Estudo químico e biológico de sementes de Persea americana Mill e Theobroma grandifilorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K. Schum. POTENCIAIS BIOPRODUTOS NO CONTROLE DE ARBOVIROSES

Abstract

Arboviruses are diseases that have part of their life cycle associated with an arthropod. Among the most important, we highlight those transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that have a high incidence and persist overloading public health systems in Brazil and the world. The most important arboviruses today are Dengue, Zika Fever and Chikungunya because they do not present effective vaccines and treatment. The increasing resistance of the vector population to synthetic insecticides makes vector control necessary through the reduction of breeding sites and eradication of the mosquito. It is emphasized that the lack of sanitation and the undue disposal of garbage favor the proliferation of the transmitting vector. As an alternative to reduce the environmental impact and the search for alternative strategies to combat arboviruses, the objective of this work was to investigate potential larvicides from by-products (seeds) of the food industry of two plant species: Persea americana and Theobroma grandiflorum, as well as its toxicity against non-targets. Plant materials were collected in the municipality of São Luis-MA in a property located in the Ipem Turu neighborhood, in November 2020, 2°31'04.7"S 44°13'04.7"W (GPS). The extracts obtained with different hydromodules were studied for their composition and larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. Toxicity to non-target organisms was verified by artemia saline test. Through the phytochemical study, the following metabolites were evidenced in the extract of the species P. americana: steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, saponins, phenols and tannins. In the extract of T. grandiflorum obtained the same metabolites except saponins and alkaloids. Activity was observed against Aedes aegypti larvae in P. americana extracts with LC50 ranging from 181.72 to 401.96 mg L-1 and in extracts T. grandiflorum 35.01 to 369.19 mg L-1 with a 95% confidence interval. It was evidenced that the extract of Theobroma grandiflorum presented better performance compared to the larvae of Aedes aegypti with the hydromodule 1:6 with CL50 35.01 mg L-1. Both extracts do not present toxicity in the Artemia saline assay. The extracts showed potential for larvicidal activity and atoxicity for non-target organisms, being a promising strategy in the fight and control of arboviruses. It is worth noting that the chemical characterization of extracts in the american Persea species, presented as marjoritary compounds: perseitol, caffeinate isomer, Procyyanid isomer and hydroxyabscisic acid, already in the species Theobroma grandiflorum, the predominant compounds were quinic acid, procyyanidine B1 and theograndin II. Thus, the sustainable destination for organic waste from fruits should be further explored, contributing to the reduction of garbage accumulation and contributing to the discovery of new compounds in the fight against health problems.