Pharmacological Actions of Citrus Species

The genus Citrus belongs to family Rutaceae, which is characterized by trees and bushes. Citrus species are extensively cultivated throughout the world because of their multiple health benefits for humans and their applications in pharmaceutical and food industries. This chapter is a survey covering in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the pharmacological activities of various Citrus species. The species Citrus aurantium, Citrus sinensis, Citrus limon, and Citrus bergamia are well known and several studies have been carried out to evaluate the pharmacological effects of their extracts, essential oils, and isolated constituents. These studies have found that they possess anxiolytic, anti‐inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anthelmintic, anticancer, and anti‐infective properties

Efeitos terapêuticos de Anacardium occidentale: uma revisão da literatura

Anacardium occidentale is characterized as a medicinal plant, member of the Anacardiaceae family. Different parts of the plant have multiple pharmaceutical properties, which are related to their derivatives and high levels of secondary metabolites. Thus, the aim of the study is to identify evidence available in the literature about the herbal properties of A. occidentale in articles published in the last ten years. This is an integrative literature review using descriptors in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) used in the PubMed and SciELO databases. In such a way, the research resulted in 603 articles and, after employing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, totaled 51 publications for the full analysis. 97 different properties of A. occidentale were found: anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; antimicrobial; antidiabetic; healing; analgesic; effects on the digestive tract; in the autonomic nervous, respiratory and blood system; hypotensive and cardio inhibitory effects; protective against male sexual dysfunction; antimutagenic, antimetastatic and clastogenic; odontological use; toxic and non-toxic effect and others. The antimicrobial effect was the main one to be reported, however, its applicability in phytotherapy is diverse, having a significant capacity to act in pharmacological treatments if there is adequate contribution to research and development of new drugs.Anacardium occidentale Linn is a medicinal plant, member of the family Anacardiaceae. Several parts of the plant have therapeutic properties, enabling its use as an herbal medicine. Thus, this review identified the available literature data on the herbal properties of A. occidentale, considering articles published in the last twelve years. This is an integrative literature review using descriptors of the Virtual Health Library (VHL), considering the PubMed and SciELO databases. The search resulted in 694 articles and, after employing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, totaled 66 publications for full analysis. We found 98 different properties of A. occidentale: anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; antimicrobial; antidiabetic; healing; analgesic; effects on the digestive tract and on the autonomic nervous, respiratory, and blood systems; hypotensive and cardioinhibitory effects; protective against male sexual dysfunction; antimutagenic, antimetastatic, and clastogenic; odontological use; toxic and nontoxic effects; and others. The main effects were antioxidant and antimicrobial. However, the phytotherapeutic use of A. occidentale is wide, requiring further contributions to herbal medicine research and development for promoting and integrating traditional medicine

Medicinal Plants and Other Living Organisms with Antitumor Potential against Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. As a result, it is often associated with a significant amount of suffering and a general decrease in the quality of life. Herbal medicines are recognized as an attractive approach to lung cancer therapy with little side effects and are a major source of new drugs. The aim of this work was to review the medicinal plants and other living organisms with antitumor potential against lung cancer. The assays were conducted with animals and humans, and Lewis lung carcinoma was the most used experimental model. China, Japan, South Korea, and Ethiopia were the countries that most published studies of species with antitumor activity. Of the 38 plants evaluated, 27 demonstrated antitumor activity. In addition, six other living organisms were cited for antitumor activity against lung cancer. Mechanisms of action, combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, and new technologies to increase activity and reduce the toxicity of the treatment are discussed. This review was based on the NAPRALERT databank, Web of Science, and Chemical Abstracts. This work shows that natural products from plants continue to be a rich source of herbal medicines or biologically active compounds against cancer

Caracterização química e ação farmacológica da própolis vermelha brasileira

Dentre os produtos naturais, a própolis brasileira destaca-se por ser considerada uma fonte para a descoberta de novos compostos bioativos. Na última década, foi descrita uma nova própolis brasileira, conhecida como própolis vermelha devido ao seu pigmento avermelhado. Desde então, inúmeras pesquisas revelando seus componentes majoritários e sua atividade farmacológica têm sido descritas. Dessa forma, esta pesquisa teve o objetivo de realizar uma revisão integrativa da literatura sobre a atividade biológica da própolis vermelha brasileira. Estudos científicos nos bancos de dados PubMed, SciELO e LILACS foram revisados e analisados utilizando-se uma abordagem indutiva e técnica de documentação indireta. Foram encontradas 418 publicações, sendo posteriormente aplicados critérios de inclusão e exclusão, selecionando ao todo 18 artigos. A própolis vermelha brasileira apresenta inúmeras propriedades farmacológicas, destacando-se os efeitos antibacteriano, antifúngico, antioxidante e anti-inflamatório. Além disso, a composição química desta substância é diferente dos demais tipos de própolis já relatados na literatura, apresentando flavonóides que ainda não tinham sido descritos. Dessa forma, suas características químicas sugerem provável uso terapêutico para o organismo humano

Toxicity of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of Cissus sicyoides

Cissus sicyoides L. (cipó-anil, vegetal insulin) belongs to the family Vitacea. It is much used by the population for the treatment of diabetes. The objective of this research was to perform a phytochemical screening of the hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of C. sicyoides to be used as primary source in the toxicological test with Artemia salina L. Were be phytochemical tests on the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of C. sicyoides for research on secondary metabolites and was evaluated the toxicological activity using A. saline cysts to quantify the mean lethal concentration (CL50). The extract presented steroids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins, compounds that had already been found in other studies of this species. It presented high toxicity to A. salina, reporting a Mean Lethal Concentration (CL50) of 930.7 g mL-1, serving as a parameter for the accomplishment of later studies in animal models with the pretension to reach more results for a safe use of C. sicyoides

Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium

The objective of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic effects of the essential oil (EO) of Citrus aurantium L. in patients experiencing crack withdrawal. This was developed with internal users in therapeutic communities in Paraíba, Brazil. The test population consisted of 51 volunteers, subdivided into three groups. To elicit anxiety, the Simulated Public Speaking (SPS) method was used. Physiological measures were assessed at specific phases during the experiment using appropriate equipment. Psychological measures of anxiety were assessed using the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE) and the Analog Smoke Scale (HAS). EO was administered by nebulization. The experiment was developed in individual sessions and consolidated to four phases. The results demonstrated that the test subjects in the groups that were given the EO maintained controlled anxiety levels during SPS, when compared to the Control Group (no treatment). Subjects who used the EO also maintained levels of “discomfort” and “cognitive impairment” during SPS. It was concluded that individuals who are experiencing internal crack cocaine withdrawal present high anxiety traits and that nebulization of the EO of Citrus aurantium L. provided an acute anxiolytic effect in crack cocaine users exposed to SPS

Efecto analgésico del extracto hidroalcoholico de las hojas de Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl

Existen varios estudios que evidencian que la Cissampelos sympodialis posee atividad anti-inflamatoria, antialérgica, antidepresiva y de baja toxicidad. Este estudio evaluó los efectos de la administración intraperitoneal, del extracto hidroalcohólico de hojas de cissampelos sympodialis (EHACS), en las dosis de 50, 100 y 200 mg/Kg, en modelos de analgesia en camumdongos. En el modelo de las contracciones inducidas por el ácido acético (0,85%) fue encontrada una reducción en el número de contracciones proporcional a las dosis usadas (p<0,05). En el test de la reacción al formaldeído las dosis utilizadas no presentaron efecto significante en la primera fase del test (0-5 minutos). Sin embargo, la dosis de 200mg/Kg presentó una significante inhibición en la segunda fase (15 – 30 minutos) del test (p<0,05). Los resultados mostraron que el EHACS presentó una actividad antinociceptiva periférica probablemente relacionada con la alegada actividad anti-inflamatoria

Avaliação da toxicidade não-clínica aguda de Waltheria viscosíssima A. S. Hil. – Malvaceae em ratos / Evaluation of non-clinical acute toxicity of Waltheria viscosíssima A. St. Hill – Malvaceae in rats

Objetivo: Avaliação toxicológica não clínica aguda do extrato etanólico bruto obtido das partes aéreas de Waltheria viscosissima A.St. Hil.(EEBWv), com base no “Guia para a condução de estudos não clínicos de toxicologia e segurança farmacológica” necessária ao desenvolvimento de medicamentos” e na OECD  423. Métodos: Ensaio toxicológico delineado seguindo a OECD 423. Ratas Wistar (n=6) foram administradas por via oral com uma dose única de 2000 mg/kg do EEBWv e observadas por 14 dias, com avaliação do consumo de água e ração, evolução ponderal, marcadores bioquímicos e hematológicos, alterações macroscópicas dos órgãos e exame anatomopatológico. Para comparação, foi utilizado um grupo controle (não-tratado) com ratas Wistar (n=6) administradas com o veículo (DMSO a 10%). Resultados: O EEBW não apresentou alterações toxicológicas relevantes, apresentando diferenças significativas entre o grupo controle e o grupo tratado com EEBWv respectivamente, apenas com os valores de proteína total (PT) (6,04±0,21 para 6,72±0,23) e Globulina (2,47±0,83 para 3.62±0,31 (p < 0,05). Não foram evidenciadas alterações macroscópicas/microscópicas nos órgãos vitais após os 14 dias da administração. Conclusão: O EEBWv se enquadra na categoria de Classe 5 (substância com DL50 superior a 2000 mg/kg e menor que 5000 mg/kg), sendo considerado seguro e de baixa toxicidade

Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Biological Activities of Bixa orellana

Bixa orellana L., popularly known as “urucum,” has been used by indigenous communities in Brazil and other tropical countries for several biological applications, which indicates its potential use as an active ingredient in pharmaceutical products. The aim of this work was to report the main evidence found in the literature, concerning the ethnopharmacology, the biological activity, and the phytochemistry studies related to Bixa orellana L. Therefore, this work comprises a systematic review about the use of Bixa orellana in the American continent and analysis of the data collected. This study shows the well-characterized pharmacological actions that may be considered relevant for the future development of an innovative therapeutic agent