Nos últimos anos as evidências de novos casos de câncer têm alarmado o mundo. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar possíveis propriedades antineoplásicas atribuídas ao óleo de Copaifera reticulata Ducke pela etnofarmacologia. Ocorreu pela análise da citotoxicidade deste em cultivos de células normais e cancerosas de pulmão, murinas E10 e E9 e humanas das linhagens NCI-H460 e NCI-H2023. Os cultivos após serem incubados a 37°C foram expostos a oito diferentes concentrações do óleo diluído em meio de cultivo permanecendo em estufa por 48 h na mesma temperatura. Decorrido esse tempo, adicionou-se o reagente MTT para leitura espectrofotométrica. Com a avaliação dos resultados dessa leitura, observou-se um grande potencial antitumoral do referido óleo, determinando-se sua IC50 para todas as células estudadas. Através da observação e captação de imagens microscópicas foi possível observar alterações morfológicas nas células nas diferentes concentrações do tratamento, havendo diferença entre a quantidade de células viáveis normais e neoplásicas. Concluiu-se que o óleo de Copaifera reticulata Ducke demonstrou efeito antineoplásico em duas linhagens de células neoplásicas do pulmão humano, bem como na linhagem murina E9, sendo que estudos efetuados para a caracterização de apoptose por fluorescência e alterações no ciclo celular nas células humanas reiteraram seu potencial como um agente contra o câncer. / In recent years evidences of new cancer cases in the world have been alarmed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antineoplastic properties attributed to the Cofaífera retículata Ducke oil by ethnopharmacology. These analysis of cytotoxicity occurred through this normal murine cells E10 and lung cancer murine cells E9 and human lung cancer cell lines NCI-H460 and NCI-H2023. The cultures after being incubated at 37°C were exposed with eight different oil concentrations diluted in warmed culture medium, remaining in incubator for 48 hours at the same temperature. After this time, added MTT reagent for spectrophotometric reading. With this reading analysis results it was observed a great potential antitumor of this oil determining their IC50 for ali cells studied. Through the microscopic images were possible to observe morphological changes in cells in different concentration of the oil exposure, differentiating normal cells from neoplastic cells. It was concluded that the Cofaífera retículata Ducke oil has the antineoplastic effect in two human lung cancer cell lines of as well as in murine cells E9, but the effect was not observed in E10 under the same conditions. Studies made in order to apoptosis characterization by fluorescence and cell cycle changes in human cells, confirming its potential as agent against cancer.

Nos últimos anos as evidências de novos casos de câncer têm alarmado o mundo. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar possíveis propriedades antineoplásicas atribuídas ao óleo de Copaifera reticulata Ducke pela etnofarmacologia. Ocorreu pela análise da citotoxicidade deste em cultivos de células normais e cancerosas de pulmão, murinas E10 e E9 e humanas das linhagens NCI-H460 e NCI-H2023. Os cultivos após serem incubados a 37°C foram expostos a oito diferentes concentrações do óleo diluído em meio de cultivo permanecendo em estufa por 48 h na mesma temperatura. Decorrido esse tempo, adicionou-se o reagente MTT para leitura espectrofotométrica. Com a avaliação dos resultados dessa leitura, observou-se um grande potencial antitumoral do referido óleo, determinando-se sua IC50 para todas as células estudadas. Através da observação e captação de imagens microscópicas foi possível observar alterações morfológicas nas células nas diferentes concentrações do tratamento, havendo diferença entre a quantidade de células viáveis normais e neoplásicas. Concluiu-se que o óleo de Copaifera reticulata Ducke demonstrou efeito antineoplásico em duas linhagens de células neoplásicas do pulmão humano, bem como na linhagem murina E9, sendo que estudos efetuados para a caracterização de apoptose por fluorescência e alterações no ciclo celular nas células humanas reiteraram seu potencial como um agente contra o câncer. / In recent years evidences of new cancer cases in the world have been alarmed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antineoplastic properties attributed to the Cofaífera retículata Ducke oil by ethnopharmacology. These analysis of cytotoxicity occurred through this normal murine cells E10 and lung cancer murine cells E9 and human lung cancer cell lines NCI-H460 and NCI-H2023. The cultures after being incubated at 37°C were exposed with eight different oil concentrations diluted in warmed culture medium, remaining in incubator for 48 hours at the same temperature. After this time, added MTT reagent for spectrophotometric reading. With this reading analysis results it was observed a great potential antitumor of this oil determining their IC50 for ali cells studied. Through the microscopic images were possible to observe morphological changes in cells in different concentration of the oil exposure, differentiating normal cells from neoplastic cells. It was concluded that the Cofaífera retículata Ducke oil has the antineoplastic effect in two human lung cancer cell lines of as well as in murine cells E9, but the effect was not observed in E10 under the same conditions. Studies made in order to apoptosis characterization by fluorescence and cell cycle changes in human cells, confirming its potential as agent against cancer.

Chemical Characterization of Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to Assess Potential Therapeutic Phytochemicals and Toxicological Concerns Using Simulated Use Conditions By Regina Ballentine Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019 Director: Sarah C. Rutan, Professor, Department of Chemistry Currently, there is an increasing demand for natural therapies and herbal products to treat various ailments. It is generally believed that natural therapies have fewer side-effects than traditional western medicine; however, they are often used in different strengths and formulations without consistency of the levels of target compounds or knowledge about toxicity. Due to this growing trend, a comprehensive chemical evaluation of plants used for medicinal purposes is necessary. Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium is a plant that has been used historically by Native Americans as an herbal medicine. It is a flowering plant belonging to the Asteraceae family indigenous to the Eastern United States. There are documented accounts of the Native Americans using the herb therapeutically. Reportedly, they used the plant to prepare tea and as filler for bedding. Additionally, they smoked the plant material. To date, there has been little research published on the chemical composition of this plant. Thus, the objective of this work was to conduct a chemical survey of P. obtusifolium using methodologies that would simulate the three historical routes of administration (tea, bedding material, and smoke inhalation). To determine the types of compounds that may be found in the plant, initial experiments using pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) with an ethanolic solvent were performed followed by analysis using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in scan mode. This extraction technique enabled a broad range of compounds to be identified. For the analysis of the tea, the leaves and the flowers were ground and analyzed separately. The “tea” simulation was then performed using a water extraction which was then back extracted into dichloromethane for GC-MS analysis in Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM) mode. Seventeen target compounds (terpenes, terpinoids, flavanoids, etc.) were quantified using this method. A bedding material simulation was performed using headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) to collect the volatile and/or semi-volatile components of the headspace. The compounds collected on the SPME fiber were then analyzed by GC-MS in scan and SIM modes to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the types of chemical compounds (most of which were terpenes) that may be off-gassed from bedding material. This analysis compared levels of compounds in two different crop years and four terpene compounds were quantified. To simulate smoking of the plant material, the leaves and flowers were fashioned into smoking articles. Sample collection was performed by a smoking machine and smoke condensate was collected. The smoke condensate was then analyzed by GC-MS in scan mode. As combustion and pyrolysis of plant material are known to produce toxic products, specific potentially harmful compounds were investigated and quantified. This chemical analysis of P. obtusifolium identified target compounds that can be found in the three simulated usage forms. Identification of these compounds gives insight on why the Native Americans may have used P. obtusifolium as an herbal medicine. Among the detected compounds, there were many unknowns. Elucidating these unknown compounds will be important in the effort to understand the full chemical profile of this plant.