Himatanthus Willd. ex Schult. (Apocynaceae): Review

Phytochemical Screening of Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson (Apocynaceae) Latex, In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Incision Wound Repair in Mice

Himatanthus sucuuba, also known as "Bellaco caspi", is a medicinal plant whose latex, stem bark, and leaves possess phenolic acids, lupeol, β-dihydro-plumbericinic acid, plumericin, and plumeride, among other components. Some of these have been linked to such biological activities as antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical compounds of H. sucuuba latex, as well as its in vitro cytotoxicity and wound healing effect in mice. Latex was collected in the province of Iquitos, Peru. Phytochemical analysis was carried out with UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The cytotoxicity was evaluated on two colon tumor cell lines (SW480 and SW620) and non-malignant cells (human keratinocytes, HaCaT, and Chinese hamster ovary, CHO-K1). The mice were distributed into two groups, as follows: Group I-control (n = 10; without treatment); II-(n = 10) H. sucuuba latex; wounds were induced with a scalpel in the dorsal-cervical area and treatments were applied topically twice a day on the incision for 10 days. Molecular docking was carried out on the glycogen synthase kinase 3β protein. Twenty-four chemical compounds were determined, mainly flavonoid-type compounds. Latex did not have a cytotoxic effect on tumor cells with IC₅₀ values of more than 500 µg/mL. The latex had a regenerative effect on wounds in mice. Acacetin-7-O-neohesperidoside had the best docking score of -9.9 kcal/mol. In conclusion, H. sucuuba latex had a wound healing effect in mice, as confirmed by histological study. However, a non-cytotoxic effect was observed on colon tumor cells SW480 and SW620.

Histopathological evaluation of latex of Bellaco-Caspi, Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson on wound healing effect in BALB/C mice

Background and Aim:

Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant known as “Bellaco-Caspi” widely distributed in Loreto, Peru. In the Peruvian traditional medicine, the latex of the plant is used for the treatment of wounds, inflammation, ulcers, and other ailments. This study aims to evaluate the wound healing effect of the latex of H. sucuuba in BALB/C albino mice.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty BALB/C male mice were used for wound healing study. In the experimental procedures, wound skin incision was performed at 2.0 cm in length until subcutaneous on the paravertebral of each animal. Under locally anesthetized with procaine cream, the treatment was conducted. All the mice were divided into three groups, the control group (A), zinc oxide cream (B), and H. sucuuba latex (C). The entire surface of the wound was treated for all the groups, and the treatments were performed daily for 15 days. The experiments were stopped on days 1, 7, and 15, respectively.

Results:

The histopathological study of tissues revealed significant changes in wound healing effect in H. sucuuba latex compared to the control and B groups. Consequently, the mice treated with latex showed a significant reduction in epithelialization time and collagen formation. Furthermore, the latex showed a dose-dependent significant reduction of inflammation in the first 24 h of treatment.

Conclusion:

BALB/C mice treated with the latex of H. sucuuba possess a wound healing effect that can scientifically prove the traditional use of the plant as a wound healing agent.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of a triterpene-rich fraction from Himatanthus drasticus

Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel belongs to the Apocynaceae family and the latex from its trunk bark (Hd) is known as “janaguba milk”. This latex is widely used in Northeast Brazil, mainly in the Cariri region, for its gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. The objective of this study was to investigate a triterpene-rich fraction (FJNB) from H. drasticus latex on acute models of nociception and inflammation and to clarify its mechanisms of action. Wistar rats or Swiss mice were subjected to the carrageenan-induced paw edema test or the formalin test, respectively, after the acute oral treatment with FJNB. The inflamed paws from the carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin tests were processed for histological and immunohistochemical assays, respectively. The results were analyzed by ANOVA and considered significant at P<0.05. FJNB (10 mg/kg) decreased the paw edema by 25% at the 3rd h after the carrageenan injection. Indomethacin, used as reference, inhibited the paw edema by 59% at the same time-point. In the formalin test, FJNB inhibited the 1st phase by 27, 49, and 52% and the 2nd phase by 37, 50, and 67%, at the doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, FJNB significantly inhibited the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) expression and the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa (NF-kB) were also inhibited at the same doses. In conclusion, the FJNB inhibitory actions on iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, HDAC, and NF-kB could be involved with the drug anti-inflammatory activity.

Himatanthus drasticus Leaves: Chemical Characterization and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, Antiproliferative Activities

Plant-derived products have played a fundamental role in the development of new therapeutic agents. This study aimed to analyze antimicrobial, antibiofilm, cytotoxicity and antiproliferative potentials of the extract and fractions from leaves of Himatanthusdrasticus, a plant from the Apocynaceae family. After harvesting, H. drasticus leaves were macerated and a hydroalcoholic extract (HDHE) and fractions were prepared. Antimicrobial tests, such as agar-diffusion, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were carried out against several bacterial species. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae were inhibited by at least one extract or fraction in the agar-diffusion assay (inhibition halos from 12 mm to 30 mm). However, the lowest MIC value was found for HDHE against K. pneumoniae. In addition, HDHE and its fractions were able to inhibit biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations (780 µg/mL and 1.56 µg/mL). As the best activities were found for HDHE, we selected it for further assays. HDHE was able to increase ciprofloxacin (CIP) activity against K. pneumoniae, displaying synergistic (initial concentration CIP + HDHE: 2 µg/mL + 600 µg/mL and 2.5 µg/mL + 500 µg/mL) and additive effects (CIP + HDHE: 3 µg/mL + 400 µg/mL). This action seems to be associated with the alteration in bacterial membrane permeability induced by HDHE (as seen by propidium iodide labeling). This extract was non-toxic for red blood cell or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Additionally, it inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation of PBMCs. The following compounds were detected in HDHE using HPLC-ESI-MS analysis: plumieride, plumericin or isoplumericin, rutin, quercetin and derivatives, and chlorogenic acid. Based on these results we suggest that compounds from H. drasticus have antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against K. pneumoniae and display low cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative action in PBMC stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.