In the present work, the anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic potential of biseugenol, isolated as the main component from n-hexane extract from leaves of Nectandra leucantha and chemically prepared using oxidative coupling from eugenol, was evaluated in an experimental model of mixed-granulocytic asthma. Initially, in silico studies of biseugenol showed good predictions for drug-likeness, with adherence to Lipinski's rules of five (RO5), good Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) properties and no alerts for Pan-Assay Interference Compounds (PAINS), indicating adequate adherence to perform in vivo assays. Biseugenol (20 mg·kg-1) was thus administered intraperitoneally (four days of treatment) and resulted in a significant reduction in both eosinophils and neutrophils of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in ovalbumin-sensitized mice with no statistical difference from dexamethasone (5 mg·kg-1). As for lung function parameters, biseugenol (20 mg·kg-1) significantly reduced airway and tissue damping in comparison to ovalbumin group, with similar efficacy to positive control dexamethasone. Airway hyperresponsiveness to intravenous methacholine was reduced with biseugenol but was inferior to dexamethasone in higher doses. In conclusion, biseugenol displayed antiasthmatic effects, as observed through the reduction of inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, with similar effects to dexamethasone, on mixed-granulocytic ovalbumin-sensitized mice.
Keywords: airway inflammation; airway responsiveness; biseugenol; mixed-granulocytic asthma.