Immunological Evaluation of Native Plants from Central-Western Argentina

MATTAR MA; DI GENARO MS; DAVICINO R; CASALI, Y; PETENATTI E; PETENATTI M; MICALIZZI B; DEL VITTO LA

Mendoza

Congreso; XX Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.; 2002

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Many native plants used in popular medicine in Cuyo region, Argentina, are not at all known regarding phytochemical, pharmacological and therapeutic properties, as well as toxicity, side effects, etc. Because the scarce immunologic information about 5 them, the phagocytic murine macrophages activity was analyzed in aqueous extracts (24 hs, 4 °C) from aerial dried and powdered parts of Baccharis trimera and Cyclolepsis genistoides (Asteraceae), Schinus areira (Anacardiaceae), Larrea divaricata (Zygophyllaceae) and Lippia turbinata (Verbenaceae), as well as infusion and decoction obtained in agreement with Argentina Pharmacpoeia; these solutions were sterilized by filtration and dried by lyophilization. Extracts of Schinus areira and Larrea divaricata show a significant increase in their phagocytic activity as compared with the control. On other hand, aqueous extract, infusion and decoction of Schinus areira have microbicidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus, but not the simuled digested extract. These results confirm the activity of the extracts on components of the immune system and on microbes