Review of the plants with anti-inflammatory activity studied in Brazil

REVISÃO

Review of the plants with anti-inflammatory activity studied in Brazil

Heloina de S. Falcão; Igara O. Lima; Vanda L. dos Santos; Harlan de F. Dantas; Margareth de F.F.M. Diniz; José M. Barbosa-Filho; Leônia M. Batista^*

Laboratório de Tecnologia Farmacêutica "Delby Fernandes de Medeiros", Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5009, 58051-970, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The inflammatory reaction is a response of the organism against an injury and it involves the action of complex events and mediators through of the blood vessels. The present work is a literature survey of the extracts of plants with anti-inflammatory activity studied in Brazil. The review refers to 75 plants with their families, parts used, type of extract used, bioassay models and their activity.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity, medicinal plants, natural products, review.

INTRODUCTION

Inflammation or flogose is a reaction of the tissue blood vessels against aggressor agent characterized by access of liquids and of cells to interstice (Lope et al., 1987). The inflammatory reaction is characterized by blush, heat, tumor, pain and lost function (Dassoler et al., 2004).

There are many causes for the inflammations, but the mechanisms are common to all. The inflammatory agent acts in the cell membranes inducing the activation of phospholipase A₂ and consequently, liberates arachidonic acid and metabolites. According to Dassoler et al. (2004) the inflammatory mediators such as cytokine, histamine, serotonin, leukotrienes and prostaglandin increase the vascular permeability to all on the migration leukocytes cells to act on the site of inflamed tissue. Any interruption of this sequence of events results in the reduction of the liberation of the mediators causing the microcirculation to come back to normal hemodynamic state (Lope et al., 1987).

Although, there is a defense mechanism, the complex events and mediators involved in the inflammatory reaction can induce, maintain or aggravate many diseases (Sosa et al., 2002). The non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the categories of drugs most frequently used by population. However, these drugs cause adverse gastric reactions, inhibit renal function, reduce the efficacy of the diuretics and retard the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (Gaddi et al., 2004).

The use of anti-inflammatory agents is helpful in the therapeutic treatment of the pathologies. The medicinal plants are widely used in folk medicine of many countries to treat different inflammatory conditions and, in particular, skin inflammations. However, for many of the plants in use, the real efficacy and the relevant active principles are unknown. Consequently, experimental studies aimed at demonstrating the pharmacological properties of these plants and identifying the relevant active principles are needed (Sosa et al., 2002).

In the course of our continuing search for bioactive natural products from plants, we recently published some reviews on crude plant extracts and plant-derived compounds with potential antitumor activity against mammary (Moura et al., 2001), uterine cervical (Moura et al., 2002) and ovarian neoplasia (Silva et al., 2003), antileishmanial activity (Rocha et al., 2005), HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (Gonçalves et al., 2000), central analgesic activity (Almeida et al., 2001), prevention of the osteoporosis (Pereira et al., 2002) and for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (Morais, 2003). In the present work we have reviewed the literature related with plants of the Brazil with anti-inflammatory activity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The anti-inflammatory activity of the plants was searched through the data bank of the University of Illinois in Chicago, the NAPRALERT (Acronym for Natural Products ALERT). The data were updated in December 2004, using anti-inflammatory plants as legend. The plant extracts studied in Brazil were selected for this work and the references found in the search were later consulted for details on the models or mechanisms.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

It was possible in this review to list seventy five species of medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory activity. Those species are distributed in thirty six families of which the following stood out: Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae with 10, 10, 5 and 4 species, respectively, studied so far.

The effectiveness of the plant extracts was dependent on the type of extract used, the model of ulcer induction and the organism tested. Thus, it was possible to classify the extracts as strongly active, active, weakly active, inactive and equivocal.

Anti-inflammatory activity of crude plant extracts

Plants of the genus Bouchea are popularly known as "gervão". The leaves of Bouchea fluminensis contain iridoid and steroid glycosides that are present in the form of crude triterpene mixture having anti-inflammatory property. The purified fraction was found to contain ursolic, oleanolic and micromeric acids (Costa et al., 2003).

According to Costa et al. (2003) the anti-inflammatory activity of oleanolic and ursolic acid inhibiting the edema induced by carrageenin or serotonin have been attributed to various mechanisms which include: inhibition of lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase, inhibition of elastase and inhibition of complementary system (possibly through the inhibition on C3-convertase of the classical complementary pathway).

Gochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabr. is distributed in Southern Brazil and it is known in popular medicine as "cambara". The leaves of this plant have been found to contain sesquiterpenes and lactone derivatives. From G. polymorpha leaves were obtained various fractions, and the EtOAc fraction showed significant antiedematogenic activity with a dose level of 150 mg/kg on carrageenin model in rats when this activity was compared to a control group, the amino acid 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-proline, that showed significant inhibition of edema with a dose level 200 mg/kg (Moreira et al., 2000).

Hyptis pectinata (L.) Poit (Lamiaceae) is popularly known in Brazil as ''sambacaita'' or "canudinho''. The essential oil of the leaves of this species contains 95.8% of monoterpenes and the aqueous extract of H. pectinata leaves was tested in rat for the observation of antiedematogenic effects using the carrageenin and arachidonic acid induced paw edema model. The extract administered orally at the dose of 600 mg/kg exhibited a significant antiedematogenic activity (34.1% inhibition). The doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg did not show any significant differences on the first model. In another set of experiment, the intraperitoneal administration of the extract at the dose level of 300 mg/kg inhibited the rat-paw edema by 33.8%. The results show that the aqueous extract of H. pectinata acts on both the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways (Bispo et al., 2001).

Pterodon pubescens is popularly called "sucupira" in Brazil. Sabino et al. (1999) studied the hydroalcoholic extract of P. pubescens seeds in an arthritis model for preventive and therapeutic antiarthritic treatment. The preventive treatment significantly reduced the arthritic index and the arthritis incidence induced by collagen. Therefore, that study results, provide a preliminary scientific foundation for the use of P. pubescens infusions in popular medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Table 1

Franzotti et al. (2000) studied Sida cordifolia L. (Malvaceae) which is popularly known in Brazil as "malva-branca" or "malva-branca-sedosa". The aqueous extract (AE) of S. cordifolia leaves was studied to assess the anti-inflammatory properties using the carrageenin and arachidonic acid induced rat paw edema model. The administration of a dose level of 400 mg/kg of the extract of S. cordifolia showed 28.31% reduction in edema, whereas the dose level of 200 mg/kg was ineffective in reducing edema, and the dose of 800 mg/kg inhibited by 7.55% in the model of carrageenin-induced edema. This model involves three distinct phases: (1) the release of histamine and serotonin, (2) the release of kinins and (3) the release of prostaglandins. The arachidonic acid model is highly sensitive to inhibitors of the lipoxygenase pathway and is resistant to selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Thus, the dose 200 mg/kgwas ineffective as antiedematogenic. According to the results obtained from the inflammation models used in the present study, S. cordifolia seems not to interfere with the lipooxygenase pathway but rather with the cyclooxygenase pathway (prostaglandin biosynthesis) (Franzotti et al., 2000).

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that studies with new active principles are important for understanding the complex mechanism of inflammation. Academic institutions should invest in this type of study with medicinal plants and thus, contribute to the benefit of the populations needing this type of health care.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank the University of Illinois in Chicago, U.S.A., for the use of the NAPRALERT database for this study. Thanks are also due to Dr. Jnanabrata Bhattacharyya for the help in the preparation of this manuscript.

Received 08/31/05

Accepted 11/30/05

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 May 2008
• Date of issue
  Dec 2005

History

• Accepted
  30 Nov 2005
• Received
  31 Aug 2005