Banca de DEFESA: TIAGO FEITOSA RIBEIRO

CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECT OF Momordica charantia L. LEAVES ON THE

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM OF RODENTS.

Momordica charantia, Bitter melon, asthma, fever, cough.

The species Momordica charantia, popularly known as melon-de-São-Caetano or bitter melon, is a climbing plant from the Cucurbitaceae family. Originally from tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, this species is widely used in traditional medicine due to its therapeutic properties. This work aims to evaluate the effect of the ethanolic extract of Momordica charantia leaves (EEMc) on the respiratory system of rodents. EEMc was characterized using thin layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array (HPLC-DAD). Then, acute and subchronic toxicity tests were conducted to evaluate the safety of the extract. To investigate the effects on the respiratory system, tests were performed on cough induced by citric acid in mice, expectorant
activity using phenol red marker in bronchoalveolar lavage, antipyretic activity induced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, antiasthmatic activity induced by ovalbumin and bronchodilator effect on isolated rings of trachea. The EEMc presented anthraquinones and saponins as the most abundant classes of metabolites in the extract, in addition to alkaloids, phenolic compounds, coumarins, anthracene derivatives, lignans, hydrolysable tannins, mono, sesqui and diterpenes in the CCD analysis. The flavonoids isoquercetin and astragalin were identified by LC-MS and HPLC-DAD. Administration of a single dose of 2000mg/kg of EEMc resulted in hepatomegaly in mice of both sexes, as well as a significant increase in body mass in females. However, no cases of mortality were observed in any of the tested groups, indicating that the LD50 of EEMc is greater than 2000mg/kg. When evaluating the subchronic toxicity of EEMc at doses of 30, 100 and 300mg/kg, no significant changes were
observed in body and organometric parameters, as well as in the biochemical, hematological and behavioral profiles of the animals. EEMc showed expectorant activity at a dose of 300mg/kg, facilitating the elimination of respiratory secretions. At doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, it presented anti-asthmatic properties, evidenced by the reduction of eosinophilia, and antitussive effects, attenuating the induced cough. The extract was effective in reducing body temperature at all doses tested (30, 100 and 300mg/kg). Furthermore, EEMc showed a significant relaxing effect on tracheal rings, possibly mediated by the modulation of K+ channels and nitric oxide, suggesting a bronchodilator potential. These results indicate that EEMc has a promising multifunctional profile for the treatment of respiratory disorders.