Traditional Medicine Heteropterys cotinifolia: A Neuropharmacological and Phytochemical Approach with Possible Taxonomic Implications

Heteropterys cotinifolia (Malpighiaceae) has been used in traditional Mexican medicine mainly for the
treatment of nervous disorders. However, the specific neuropharmacological activities responsible for
this use remain to be defined. The present study evaluates the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects
produced by the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia and the influence of such effects on
motor activity in ICR mice. Our results show that the methanolic extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia
produces a dose-dependent antidepressant effect in the forced swimming test in mice at doses from
31 to 310 mg/kg, with no reduction of mice locomotion. However, no anxiolytic properties were
observed. Our findings suggest that the main extract compounds identified as chlorogenic acid and
rutin may be involved in the antidepressant effects. The presence of flavonoids in the methanolic
extract of Heteropterys cotinifolia may also provide further data to characterize taxonomically this
species in order to be distinguished from others species closely related and belonging to the same
genus.
According with recent reports, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties could be involved in the
progression and chronicity of various CNS diseases and cancers. Since the fact that other species
from the genus Heteropterys possess outstanding antioxidant properties and the flavonoid content
finding in this extract, we continue our investigations on the methanolic extract of
Heteropterys cotinifolia from which, the flavonoid 5,4´-dihydroxy-3,6-dimetoxiflavone was isolated.
The extract and flavonoid showed significant antioxidant effect in DPPH and TBARS assays, while
IC50 values for extract (24.46±5.96) (25.92±0.56) and flavonoid (9.54±0.14) (35.88±2.24),
respectively, were higher than references. Flavonoid exhibited a high percentage of inhibition (>50%)
against the total cancer cell lines evaluated, contrasting with extract (<11.90%). However, no antiinflammatory
activities were observed in TPA-induced ear edema in ICR-strain mice. Taking all this
information together, Heteropterys cotinifolia possesses additional to neuropharmacological activities such as the potential for considerating as candidate-for-study in cancer research due to its
antioxidant properties, and additionally, for the flavonoid, due to its cytotoxicity against cancer cell
lines.