O presente trabalho descreve o estudo fitoquímico de Dracontium loretense Krause, que ocorre na Amazônia, e, a planta é popularmente usada no tratamento de picada de cobra e de algumas moléstias. O material para a análise fitoquímica foi coletado na selva baixa situada nos arredores de Pucallpa, no Departamento de Ucayali, no Perú. Os rizomas secos e moídos forneceu, após extração com hexano, etanol e etanol aquoso, os respectivos extratos. Estes, submetidos a partição com solventes orgânicos e fracionamentos cromatográficos dos resíduos das fases resultantes, permitiram o isolamento de constituintes apoiares ou semi-polares como sitosterol, estigmasterol, ácido p-hidróxi-benzóico, sitosterol acil-glicosilado, 7-oxo-sitosterol acil-glicosilado e uma mistura de compostos acil-glicosilados. As frações polares foram acetiladas antes do fracionamento, possibilitando o isolamento de uma mistura de carboidratos com predominância de etil-glicosídeo acetilado. A elucidação estrutural das substâncias isoladas foi baseada em métodos espectrométricos: EM, RMN de 1H e de 13C. Os compostos acilados foram hidrolizados e os ácidos graxos resultantes metilados antes de serem submetidos a análise no sistema CG-EM. Os testes biológicos foram realizados com as frações apoiares e polares dos extratos para avaliar a atividade anti-edematogênica. Estes ensaios empregam o veneno de Bothrops atrox (jararaca). Os testes mostraram que ambas as frações inibiam o edema, entretanto com a diferença que a resposta é mais acentuada nas frações polares. / This work describes phytochemical analysis of an araceous species Dracontium loretense, which occurs in Amazon Region and is popularly used the against snakebite and treatment of some diseases. The plant material was collected in the lowland situated around Pucallpa, Ucayali State, Peru. The dried and milled rhizomes were sucessively extracted at room temperature with hexane, alcohol and diluted alcohol, yielding respective extracts after solvent distillation. The solvent partitions and chromatographic separations of extracts afforded sitosterol, stigmasterol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, sitosterol- and 7-oxo-sitosterol acyl-glucosylated and a mixture of acyl-glucosylated compounds. The polar fractions were acetylated before the purification and the isolation through cromatographic techniques yielded a mixture -of peracetylated carbohydrates and the 2,3,4,6-tetra-acetyl-1-ethyl glucoside. Structure determination of isolated compounds was based on usual spectrometric techniques as Mass Spectrometry and 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The natural acylated compounds were submitted to hydrolysis and t-he resulting fat acids were methylated, before submissuion foranalysis on Gas Chromatograph-Mass spectrometer system. Evaluation of anti-edematogenic activity using Bothrops atrox venom was carried out with polar and apolar fractions. It was observed that polar fractions showed higher edema inhibition property.

O presente trabalho descreve o estudo fitoquímico de Dracontium loretense Krause, que ocorre na Amazônia, e, a planta é popularmente usada no tratamento de picada de cobra e de algumas moléstias. O material para a análise fitoquímica foi coletado na selva baixa situada nos arredores de Pucallpa, no Departamento de Ucayali, no Perú. Os rizomas secos e moídos forneceu, após extração com hexano, etanol e etanol aquoso, os respectivos extratos. Estes, submetidos a partição com solventes orgânicos e fracionamentos cromatográficos dos resíduos das fases resultantes, permitiram o isolamento de constituintes apoiares ou semi-polares como sitosterol, estigmasterol, ácido p-hidróxi-benzóico, sitosterol acil-glicosilado, 7-oxo-sitosterol acil-glicosilado e uma mistura de compostos acil-glicosilados. As frações polares foram acetiladas antes do fracionamento, possibilitando o isolamento de uma mistura de carboidratos com predominância de etil-glicosídeo acetilado. A elucidação estrutural das substâncias isoladas foi baseada em métodos espectrométricos: EM, RMN de 1H e de 13C. Os compostos acilados foram hidrolizados e os ácidos graxos resultantes metilados antes de serem submetidos a análise no sistema CG-EM. Os testes biológicos foram realizados com as frações apoiares e polares dos extratos para avaliar a atividade anti-edematogênica. Estes ensaios empregam o veneno de Bothrops atrox (jararaca). Os testes mostraram que ambas as frações inibiam o edema, entretanto com a diferença que a resposta é mais acentuada nas frações polares. / This work describes phytochemical analysis of an araceous species Dracontium loretense, which occurs in Amazon Region and is popularly used the against snakebite and treatment of some diseases. The plant material was collected in the lowland situated around Pucallpa, Ucayali State, Peru. The dried and milled rhizomes were sucessively extracted at room temperature with hexane, alcohol and diluted alcohol, yielding respective extracts after solvent distillation. The solvent partitions and chromatographic separations of extracts afforded sitosterol, stigmasterol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, sitosterol- and 7-oxo-sitosterol acyl-glucosylated and a mixture of acyl-glucosylated compounds. The polar fractions were acetylated before the purification and the isolation through cromatographic techniques yielded a mixture -of peracetylated carbohydrates and the 2,3,4,6-tetra-acetyl-1-ethyl glucoside. Structure determination of isolated compounds was based on usual spectrometric techniques as Mass Spectrometry and 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The natural acylated compounds were submitted to hydrolysis and t-he resulting fat acids were methylated, before submissuion foranalysis on Gas Chromatograph-Mass spectrometer system. Evaluation of anti-edematogenic activity using Bothrops atrox venom was carried out with polar and apolar fractions. It was observed that polar fractions showed higher edema inhibition property.

Objective: To evaluate the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in vitro to the ethanolic extracts obtained from five different Peruvian medicinal plants. Methods: The plants were chopped and soaked in absolute ethanol (1:2, w/v). The antibacterial activity of compounds against P. aeruginosa was evaluated using the cupplate agar diffusion method. Results: The extracts from Maytenus macrocarpa (“Chuchuhuasi”), Dracontium loretense Krause (“Jergon Sacha”), Tabebuia impetiginosa (“Tahuari”), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn (eucalyptus), Uncaria tomentosa (“Uña de gato”) exhibited favorable antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. The inhibitory effect of the extracts on the strains of P. aeruginosa tested demonstrated that Tabebuia impetiginosa and Maytenus macrocarpa possess higher antibacterial activity. Conclusions: The results of the present study scientifically validate the inhibitory capacity of the five medicinal plants attributed by their common use in folk medicine and contribute towards the development of new treatment options based on natural products. / This work has been partially supported by Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas and Nutrition Research Institute, Lima, Peru. / Peer review