Estudio in vitro de la actividad toxicológica, antioxidante y antibacteriana de extractos alcohólicos de tallos y hojas de Cynanchum microphyllum Kunth y Cestrum peruvianum Willd. ex Roem. & Schult. en relación a la mastitis en ganado vacuno

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is a disease mainly caused by bacteria, which inflames the udders of cows and negatively affects the health of individuals and proper milk production. In Paquiestancia, a community located in the Ayora parish, in the Cayambe canton, the main source of income is cattle raising; however, there is a notable prevalence of mastitis. Faced with this, the inhabitants have applied their traditional knowledge of the species Cynanchum microphyllum (lechango) and Cestrum peruvianum (sauco) as part of the treatment for this disease. Therefore, the general objective of this research was to evaluate the toxicological, antioxidant and antibacterial effect of alcoholic extracts of stems and leaves of the two species mentioned, to demonstrate their effectiveness against mastitis in cattle. The plants were also morphologically analyzed and molecularly processed to identify their homology with other species using the BLAST tool; and, in addition, phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed to relate their compounds with their therapeutic properties against mastitis. Phytochemical screening identified that the extract of sauco stems contains alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenes and steroids; the extract of sauco leaves additionally presents saponins and catechins; and the extract of lechango has alkaloids, phenols and tannins, triterpenes and steroids, and catechins. With respect to toxicological activity, it was found that the leaf extract is slightly toxic (794.33 ppm), the stem extract is practically non-toxic (1,202.26 ppm), and the lechango extract is between practically non-toxic to slightly toxic (1,000 ppm). In the antioxidant activity, lechango extract showed a higher antioxidant potential (IC50 1.799 mg/mL) than the other two extracts. Finally, all the extracts showed an active antibacterial action (2+), at concentrations of 30 and 15% against Streptococcus agalactiae, one of the main bacteria causing bovine mastitis. With these results, it was demonstrated that both species are effective against mastitis and present a great potential for use in veterinary drugs for the treatment of bovine mastitis.