Pharmacological screening of some Brazilian plants

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Abstract
Forty-five species of plants from several botanical families growing in North East Brazil have been examined for toxicity on mice and small fishes, cat blood pressure and respiration, isolated toad heart and rectus abdominis muscle, guinea-pig ileum, rabbit duodenum and rat uterus. A high toxicity to mice and fishes was exhibited by aqueous (A) and ethanolic (B) extracts from Luffa operculata, Peschiera affinis, Pithecelobium multiflorum (gall) and Zizyphus joazeiro and by extract B from Pithecelobium multiflorum (stembark). Cardiorespiratory activity was shown by Annona squamosa, Byrsonima sericea, Crataeva tapia, Erythrina velutina, Fagara rhoifolia, Operculina macrocarpa, Perschiera affinis, Pithecelobium multiflorum, Spondias lutea and Zizyphus joazeiro. Extracts A and B from Operculina macrocarpa and Pithecelobium multiflorum, extract A from Luffa operculata and Zizyphus joazeiro and extract B from Crataeva tapia and Peschiera affinis promoted a contraction of the toad rectus abdominis muscle. Both extracts from Annona aquamosa and Fagara rhoifolia (leaf) provoked a spasmogenic effect on guineapig ileum and a spasmolytic one on rabbit duodenum. Extracts A and B from Pithecelobium multiflorum, Vitex gardneriana and Zizyphus joazeiro exhibited a spasmogenic activity on both preparations, while extracts A and B from Peschiera affinis and extract B from Erythrina velutina also evidenced a spasmolytic activity on both preparations. Oxytocic activity was shown by both extracts from Annona squamosa, Byrsonima sericea, Pithecelobium multiflorum and Vitex gardneriana.