Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juliana Loureiro Almeida Campos, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque
Summary: Medicinal plants are widely used by local communities, but intensive collection poses conservation challenges. Research suggests that conservation priorities for medicinal plants should consider pharmaceutical industry demand, and endemism is not the only determining factor for identifying priority species.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mohammad Bagherniya, Hamed Khedmatgozar, Omid Fakheran, Suowen Xu, Thomas P. Johnston, Amirhossein Sahebkar
Summary: The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that is activated by a wide range of danger signals resulting from metabolic dysregulation. Nutraceuticals and medicinal plants have antiinflammatory properties and can be used as complementary therapy in chronic diseases related to inflammation by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Herb-based medicine has shown protective effects against NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Bailen, Cristina Illescas, Monica Quijada, Rafael Alberto Martinez-Diaz, Eneko Ochoa, Maria Teresa Gomez-Munoz, Juliana Navarro-Rocha, Azucena Gonzalez-Coloma
Summary: The antiparasitic activity of 23 essential oils from plants was evaluated against Leishmania and Phytomonas, finding that oils from Satureja montana, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha suaveolens, and Lavandula luisieri exhibited the best activity. Steam distillation increased the content of certain compounds in the oils. Thymol and carvacrol were identified as the major active components.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dongpeng Wang, Xian-He Wang, Xiongjie Yu, Fengjun Cao, Xiaojun Cai, Ping Chen, Minglun Li, Yibin Feng, Hongliang Li, Xuanbin Wang
Summary: Anthraquinones are bioactive natural products with various pharmacological effects. They are mainly absorbed in the intestines and distributed in blood flow-rich tissues and organs. Transformation into another anthraquinone may increase the blood concentration of the latter, leading to an enhanced pharmacological and/or toxicological effect.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Omid Yazarlu, Mehrdad Iranshahi, Hamid Reza Khayat Kashani, Sara Reshadat, Solomon Habtemariam, Milad Iranshahy, Maede Hasanpour
Summary: Herbal medicines play a significant role in wound healing by stimulating various mechanisms such as reepithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen fiber deposition. Some herbal medicines also exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting specific protein expression. Compared to conventional medicines, herbal medicine and natural products offer advantages in wound healing due to their diverse mechanisms of action, antibacterial activity, and long-term safety in usage.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fei Tang, Hong-Ling Yan, Li-Xia Wang, Jin-Feng Xu, Cheng Peng, Hui Ao, Yu-Zhu Tan
Summary: This study highlights the importance of traditional Chinese medicine and natural products in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, providing comprehensive references on hypertension and CCVDs, and emphasizing the different mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine and natural products.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Loubna Kharchoufa, Mohamed Bouhrim, Noureddine Bencheikh, Mohamed Addi, Christophe Hano, Hamza Mechchate, Mostafa Elachouri
Summary: This study revealed the local knowledge of 55 plant species in northeastern Morocco, with the most represented families being Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, and Fabaceae. The majority of the cited species were herbs (67%), with seeds being the most common toxic parts, followed by leaves and roots.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marziyeh Esmaeilzadeh Kashi, Vahid Soheili, Javad Asili, Javid Davoodi, Saman Soleimanpour, Gholamreza Karimi, Seyedeh Faezeh Taghizadeh, Ramin Rezaee, Abolfazl Shakeri
Summary: The methanol-dichloromethane extracts of nine medicinal plants were screened for their antibacterial, anti-tuberculosis, and cytotoxic activities. Among them, Hypericum scabrum extract showed significant activity against several bacteria and moderate cytotoxicity against certain cancer cell lines. It also exhibited moderate inhibition against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The extract of Hypericum scabrum holds promise for the development of novel agents against bacteria and tuberculosis.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessika Priscila Costa da Silva, Paulo Henrique Goncalves, Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque, Rafael Ricardo Vasconcelos da Silva, Patricia Muniz de Medeiros
Summary: The study reveals that the medicinal use of certain plant species can protect them from harmful wood uses. Perceived availability and efficiency are important variables in determining wood uses. Therefore, maintaining the medicinal importance of plants can be a strategy to protect them from misuse.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ezequiel da Costa Ferreira, Reinado Farias Paiva de Lucena, Rainer W. Bussmann, Narel Y. Paniagua-Zambrana, Denise Dias da Cruz
Summary: This study evaluated medicinal plants sold in public markets in different municipalities in Paraiba state, northeast Brazil, and found that the supply of these plants does not seem to be related to the time of year or the region. There were differences in the inventory of plants commercialized in markets in recent years, and an intermediate zone of knowledge and use of commercialized species was identified between the studied localities.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alciellen Mendes da Silva, Ana Luisa Horsth, Elida da Silva Timoteo, Ronaldo Jose Faria, Patricia Silva Bazoni, Eduardo Frizzera Meira, Jessica Barreto Ribeiro dos Santos, Michael Ruberson Ribeiro da Silva
Summary: This study investigated the use of medicinal plants and associated factors in a city in southeastern Brazil. The results showed that 40.2% of the surveyed population had used medicinal plants, with a variety of plants being commonly used. However, there were no reports of using medicinal plants to treat COVID-19. Anxiety was the most frequent indication for using medicinal plants, and the use of medicinal plants to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those in COVID-19 was identified. Factors associated with the use of medicinal plants included gender, race, education level, income, and comorbidities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emmanuel Ayodeji Ayeni, Yuzhou Gong, Hao Yuan, Yikao Hu, Xiaolin Bai, Xun Liao
Summary: This review provides an overview of major neurodegenerative diseases and the use of medicinal plants in managing these diseases in West Africa. It highlights the potential neuroprotective effects of various plant families and their chemical compounds, suggesting them as natural sources for anti-neurodegenerative drug discovery.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Salar Hafez Ghoran, Mohamed El-Shazly, Nazim Sekeroglu, Anake Kijjoa
Summary: Following the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, global scientific communities have been focusing on finding antiviral therapeutic agents to combat the spread of the virus. Research on natural products, particularly those derived from medicinal plants, has gained attention for their potential effectiveness in treating viral infections. This review summarizes studies on plants and their constituents used for treating infections related to the coronavirus family, aiming to provide critical analysis and insights for discovering novel therapeutic leads to fight against COVID-19.
Article
Microbiology
Jucelia Iantas, Daiani Cristina Savi, Renata da Silva Schibelbein, Sandriele Aparecida Noriler, Beatriz Marques Assad, Guilherme Dilarri, Henrique Ferreira, Juergen Rohr, Jon S. Thorson, Khaled A. Shaaban, Chirlei Glienke
Summary: This study explored the antimicrobial potential of endophytic fungi from medicinal plants in two regions of Brazil, identifying strains with activity against phytopathogens. Notably, new species of fungi showing promising bioactive natural product production were discovered, highlighting the biotechnological potential of medicinal plants in Brazil.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ziwei Hu, Jinhong Lin, Jintao Chen, Tengxi Cai, Lixin Xia, Ying Liu, Xun Song, Zhendan He
Summary: Viral pneumonia poses a serious threat to global health, with millions of cases requiring hospitalization annually. Current treatments focus on antiviral medications and herbal remedies.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vilma Menezes de Jesus Prado, Raphael Amancio de Jesus, Julio Manoel Andrade Oliveira, Arie Fitzgerald Blank, Daniel Pereira Bezerra, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares, Valdenizia Rodrigues Silva, Luciano de Souza Santos, Carmen Lucia Cardoso, Adriana Ferreira Lopes Vilela, Paulo Cesar de Lima Nogueira, Valeria Regina de Souza Moraes
Summary: This study investigated the effects of seasonal variability and extraction method on the biological activities of polar extracts from Croton grewioides. The results showed that seasonal changes only affected the chemical composition of certain extracts. Different extraction methods also led to variations in the chemical profiles of the extracts. The study also identified active components with cytotoxicity against cancer cells and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Albert C. dos Santos, Mateus L. Nogueira, Felipe P. de Oliveira, Emmanoel Costa, Daniel P. Bezerra
Summary: This study reviewed the chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of essential oils (EOs) from Duguetia species. Twelve species were found, and the main chemical constituents reported included bicyclogermacrene and humulene epoxide II. The EOs of Duguetia species exhibited anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-trypanosoma, cytotoxic, and antitumor properties.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandre F. C. Galvao, Morgana de S. Araujo, Valdenizia R. Silva, Luciano de S. Santos, Rosane B. Dias, Clarissa A. Gurgel Rocha, Milena B. P. Soares, Felipe M. A. da Silva, Hector H. F. Koolen, Gokhan Zengin, Emmanoel V. Costa, Daniel P. Bezerra
Summary: In this study, the cytotoxic and antitumor effects of the essential oil obtained from Guatteria olivacea leaves against liver cancer were evaluated. The essential oil exhibited potential in inhibiting liver cancer growth by inducing apoptosis and DNA fragmentation, without affecting reactive oxygen species levels.
Article
Plant Sciences
Silvia de Maria Souza, Luciano Santos de Souza, Valdenizia Rodrigues Silva, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares, Daniel Pereira Bezerra, Roberto Wagner da Silva Gois, Horlando Carlota da Silva, Gilvandete Maria Pinheiro Santiago, Gardenia Carmen Gadelha Militao
Summary: In this study, the antiproliferative effects of two natural compounds, pacharin and bauhiniastatin-1, isolated from Bauhinia acuruana on breast cancer cells were investigated. The results showed that both compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against various tumor cell lines, including human breast adenocarcinoma, while having no toxicity on normal cells. The mechanism of action was found to be related to the inhibition of myeloid cell leukemia-1 protein, leading to apoptosis of breast adenocarcinoma cells.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gleyton Sousa, Maria C. F. de Almeida, Lucas L. Locio, Vanda L. dos Santos, Daniel P. Bezerra, Valdenizia R. Silva, Sinara M. de Almeida, Alice Simon, Thiago da S. Honorio, Lucio M. Cabral, Rosane N. Castro, Ricardo O. de Moura, Arthur E. Kummerle
Summary: In this study, twenty new acridine-thiosemicarbazone derivatives were synthesized and showed strong antiproliferative activities, with DL-08 exhibiting the highest potency. Certain active derivatives were studied for their interactions with DNA and inhibition of topoisomerase II alpha by in silico and in vitro methods. Non-clinical toxicity tests on mice at a dose of 2000 mg/kg showed no serious signs of toxicity for selected compounds.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raphael Luis Rocha Nogueira, Tais Bacelar Sacramento de Araujo, Ludmila Faro Valverde, Viviane Aline Oliveira Silva, Bruno Raphael Ribeiro Cavalcante, Erik Aranha Rossi, Kyan James Allahdadi, Mitermayer Galvao dos Reis, Thiago Almeida Pereira, Ricardo D. Coletta, Daniel Pereira Bezerra, Bruno Solano de Freitas Souza, Rosane Borges Dias, Clarissa A. Gurgel Rocha
Summary: The present study evaluated the therapeutic potential of Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) in treating Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). The results showed that ATO has antitumoral effects and inhibits the Hedgehog (HH) pathway. Furthermore, ATO also induced changes in cell morphology and cell cycle in oral cancer cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diego de Carvalho Carneiro, Lila Teixeira de Araujo, Girlaine Cafe Santos, Patricia Kauanna Fonseca Damasceno, Jaqueline Leite Vieira, Ricardo Ribeiro dos Santos, Josiane Dantas Viana Barbosa, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
Summary: Osteoarthritis is a joint disease characterized by cartilage deterioration. Intra-articular injections of mesenchymal stem cells have shown promising results in animal models and humans. However, further clinical trials are needed to support the efficacy and safety of this approach in the regeneration of articular cartilage.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Livia Queiroz de Sousa, Rayran Walter Ramos de Sousa, Domingos de Jesus Rodrigues, Evaldo dos Santos Moncao Filho, Mariana Helena Chaves, Gerardo Magela Vieira Junior, Marcia dos Santos Rizzo, Livia Alves Filgueiras, Anderson Nogueira Mendes, Daisy Jereissati Barbosa Lima, Claudia Pessoa, Joao Marcelo de Castro e Sousa, Ana Carolina Borges da Cruz Rodrigues, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares, Daniel Pereira Bezerra
Summary: This study evaluates the acute and subacute toxic effects of marinobufagin and its anticancer action. It found that marinobufagin has mild and reversible alterations in key metabolic organs without direct gastrointestinal effects, but can cause acute ataxia, convulsions and death at higher exposure.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rafaela G. A. Costa, Suellen L. R. Silva, Ingrid R. S. B. Dias, Maiara de S. Oliveira, Ana Carolina B. da C. Rodrigues, Rosane B. Dias, Daniel P. Bezerra
Summary: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease group with various mutations triggering malignant proliferation. AML relapse is mainly caused by leukemic stem cells (LSCs) with self-renewal capacity and resistance to traditional therapies. LSCs have low oxidative stress levels due to low mitochondrial activity and high ROS-removing pathway activity. Targeting oxidative stress could be a potential strategy to eliminate AML LSCs.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Damiao P. de Sousa, Renan Oliveira S. Damasceno, Riccardo Amorati, Hatem A. Elshabrawy, Ricardo D. de Castro, Daniel P. Bezerra, Vitoria Regina V. Nunes, Rebeca C. Gomes, Tamires C. Lima
Summary: In this review, the authors provide an overview of the mechanisms of pharmacological action of essential oils and their components in various biological systems. They discuss the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial activities, as well as the mechanisms of action against various types of viruses. The data indicate that the chemical diversity in the composition of essential oils allows them to interfere with biological processes at different levels, making them a promising source for the development of new drugs.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Rayran Walter Ramos de Sousa, Dalton Dittz, Joao Marcelo de Castro e Sousa, Francisco Leonardo Torres-Leal, Daniel Pereira Bezerra
Summary: We critically analyzed clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine with or without macrolides during the first wave of COVID-19 and discussed their limitations. The studies showed that these drugs did not show clinical advantages and were not effective in reducing mortality or improving symptoms in COVID-19 patients. The evidence was based mainly on retrospective trials with low quality, making it unreliable for decision-making.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andre de Lima Barros, Emilly J. S. P. de Lima, Jessica Faria, Leonard R. D. Acho, Emerson S. Lima, Daniel P. Bezerra, Elzalina R. Soares, Bruna R. de Lima, Emmanoel Costa, Maria Lucia B. Pinheiro, Giovana A. Bataglion, Felipe M. A. da Silva, Nallaret M. Davila Cardozo, Jose F. C. Goncalves, Hector H. F. Koolen
Summary: This study aims to explore the chemical constituents and biological activities of essential oils from Amazonian plants. By conducting various experiments, certain compounds were identified to have potential cytotoxic and anti-lipase activities.
CHEMISTRY-SWITZERLAND
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emmanoel Costa, Cesar A. S. de Souza, Alexandre F. C. Galvao, Valdenizia R. Silva, Luciano de S. Santos, Rosane B. Dias, Clarissa A. Gurgel Rocha, Milena B. P. Soares, Felipe M. A. da Silva, Hector H. F. Koolen, Daniel P. Bezerra
Summary: In this study, the inhibitory effects of D. pycnastera leaf essential oil on the growth of liver cancer cells were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the oil exhibited cytotoxicity and also inhibited tumor mass growth in vivo.
