Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

Pharmacologic Study of Some Plant Species from The Brazilian Northeast
represents 16.7% of rations offered to confined animals and does not alter the taste and
texture of the meat (Madruga et al., 2008).
3. Agave Sisalana
Agavaceae family consists of about 25 genus and 650 species and is distributed
predominantly in Pantropical regions, especially in the arid ones. In Brazil, four genuses and
about 20 species are found. Sisal (Agave sisalana) is a plant which produces fiber and whose
culture is an important alternative to the dry areas of Brazilian Northeast (Souza, Lorenzi,
2005).
The plant has long and hard leaves that come from a short trunk. The trunk stays in the
soil, like a rosette. When old, it emits a big inflorescence, but it does not fructify (Rizzini,
Mors, 1976).
A. sisalana has economic importance to Brazilian Northeast due to the production of
hard fibers. However, during grinder, a vegetal residue known as ―suco de sisal‖ (sisal juice)
can be obtained. It has been used, mainly by other countries, as raw material to produce
medicaments (mainly hormones), insecticides, proteic and vitaminic complexes for food and
rations (Pimentel et al., 2008).
The main uses of sisal are the production of rope, thick string, carpet, etc. The leaves can
also be used to produce cellulosic paste for paper (Rizzini, Mors, 1976).
The filtrated juice of leaves has inhibitory activity against the growth of fungi, like
Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus (Pires, Purchio, 1991). It is also possible to find
steroidal sapogenins in this juice. Among the sapogenins, hecogenin is the most important to
the synthesis of corticoids, in which hecogenin is the raw material (Rizzini, Mors, 1976).
4. Solanum Paludosum
Solanaceae family has a cosmopolitan distribution, mainly in Neotropical region, and
comprises more than 150 genus and 3000 species. In Brazil, 32 genus and 350 species are
found (Souza e Lorenzi, 2005). Plants of Solanum genus produce a great variety of steroids,
saponins and glycoalkaloids, which make the plant resistant to many pests (Silva et al.,
2005).
Solanum paludosum Moric. is a neotropical species that is widely spread in South
America, especially in Venezuela (Bolivar State), Guiana, Suriname, French Guiana and
Brazil. In the latter, it can be found from North region to Rio de Janeiro. In Northeast of
Brazil, S. paludosum is popularly known as ―jurubeba-roxa‖, whose fruits are considered
toxics (Basílio, Agra, Bhattacharyya, 2007).
Many chemical substances were isolated from S. paludosum, like steroidal alkaloid,
solasodine and other compounds: triterpenos, glycosilated steroids and flavonoids (Basílio,
Agra, Bhattacharyya, 2007; Schenkel, Gosmann, Athayde, 2007). A chemical study of seven
species of Solanum showed that Solanum paludosum moric. produces two triterpenes, acetate
of beta-amirine and beta-amirine, an alcamide (N-para-coumaroiltiramina), protocatecuic
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