Plant extracts as biopharmaceutical products and analysis of their activity against arsenicosis

Abstract

Arsenic (As) has been classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a human carcinogen, being inorganic As the natural contaminating element present mostly in water sources because of its high solubility. Almost 10% of the Argentine population is exposed to As with high association to cancer. In the present work, we aimed to determine plant extracts able to counteract As oxidative stress effect, the main cellular response triggered by exposure. We analyzed Araucaria araucana used in popular medicine for inflammatory processes. We studied aqueous and organic extracts of seeds and leaves (and stems) in order to determine antioxidant activities in an in vitro model. We also analyzed elemental composition by X-ray fluorescence by dispersive energy (EDXRF). The results suggest that seeds of A. araucana are a suitable source of antioxidants and oligoelements as magnesium, potassium and calcium, worth to be studied as a potential pharmaceutical drug. © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group.