<i>Amburana cearensis</i>: Pharmacological and Neuroprotective Effects of Its Compounds
Juliana Helena Castro e Silva,
Rafael Short Ferreira,
Erica Patricia Pereira,
Suzana Braga-de-Souza,
Monique Marylin Alves de Almeida,
Cleonice Creusa dos Santos,
Arthur Morgan Butt,
Elisabetta Caiazzo,
Raffaele Capasso,
Victor Diogenes Amaral da Silva,
Silvia Lima Costa
Affiliations
Juliana Helena Castro e Silva
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Rafael Short Ferreira
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Erica Patricia Pereira
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Suzana Braga-de-Souza
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Monique Marylin Alves de Almeida
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Cleonice Creusa dos Santos
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Arthur Morgan Butt
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, St Michael’s Building, White Swan Road, Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
Elisabetta Caiazzo
Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
Raffaele Capasso
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Victor Diogenes Amaral da Silva
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Silvia Lima Costa
Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n Vale do Canela, 40100-902 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Amburana cearensis A.C. Smith is an endemic tree from Northeastern Brazil used in folk medicine as teas, decocts and syrups for the treatment of various respiratory and inflammatory diseases, since therapeutic properties have been attributed to compounds from its stem bark and seeds. Numerous pharmacological properties of semi-purified extracts and isolated compounds from A. cearensis have been described in several biological systems, ranging from antimicrobial to anti-inflammatory effects. Some of these activities are attributed to coumarins and phenolic compounds, the major compounds present in A. cearensis seed extracts. Multiple lines of research demonstrate these compounds reduce oxidative stress, inflammation and neuronal death induced by glutamate excitotoxicity, events central to most neuropathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This review focuses on the botanical aspects, folk medicine use, biological effects and pharmacological activities of A. cearensis compounds and their potential as novel non-toxic drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
