Effect of Extract of the Qualea Grandiflora in Matrix Metalloproteinases

Objectives: Qualea grandiflora Mart. (“Pau-terra” or “Pau-terra-do-campo”: popular names) is a tree, original from Brazilian cerrado, whose leaves and bark have been used in popular medicine to analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. There are not many studies about Qualea grandiflora effects, and details about the specific activities and mechanisms in different cells still are unclear. Thus the purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of extract of the leaves of Qualea grandiflora in activity and expression of the matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9).
Methods: Cells (NIH3T3: fibroblast, and MC3T3: preosteoblast) were plated 3x10⁵ cells/well in 12-well plates. After incubation for 24 hours, the culture medium was replaced with new medium with different concentrations of the hydroalcoholic extract of Qualea grandiflora (1000, 100, 10, 1 and 0.1µg/mL). Control group received regular medium. After 24 and 48 hours of the exposition (different concentrations of the extract), samples were collected and activities of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured by zymography, and expression by Western Blot.
Results: In general, groups treated with the highest concentrations of the extract (1000 and 100µg/mL), during 24 and 48 hours, showed reduction in activity of the MMP-2 and MMP-9, while the other groups (10, 1 and 0.1µg/mL) were very close to the control. To MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions, there were oscillations during 24 and 48 hours, but groups with lower concentrations of the extract showed results close or similar to the control group, in general.
Conclusions: The extract of the leaves of Qualea grandiflora can modulate activity and expression of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 of the fibroblasts and preosteoblasts. Moreover may be a promising source (or candidate) for the development of natural inhibitor of MMPs.