PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hojas, frutos.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Drástico (hojas y frutos), vulnerario, laxante (hojas).

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Se citan glicósidos flavonólicos, quercitina, rutina.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay y NE de Argentina. 

DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

Ribosome-inactivating proteins isolated from Phytolacca dioica L. leaves are rRNA-N-glycosidases, as well as adenine polynucleotide glycosylases. Here we report that some of them cleave supercoiled pBR322 dsDNA, generating relaxed and linear molecules. PD-L1, the glycosylated major form isolated from the winter leaves of adult P. dioica plants, produces both free 3′-OH and 5′-P termini randomly distributed along the DNA molecule, as suggested by labelling experiments with [alpha-32P]dCTP and [gamma-32P]dATP. Moreover, when the reaction is carried out under low-salt conditions, cleavage is observed mainly at a specific site, located downstream of the ampicillin resistance gene (close to position 3200), ending with the deletion of a fragment of approximately 70 nucleotides. This cleavage pattern is similar to that obtained under the same conditions with mung bean nuclease, a single-strand endonuclease. Furthermore, pBR322 DNA treated with PD-L1 shows reduced transforming activity with E. coli HB101 competent cells in comparison to untreated control plasmid DNA. Copyright © by Walter de Gruyter 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Summary
Umbra tree (Phytolacca dioica – Phytolaccaceae) is a distinctive tree from Argentina. Although sometimes believed to be found extensively throughout the Argentinean plains, this is not always the case. Emetic and purgative properties have been described for this plant, although lately pharmacological investigations have been focused towards the presence of ribosome inhibiting proteins, of importance in immunological and tumoral processes.

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín. Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica. Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur,1980, p.98.

2) ALONSO PAZ, Eduardo ; BASSAGODA, María Julia ; FERREIRA, Fernando. 2da. ed. Yuyos : uso racional de las plantas medicinales. Montevideo : Fin de siglo, 2007, p. 103.

3) ACETO, S., et al. Nicking activity on pBR322 DNA of ribosome inactivating proteins from Phytolacca dioica L. leaves. Biological Chemistry. 2005, vol.386, nº4, p.307-317 .

4) ALONSO, Jorge ; DESMARCHELIER, Cristian. Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina : bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud.  Buenos Aires: L.O.L.A, 2005, p. 363.

5) Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina. Bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud / Jorge Alonso y Cristian Jorge Desmarchelier. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Corpus Libros Médicos y Científicos, 2015.