Contribuição para o estudo microquímico e anatômico da casca e validação de um método espectrofotométrico para quantificação de alcalóides totais de Himatanthus lancifolius (Muell. Arg.) Woodson

Abstract

For the registration of phytomedicines and their availability to the users, ANVISA establishes quality, security and effectiveness parameters, stipulating control requirements similar to that ones applied to synthetic medicines. This work reports the investigation of the bark of Himatanthus lancifolius and its extracts aiming to contribute for the standardization of derivatives of this plant species, the assays were developed using commercial samples Q and S, and an authentic one provided by EMBRAPA – E. The microchemical, anatomical and chromatographic comparison of Q, S and E does not allow characterising both the commercial sample as H. lancifolius. The presence of ulein could not be characterised in any sample, even in E. The TLC and HPLC data show that the three samples have different chromatographic profile. The morphological and the microchemical characterisation of the barks of H. lancifolius shows cortex with groups of fibres of the primary phloem included, with crystals and lactifers in the region of the secondary phloem. The developed quantification method shows high selectivity at 281nm, what confers confidence for the detection of the alkaloids. The method is robust, according to the current regulation, and shows linearity, precision and accuracy, beside accessibility and is easy to execute. The total alkaloid fraction present in the aqueous extract of the collected sample (E) represents 0,219% of the dried extract. The author expects to have contributed for reducing the lack of methods for the quality control of phytomedicines from Himatanthus lancifolius.