Bibliometric Analysis of Medicinal Plants’ Original Articles from Latin America and the Caribbean Region

The use of medicinal plants by health professionals and the general population is widespread in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region due to its cultural tradition and extensive biodiversity. We aimed to describe the scientific production of medicinal plants in LAC, using bibliometric and co-words analysis for original articles from three databases published from 1970 to 2020. We analyzed 14,397 original articles from Web of Science, Scielo, and LILACS databases. Annual scientific production of medicinal plants in LAC increased from 2000 to 2010 but remained constant. More than half of the included articles had authors from Brazilian institutions, but articles with authors from Cuban institutions had the highest rate of articles per million country inhabitants. LAC countries mostly collaborated with the United States and western Europe. Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC., and Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. are the most frequently mentioned medicinal plants. We observed the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, and antioxidant activity of medicinal plants assessed in these studies, mostly from basic and laboratory research. Overall, the scientific production of medicinal plants in LAC increased and assessed most of its main therapeutic effects. However, more efforts are needed to increase regional collaboration and promote clinical and translational research. These results could be valuable information for decision-makers and scientists to determine future research prioritization and funding

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Livedo Reticularis in a Case with MTHFR 677TT Homozygote

Hyperhomocysteinemia associated with methylene terahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation can be a risk factor for idiopathic cerebral venous thrombosis. We describe the first case of MTHFR 677TT homozygote with cerebral venous thrombosis and livedo reticularis. A 45-year-old man presented with seizures and mottled-like skin lesions, that were aggravated by cold temperature. Hemorrhagic infarct in the right frontoparietal area with superior sagittal sinus thrombosis was observed. He had hyperhomocysteinemia, low plasma folate level, and MTHFR 677TT homozygote genotype, which might be associated with livedo reticularis and increase the risk for cerebral venous thrombosis