Avaliação da indução da neuroplasticidade e do potencial antimicrobiano dos extratos metanólicos da catingueira (Cenostigma bracteosum) e da canafístula (Senna trachypus) plantas nativas da caatinga

Abstract

Considered one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity of fauna and flora on the planet, Brazil is a country of vast territorial extension, presenting a diversity of biomes. Among the biomes in the national territory, the Caatinga stands out for being an exclusively Brazilian biome, whose vegetation is one of the most threatened on the planet, and, despite this, there are still not many botanical studies in this area, with a large part of these plants used empirically by the population for therapeutic purposes. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect and the antimicrobial effect of methanolic extracts from the leaves of catingueira (Cenostigma bracteosum) and canafístula (Senna trachypus), native plants of the Caatinga belonging to the Fabaceae family. For this, extracts of catingueira (Cenostigma bracteosum) and canafístula (Senna trachypus) leaves were obtained with methanol. The presence of secondary metabolites, hemolytic and antimicrobial activity was verified, in addition to the verification of the neuroprotective potential. The results obtained in this study enabled the perception of the presence of different classes of metabolites, including tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and coumarins. Furthermore, it was possible to verify that the extracts had a significant effect in inhibiting the growth of the microorganisms S. saprophyticus and P. aeruginosa, whose inhibition halos ranged from 10 to 20 mm. Regarding the neuroprotective potential of catingueira (Cenostigma bracteosum) and canafístula (Senna trachypus) it was possible to perceive that at low concentrations (4mg/mL) the cells were able to develop, showing possible neuroplasticity. Finally, the properties investigated in this study provide knowledge about the possible therapeutic indications of these two species of plants of the Fabaceae family, however, further investigations are still necessary in order to prove medicinal properties.