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Abstract
Ethanol extracts from the leaves of Cayaponia podantha. Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae), Nectandra falcifolia. (Nees) Castiglioni (Lauraceae), and Paullinia elegans. Cambess. (Sapindaceae), as well as from the aerial parts of Helicteres gardneriana. St. Hil. & Naud. (Sterculiaceae) and Melochia arenosa. Benth. (Sterculiaceae), all naturally occurring species in the Brazilian part of the Upper Paraná River and all belonging to genera used in folk medicine, were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced pleurisy model in rats, and for antimicrobial activity using a broth microdilution assay against Staphylococcus aureus., Bacillus subtilis., Escherichia coli., Pseudomonas aeruginosa., Candida albicans., C. krusei., C. parapsilosis., and C. tropicalis.. In the analysis of anti-inflammatory activity, a 500 mg/kg body weight dose of the extracts of C. podantha., N. falcifolia., P. elegans., and H. gardneriana., administered orally (by gavage), reduced the volume of the inflammatory exudates in rats induced by intrapleural injection. H. gardneriana. also inhibited migration of leukocytes to the lesion site. Crude extract of M. arenosa. was ineffective on the intensity of the inflammatory response. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the best results were obtained with N. falcifolia. and M. arenosa. against the Gram-positive bacteria tested. N. falcifolia. was active against B. subtilis. with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 39 µg/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 75 µg/ml and M. arenosa. with MIC of 625 µg/ml against B. subtilis. and MIC and MBC of 625 µg/ml against S. aureus.. The results obtained demonstrate the importance of pharmacological studies with neotropical plants, and further research into the specific components responsible for the observed bioactivities is under way.