Vasorelaxant and antioxidant activity of some medicinal plants from Campeche, Mexico

Context: Brosimum alicastrum, Cnidoscolus chayamansa, Tradescantia spathacea, Turnera diffusa, Manilkara zapota, and Jatropha gaumeri are medicinal plants recognized in Mexican Mayan Culture. Aim: Methanol leaves extracts of these plants were use as raw material to develop a phytochemical, spectroscopy, and pharmacological analysis. Subjects and Methods: Methanol maceration was carried out and were compared in terms of yield extraction, chlorophyll, simple phenolic and flavonoids content, antioxidant activity (DPPH and β-Carotene bleaching models), as well as isolated aorta rings (E+), precontracted with noradrenaline. Results: Best content of simple phenolic and flavonoids compounds was recorder in B. alicastrum, J. gaumeri and T. diffusa. J. gaumeri extract exert an antioxidant (β-carotene bleaching: EC₅₀: 0.8 ± 0.1 μg/mL, E_max: 85.7% ± 0.4%; DPPH: EC₅₀: 60.3 ± 1.8 μg/mL, E_max: 60.4% ± 1.8%; P < 0.05) and vasorelaxant (EC₅₀: 161.61 ± 7.45 μg/mL; E_max: 79.71% ± 3.88%; P < 0.05) activity in a concentration dependent-manner. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis allowed estimating a 1.26 and 2.28% of quercetin (Q) and gallic acid (GA) in J. gaumeri. GA exerts antioxidant activity in DPPH model (EC₅₀: 1.6 ± 0.2 μg/mL; E_max: 92.9% ± 3.3%) and Q/GA (1:2) mixture improves inhibition of β-carotene bleaching (EC₅₀: 0.005 ± 0.005 μg/mL; E_max: 69.2% ± 0.7%; P < 0.05). Conclusion: J. gaumeri is a medicinal plant employed in Mayan traditional medicine and GA and Q could be related to traditional uses, as well as responsible for the pharmacological effects. GA and Q interactions improve inhibition β-Carotene bleaching activity, which suggests greater solubility in lipophilic systems and potential interactions at the plasma membrane level.