Capacidad antioxidante de plantas de América del Sur. Sus aplicaciones en fisiología digestiva.

REPETTO, MARISA

Brasil

Conferencia; XV Reunión Anual de la Federación de las Sociedades de Biología Experimental. XXV Congreso Brasilero de Biofísica. XXXV Congreso Brasilero de Fisiología. XXIV Congreso Brasilero de Neurociencias y Comportamiento; 2000

Federación de las Sociedades de Biología Experimental.

There are some evidence about the participation of the reactive oxygen species in the etiology and physiopathology of human diseases, as neurodegenerative disorders, immflamation, virus infection, autoimmune pathologies and digestive system disorders as gastrointestinal immflamation and gastric ulcer. Actually, it is very interesting to study the role of these reactive oxygen species in several diseases and to evaluate the potential antioxidant protective effect of natural compounds on affected tissues. For considering a natural compound or a drug as an antioxidant substance is necessary to investigate their antioxidant properties in vitro>, and then to evaluate their antioxidant functions in biological systems. In Argentina the Artemisia douglasiana Besser plant is used in popular medicine as a cytoprotector agent in gastric ulcers, external treatment of skin injury and dermal ulcers. It is known as ?matico?. The active principle of this plant is the dehydroleucodine (DhL), a sesquiterpene lactone of the guaianolide type. DhL increments the gastric glycoprotein synthesis (1), confirmed by histological studies in gastric and duodenal mucous (2) and prevents the ethanol-induced lesions in the gastric mucous and other necrotizing agents (3). The Artemisia douglasiana Besser extract and DhL, prevent the absolute ethanol induced gastric injury (4). The mechanism of the protective action of DhL is unknown although it seems to be related to endogenous prostaglandins.