Alcaloides de Erythrina velutina como possíveis agentes bioativos para transtornos cognitivos

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a neurodegenerative disorder that causes irreversible memory loss, being the main cause of dementia in the elderly population. Memory is a key function for our everyday life and AD therapy can only improve quality of life but does not prevent the progression of disease and symptoms. The therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of this disease is limited to some substances with action in the inhibition of the enzyme cholinesterase, which blocks the effects of acetylcholine reduction, resulting in neuroprotection. Therefore, new natural product options become interesting. Due to the great biodiversity of medicinal plants found in Brazil, mainly in the Caatinga biome that is exclusive to the Brazilian territory. Erythrina velutina is one of these plants with bioactive potential, which has a popular therapeutic use and has in its composition isoquinolinic alkaloids that have demonstrated psychoactive activities. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo biological potential of fractions enriched in E. velutina seed alkaloids on cognitive aspects using as an experimental model the zebrafish (Danio rerio). A fraction enriched in alkaloids was obtained from the seeds of the plant, which was used in zebrafish biological tests for toxicological evaluation in embryos and adults. The fraction has a lethal concentration for embryos at 17.40ug/ml but is not toxic to adults. In adults, the fraction caused a response of decreased anxiety-type behavior. In short-term memory tests, treatment with the fraction improved the performance of the animals, but no action of the long-term memory fraction was observed. At the end of this study, we observed that the fraction enriched in alkaloids presents anxiolytic potential and improves the short-term mnemonic response, thus showing bioactive potential in the face of memory-related aspects.