Pharmacological and phytochemical studies of callus culture extracts from Alternanthera brasiliana

This work describes the establishment of callus cultures of Alternanthera b rasiliana, a Brazilian medicinal plant used to treat several ailments. In a ddition the two extracts, exhibiting best yields, were chemically analysed and evaluated as antinociceptive agents in two classical models of pain in mice: the writhing test and the formalin test. The results show that the hi ghest biomass accumulation was observed in callus grown in media with highe r concentrations of growth regulator of 2,4-D. Both extracts studied exhibi ted antinociceptive effects in mice, being more effective than the plant ex tracts. The pharmacological action seems to be related to the presence of s teroids and/or terpenes.