Pharmacological properties of specioside from the stem bark of Tabebuia aurea

Iridoids are secondary metabolites with several biological activities. They are often found in species of the genus Tabebuia Gomes ex A.P. de Candolle. Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. F. ex S. Moore, Bignoniaceae, is used to treat snake bites in traditional medicine. This study aimed to isolate the specioside - an the iridoid glycoside - from T. aurea, as well as investigate its potential biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antibiofilm, cytotoxic, anti-Trichomonas vaginalis and antitrypanosomal activities. Specioside inhibited leucocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity in mice injected with carrageenan, data that demonstrated its anti-inflammatory potential. However, the additional evaluated biological properties were negligible