Saline extract of Pilosocereus gounellei stem has antinociceptive effect in mice without showing acute toxicity and altering motor coordination
Introduction
The Cactaceae family is composed of species known as cacti, which are used for human consumption, animal fodder, and for medicinal and ornamental purposes (Novoa et al., 2015). The pharmacological potential of this family has been evaluated, but the studies have been performed mainly with species from the Opuntia and Pereskia genera, which showed cytotoxic, antimicrobial, hypotensive, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory properties (Abdul-Wahab et al., 2012; Kazama et al., 2012; Pinto and Scio, 2014; Siddiqui et al., 2016). Opuntia ficus-indica has been reported as a source of compounds with several beneficial effects on human health (El-Mostafa et al., 2014). The compounds vitexin and sitosterol, isolated from Pereskia bleo, showed antinociceptive effects (Guilhon et al., 2015), and polysaccharides from Opuntia dillenii were demonstrated to be useful for the treatment of ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases induced by oxidative stress (Huang et al., 2008).
Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber ex K. Schum.) Byles & G.D. Rowley is a cactus exclusively found in Brazilian Caatinga, where it is popularly known as “xique-xique.” It develops very well in the drier areas of the Brazilian semi-arid region, growing in shallow soils as well as sandy and rocky outcrops (Gomes, 1977; Monteiro et al., 2015). In traditional medicine, several parts of P. gounellei (stem, root, and flowers) have been used to treat prostate and urethra inflammation, jaundice, hyperglycemia, and wounds (Agra et al., 2008; Roque et al., 2010). Recent studies have demonstrated the antioxidant potential of Pilosocereus cacti compounds, such as flavonoids (Gonçalves et al., 2015; Maciel et al., 2016).
Opioids and non-opioids are the major classes of analgesic drugs used for the relief of pain. However, these agents are associated with various adverse effects, including those involving the central nervous system, such as psychomotor impairment (Vella-Brincat and Macleod, 2007). This necessitates the search for alternative approaches. Several plant-based compounds have been reported to have significant analgesic properties with few adverse effects, and these are being considered as substitute therapeutics to modulate nociception (Franzotti et al., 2000; Pinheiro et al., 2010).
Despite the use of P. gounellei in folk medicine, studies on the toxicity of this plant as well as pharmacological trials are scarce in the literature. Accordingly, this work aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity in mice of a saline extract from P. gounellei stem and to evaluate its effect on motor function and antinociceptive activity.
Section snippets
Extract preparation
P. gounellei stem was collected from Limoeiro City, Pernambuco, northeast of Brazil, with authorization (36301) of the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade from the Brazilian Ministry of Environment. The material was immediately transferred into plastic boxes to the laboratory (in a period of about 2 h), all the thorns were removed, and the stem was cut into pieces and dried for 3 days at 56 °C. The material was pulverized using a blender and stored at −20 °C and submitted to
Results and discussion
The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of several types of diseases is an ancient practice, and the World Health Organization has recognized its relevance to healthcare once quality, safety, and efficacy are demonstrated (World Health Organization, 2013). However, this caution is frequently neglected, and people often wrongly consider a medicinal plant safe simply because it was obtained from a natural source (Adewale et al., 2016). Indeed, several plants may be harmful to humans
Conclusion
The saline extract of P. gounellei stem has antinociceptive activity in mice without toxic effects, as demonstrated by hematological, biochemical, and histological analyses, and with no effects on motor coordination. The extract was active against noninflammatory and inflammatory pain. The results also suggest that antinociceptive activity is associated with interference of the opioid receptor pathway. This work contributes to the knowledge of the bioactive composition of Cactaceae plants.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for financial support (446902/2014-4) and investigator research grants (PMGP, THN). We are also grateful to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and the Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE; APQ-0108-2.08/14; APQ-0493-4.03/14; APQ-0661-2.08/15) for financial support. AMO would like to thank FACEPE (
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