Estudo químico das raízes de Simaba trichilioides A. St.-Hil. (Simaroubaceae) e avaliação da atividade antidiabética

Abstract

The Simaba trichilioides A. St.-Hil. specie, belong Simaba genus (Simaroubaceae), typical of the Brazilian Cerrado and distributed widely in the Midwest, is popularly known as calunga and used for treatment of the liver and diabetes in the form of tea from its roots. Species of this genus are found in several biomes throughout the American continent, mainly South and Central America. The chemical-pharmacological study of the Simaba genus, exhibit mainly quassinoids and alkaloids of canthinone type, for which several activities are attributed, among them antineoplasic, antimalarial, antiviral, antiparasitic and antidiabetic, besides presenting other secondary metabolites. The objective of this study was to contribute to the chemicalpharmacological knowledge of the Simaba genus, through the chemical study and antidiabetic evaluation of the roots of S. trichilioides, as well as to confirm its popular use against diabetes. The material plant (roots) was collected at Aricá ranch, from Santo Antônio do Leverger – MT. A voucher specimen (n. 43026) has been deposited at UFMT’s Central Herbarium. The dried powder roots (3.8 kg) were extracted at room temperature with hexane (3 x 5 L; 3 days) followed by ethanol-water (7:3; 7 x 5 L; 7 days). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the hexanic crude (HCE) and hydroethanolic crude (HECE) extracts were dried in an oven (38 ºC) until constant weight, affording HCE (40.41 g; 1.06%) and HECE (371.83 g; 9.78%). Part of the HECE (278.65 g) was subjected to a solid-liquid partition, obtaining hexane fraction (HF; 0.41 g; 0.15%), dichloromethane fraction (DF; 4.23 g; 1.52%), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF; 30.89 g; 11.08%) and methanol fraction (MF; 173.37 g; 62.22%). DF and EAF were subjected to successive chromatography column, resulting in the isolation of 7 substances, which were identified by spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. From DF were isolated the alkaloids: 4-methoxycanthin-6-one, 5-methoxycanthin-6-one and 11-hydroxycanthin-6-one; and the quassinoid simalikalactone D; from EAF were isolated the quassinoids: brucein D, brucein E and orinocinolide. The crude extracts, fractions and isolated compounds simalikalactone D and bruceine D, were evaluated for anti-glycation activity at 10, 20 and 30 days of incubation with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and aminoguanidine (AG) as control positive anti-glycation. HCE was not effective in anti-glycation activity. HECE, EAF and MF were effective in all concentrations evaluated. HECE was as effective than AG at 500 μg/mL, at 10-day incubation. EAF was as effective than AG at 500 g/mL in all periods evaluated. MF was as effective than AG at 500 g/mL, at 10 and 20 days of incubation and more effective than AG at 30-day of incubation. The substances isolates showed weak activity. The formation of advanced glycation end products - AGEs are implicated in several pathogens, including the complications of diabetes. The results obtained from the anti-glycation activity of extracts and fractions of S. trichilioides indicate that the use of this plant may be a good alternative for the prevention or treatment of complications from diabetes.