Atividade antinociceptiva de Oocephalus nubicola e Leptohyptis macrostachys

Abstract

The Lamiaceae family has great economic importance as a source of essential oils, in addition to being well studied from a chemical standpoint. Pharmacological studies reports are also extensive in the scientific literature because the specimens of this family are found in various parts of the world. This study aims to evaluate the chemical composition and antinociceptive activity in mice of the essential oils obtained from the leaves of Oocephalus nubicola and Leptohyptis macrostachys. The plant material was collected in the semiarid region of Bahia. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation (3 h), on a Clevenger-type apparatus. The oils were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography using flame ionization detection and mass spectrometry. Two general pharmacological tests were used to assess possible effects of the extracts on the central nervous system of animals: the screening behavioral pharmacology and the rota-rod test. Antinociceptive effects were assessed using acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin test. Both oils were presented as a mixture of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, and Oocephalus nubicola showed predominance of sesquiterpene components, while in the Leptohyptis macrostachys monoterpenes were major. The pharmacological evaluations demonstrated that the samples did not affect motor coordination of animals, besides their antinociceptive properties in the three experimental doses, with evidence of central effects.