Chemical composition and analgesic activity of the leaves and branches of Marlierea tomentosa Camb.

• Main Authors: Karina Louise S. Messias, Fátima de Campos-Buzzi, Luiz G. O. Fischer, Ângela Malheiros, Franco Delle Monache, Valdir Cechinel Filho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 2008-01-01
• Series: Química Nova
• Subjects: Marlierea tomentosa; analgesic activity; triterpenes
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-40422008000700029

This paper describes the isolation of five phytoconstituents from Marlierea tomentosa. The triterpenes α-amyrin (1) and β-amyrin (2), and the flavonoids quercitrin (3) and isoquercetin (4), were isolated from the leaves. The branches afforded the triterpene arjunolic acid (5). The antinociceptive activity of crude extract, fractions and compound 5 were tested using the writhing and formalin tests in mice. The crude extract, some fractions, particularly dichloromethane and butanol (leaves), ethyl acetate (branches) and arjunolic acid (5) (81.2% inhibition) were more active against the writhing test than the two reference drugs, acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin.