Phytochemical Study of Schefflera vinosa and Evaluation of its Mutagenic, Antimutagenic and Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme Inhibition Potential

Abstract

Schefflera vinosa (Cham & Schltdl.) Frodin & Fiasch belongs to Araliaceae family, being one of the vegetal native species from "cerrado", which constitutes the flora of the ecological Station of Jataí -SP. This "cerrado" region has been selected for study in the Research Project "Phytochemical Study and Evaluation of the Mutagenic, Antimutagenic and Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme Inhibition Potential from The São Paulo State Cerrado Native Species" (CNPq Process n. 311645/2009). Additionally chemical studies on this genus reveal the presence of pentacyclic triterpenes and triterpenic saponins with ursane and oleanane skeletons, caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and benzyl glycosides. However for the S. vinosa species the chemical study as well the evaluation of its biological potential are unpublished. Thus, the aim of this Master Project is to carry out phytochemical studies of the EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions obtained from the ethanolic extract of aerial parts of S. vinosa, which showed antioxidant activity in preliminary studies realized in our group GPNUF (Research Group in Natural Products at UNIFRAN). Based in this approach, the EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions and the isolated compounds will be submitted to mutagenic, antimutagenic and acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition assays, seeking to pin-point the chemical constituents present in S. vinosa responsible for these activities.