Heteropterys glabra, an argentine plant species with potential effects on targets related to neurodegenerative diseases.

MARINA RADEMACHER,; CAROLINA MARCUCCI,; VALENTINA PASTORE; FABIOLA KAMECKI; LEONARDO MARTÍN ANCONATANI; IGNACIO AGUDELO; RAFAEL RICCO; NATALIA COLETTIS; MARIEL MARDER

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Congreso; SAN2022 Meeting; 2022

Heteropterys glabra ("tilo del campo") is a shrub native to Argentina that grows mainly in the “Chaco Húmedo” region. Its fruits are collected from the wild or cultivated and traditionally consumed as an infusion, showing sedative and/or anxiolytic properties. Herbal medicine is widely used, and it is a source of novel compounds with diverse central nervous system activities. We evaluated potential anti neurodegenerative effects of this plant. A screening of plant extracts revealed that the hydroalcoholic (70%) extract (HAE) of Heteropterys glabra inhibited hMAO-B (IC50 (95%CI): 1,48 (0.47 to 4.62) mg/mL) and hMAO-A (1 mg/mL: (72,5 ± 0,5) % inhibition) enzymes. Additionally, it was unable to inhibit hBChE or muAChE. The phytochemical composition of the aqueous (AE) and HAE extracts of this plant was determined: total phenolic content (AE: 129,6 and HAE: 136,2 mg gallic acid eq./g dried extract), flavonoid content (AE: 72,3 and HAE: 59,0 mg rutin eq./g dried extract) and hydroxycinnamic acid content (AE: 112,2 and HAE: 75,9 mg chlorogenic acid eq./g dried extract). Finally, its antioxidant properties were evaluated (DPPH and ABTS radicals’ assays). The results indicate that the HAE has a better capacity to scavenge radicals than the AE, that could be associated with its higher total phenolic content. Our study is a contribution for the discovery of unknown native herbal products with CNS effects to develop novel therapeutical agents to treat neurodegenerative diseases.