9Th Brazilian Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry

Popularly known as açoita-cavalo (horse whip), Luehea divaricata is a plant that is found throughout the southern region of Brazil. Its leaves are marketed in natural products stores due to their use in folk medicine to treat different ailments. Several studies report the presence of different bioactive compounds in extracts obtained from different parts of the plant. Since teas prepared from Luehea divaricata leaves are widely consumed, this study investigated the antioxidant potential and possible DNA-damage effect of the aqueous extract obtained from leaves of this plant. The extract showed excellent oxygen free radicals scavenging activity and a high content of total phenols. Moreover, the extract did not cause DNA damage. Since antioxidants appear to be beneficial in the treatment of different disorders, Luehea divaricata seems to be a promising candidate for research into new strategies of treatment with antioxidant-rich components.