CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF THE CYTOTOXICITY, MUTAGENICITY AND TOXICITY OF THE HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF THE BARK OF PSEUDOBOMBAX PARVIFOLIUM (MALVACEAE) IN ASSOCIATION WITH ITS PROTECTIVE EFFECTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS
Caatinga Biome; Embiratanha; Oxidative stress; Traditional medicine
Plants have long been used by traditional medicine to treat illnesses. Nevertheless, its chemical diversity requires studies to establish the extract dosage and its safe use. Pseudobombax parvifolium, an endemic species of the Brazilian Caatinga biome, is commonly used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory properties related to cellular oxidative stress. In this study, we chemically characterized the P. parvifolium hydroalcoholic bark extract (EBHE) and evaluated its cytotoxic, mutagenic, and preclinical aspects, as well as its antioxidant effect. Our phytochemical analysis revealed a significative total polyphenol content and identifed loliolide for the first time in this species. Cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and acute oral and repeated dose toxicities indicated no toxic effects after cell culture, Drosophila melanogaster, and Wistar rat exposure to different EBHE concentrations. Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation and a mild hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect with repeated oral dosing of EBHE. Although there were no significant changes in glutathione content, we did observe a significant increase in superoxide dismutase at a dose of 400 mg/kg and in glutathione peroxidase at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg. These findings suggest that EBHE has potential as a source of bioactive molecules and can be used safely in traditional medicine and in the development of herbal medicines for application in the public health system.