Filho J, Silva E, Freitas B, Santos F. Chemical composition and free radical scavenging activity of pollen loads from stingless bee Melipona subnitida Ducke. J Food Comp Anal 2006; 19: 507 – 511. [3] Simoes-Pires C, Hmicha B, Marston A, Hostettmann K. A TLC bioautographic method for the detection of α- and β-glucosidase inhibitors in plant extracts. Phytochem Anal 2009; 20: 511 – 515.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine
Plants
Plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in healthcare, and their use by different ... more Plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in healthcare, and their use by different cultures has been extensively documented. Asphodelus L. (Asphodelaceae) is a genus of 18 species and of a total of 27 species, sub-species and varieties, distributed along the Mediterranean basin, and has been traditionally used for treating several diseases particularly associated with inflammatory and infectious skin disorders. The present study aimed to provide a general review of the available literature on ethnomedical, phytochemical, and biological data related to the genus Asphodelus as a potential source of new compounds with biological activity. Considering phytochemical studies, 1,8-dihydroxyanthracene derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acids and triterpenoids were the main classes of compounds identified in roots, leaf and seeds which were correlated with their biological activities as anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant agents.
Environment and Ecology Research
A toxic plant is a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or f... more A toxic plant is a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or fatal to man or other animals. When used in small amounts and correct proportions, these plants can be used as herbal drugs with medicinal properties. According to official sources from several countries, injurious and poisonous plants are responsible for many cases of intoxications worldwide. The beauty of these plants hides their toxicity and the unawareness potentiates these situations. Therefore, this bibliographic revision is about examples of some plants associated with poisoning but used for their medicinal properties, focusing on species with anticholinergic poisons (Atropa belladonna L., Datura stramonium L., Hyoscyamus niger L.), with calcium oxalate crystals (Philodendron spp.), with cardiac glycosides (Digitalis purpurea L.), with convulsant poisons and with nicotine-like alkaloids (Conium maculatum L., Nicotiana glauca Graham), with mitotic inhibitors (Catharanthus roseus L., Colchicum autumnale L.), with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Senecio vulgaris L.), with sodium channel activators (Aconitum napellus L., Rhododendron spp.), with cyanogenic compounds (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.), and with toxalbumins (Abrus precatorius L., Ricinus communis L.). The knowledge about toxic plants is still insufficient and makes it so important to characterize some species that cause intoxication and lethality in humans.
Industrial Crops and Products, 2015
Species of Terminalia L. genus (Combretaceae) were worldwide used in traditional medicine to trea... more Species of Terminalia L. genus (Combretaceae) were worldwide used in traditional medicine to treat different kind of diseases. In Africa, 30 Terminalia species were described and the traditional uses of most of it as antimicrobial agents were reported by different authors. In the present work a summary of the principal studies and results concerning the evaluation of the potential of 11 Terminalia species from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents or source of these will be presented. In detail, results obtained by our team concerning the antimicrobial activity of Terminalia macroptera Guill & Perr., a tree widely distributed in the savannahs and woodlands of Tropical Africa and used in Guinea-Bissau to treat infectious diarrhoeal diseases and venereal diseases, will be presented and discussed. Extracts of T. macroptera leaf and/or root have been found to be slight active against Candida albicans, and showing an interestin...
Planta Medica, 2014
Introduction: Anacardium occidentale L., commonly known as cashew tree, has been traditionally us... more Introduction: Anacardium occidentale L., commonly known as cashew tree, has been traditionally used in several countries of Asia, Africa and America, due to its antihyperglycemic properties. Aim of work: To perform comparative studies between Traditional Herbal Preparation (THP) of A. occidentale stem bark red (AOR) and white (AOW) in order to assess their free radical scavenging, α- and β-glucosidase inhibition activities and total phenolic content. Methods: THP total phenol content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method [1], using gallic acid as standard. Simultaneously, the free radical scavenging activity of the THPs was assessed with a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) assay, using ascorbic acid as reference standard [2]. Moreover bioautographic assays with thin layer chromatography were performed for the detection of α- and β-glucosidase inhibitors [3]. Results: Total phenolic content was found to be 51.3 ± 1.6 and 58.0 ± 0.4 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gram of dried cashew stem bark in AOR and AOW THP, respectively. Concerning the free radical scavenging activity, IC50 value was 180.7 ± 6.7 µg/mL for the AOR THP and 143.8 ± 2.8 µg/mL for the AOW THP. Bioautography showed two chromatogram zones that were identified as α-glucosidase (Rf between 0.55 and 0.68) and β-glucosidase (Rf between 0.63 and 0.87) inhibitors in both THP. Conclusion: Assessed THP proved to be a source of natural antioxidants that may scavenge free radicals. According to data obtained from all experimental assays, AOW THP has higher antioxidant activity and total phenolic content than AOR THP. Moreover, extracts from both types of A. occidentale promoted inhibition of α- and β-glucosidase. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by grant Pest-OE/SAU/UI4013/2011 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Lisbon, Portugal. Keywords: Cashew stem bark, Traditional Herbal Preparation References: [1] Scalbert A, Monties B, Jannin G. Tannins in wood: comparison of different estimation methods. J Agricult Food Chem 1989; 37(5): 1324 – 1329. [2] Silva T, Camara C, Lins A, Barbosa-Filho J, Silva E, Freitas B, Santos F. Chemical composition and free radical scavenging activity of pollen loads from stingless bee Melipona subnitida Ducke. J Food Comp Anal 2006; 19: 507 – 511. [3] Simoes-Pires C, Hmicha B, Marston A, Hostettmann K. A TLC bioautographic method for the detection of α- and β-glucosidase inhibitors in plant extracts. Phytochem Anal 2009; 20: 511 – 515.
European Journal of Integrative Medicine
Plants
Plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in healthcare, and their use by different ... more Plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in healthcare, and their use by different cultures has been extensively documented. Asphodelus L. (Asphodelaceae) is a genus of 18 species and of a total of 27 species, sub-species and varieties, distributed along the Mediterranean basin, and has been traditionally used for treating several diseases particularly associated with inflammatory and infectious skin disorders. The present study aimed to provide a general review of the available literature on ethnomedical, phytochemical, and biological data related to the genus Asphodelus as a potential source of new compounds with biological activity. Considering phytochemical studies, 1,8-dihydroxyanthracene derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acids and triterpenoids were the main classes of compounds identified in roots, leaf and seeds which were correlated with their biological activities as anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant agents.
Environment and Ecology Research
A toxic plant is a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or f... more A toxic plant is a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or fatal to man or other animals. When used in small amounts and correct proportions, these plants can be used as herbal drugs with medicinal properties. According to official sources from several countries, injurious and poisonous plants are responsible for many cases of intoxications worldwide. The beauty of these plants hides their toxicity and the unawareness potentiates these situations. Therefore, this bibliographic revision is about examples of some plants associated with poisoning but used for their medicinal properties, focusing on species with anticholinergic poisons (Atropa belladonna L., Datura stramonium L., Hyoscyamus niger L.), with calcium oxalate crystals (Philodendron spp.), with cardiac glycosides (Digitalis purpurea L.), with convulsant poisons and with nicotine-like alkaloids (Conium maculatum L., Nicotiana glauca Graham), with mitotic inhibitors (Catharanthus roseus L., Colchicum autumnale L.), with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Senecio vulgaris L.), with sodium channel activators (Aconitum napellus L., Rhododendron spp.), with cyanogenic compounds (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.), and with toxalbumins (Abrus precatorius L., Ricinus communis L.). The knowledge about toxic plants is still insufficient and makes it so important to characterize some species that cause intoxication and lethality in humans.
Industrial Crops and Products, 2015