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Natural Products from the Amazon Region as Potential Antimicrobials
Published in Mahendra Rai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Eco-Friendly Biobased Products Used in Microbial Diseases, 2022
Josiane E. A. Silva, Iasmin L. D. Paranatinga, Elaine C. P. Oliveira, Silvia K. S. Escher, Ananda S. Antonio, Leandro S. Nascimento, Patricia P. Orlandi, Valdir F. Veiga-Júnior
Lapachol, β-lapachone and α-lapachol are naphthoquinones commonly found in Tabebuia species (Bignoniaceae family), such as “Ipê roxo”, a tree endemic to the Amazon rainforest, and. Ipê roxo was traditional known as the “miracle cure” tree for cancer and tumors. In the late 1960s, the miracle cure started to be attributed to lapachol, β-lapachone and α-lapachol. These compounds are known for their biological properties as antitumor, antivirals, antitrypanosomals and antimicrobials.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Wild Medicinal Plants of Piauí State-Brazil
Published in Mahendra Rai, Shandesh Bhattarai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Ethnopharmacology of Wild Plants, 2021
Valdiléia Teixeira Uchôa, Mahendra Rai, Gilmânia Francisca Sousa Carvalho, Herbert Gonzaga Sousa, Patrícia e Silva Alves, Renata da Silva Carneiro, Ariane Maria da Silva Santos Nascimento, Felipe Pereira da Silva Santos, Gabriel e Silva Sales
The Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. Ex DC) Mattos, belongs to the Bignoniaceae family, and is popularly known as ipê-roxo, pau-d’arco-roxo and ipê-roxo-da-mata. The ipe comprises a group of plants belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, with the most representative genera being Handroanthus and Tabebuia (Fernandes et al. 2018). The genus Handroanthus belongs to the Bignoniaceae family, which was segregated from the genus Tabebuia Gomes ex DC as a result of molecular phylogenetic studies (Felix et al. 2018). In Brazil, approximately 14 species of Pau D’arco are commonly found in native vegetation areas of the northeast, mainly in the Caatinga biome, where saline, sodic and water-deficient soils occur naturally in arid and semi-arid regions and the Amazon region (Lima et al. 2014, Santos et al. 2018).
Catalog of Herbs
Published in James A. Duke, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
According to Hartwell,4 the tea of the bark is used in folk remedies for adenocarcinoma (pancreas), cancer of the esophagus, head, intestines, lung, prostate, and tongue, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, and lupus.4 Reported to be alexiteric, analgesic, anodyne, antidotal, diuretic, and fungicidal, Tabebuia species show up in folk remedies for boils, chlorosis, diarrhea, dysentery, enuresis, fever, pharyngitis, snakebite, syphilis, and wounds.32 The pao d’arco and ipe roxo popularity stems to such species as T. avellanadae, T. heptophylla, T. impetiginosa, and T. ipe. Many Latin American species are used in folk medicines. According to Morton,42 the leaf decoction of T. heterophylla is used in the Bahamas for backache, dysuria, gonorrhea, and toothache; the bark decoction for enuresis and incontinence; leaves are boiled with other species, Bourreria, Bursera, Cassytha, Guettarda, and/or Smilax, as an aphrodisiac. Costa Ricans take the bark decoction of T. rosea for colds, fever, and headache; the flowers, leaves, and shoots for snakebite. Guatemalans give the bark decoction to dogs to protect them from rabies; Mexicans take the root decoction for anemia, the leaf-and-bark decoction for fever.42T. serratofolia has been used traditionally for cancer in Colombia, the activity probably due to quinone. The following “quote” got me in trouble: “American herbal medicine experts Dr. James Duke, of the National Institute of Health, and Dr. Norman Farns worth, of the University of Illinois, confirm Martin’s claims ‘Taheebo undoubtedly contains a substance found to be highly effective against cancers.’ Farnsworth told GLOBE.” I quote from the Globe newspaper as it was printed (September 15, 1981, Globe)307 Shortly thereafter, Tabebuia was being promoted under the bold headlines, “1,000-year-old Inca cancer cure works”. In the PR material the three words “Farnsworth told GLOBE” has been deleted. I imagine that Dr. Farnsworth was as badly represented by the quote as I was, but note how the omission of three little words made it look as though Duke and Farnsworth were being quoted, not Martin. Perhaps similar quotes may be taken from this book, but neither I, the editors, CRC Press, NCI, or the USD A are endorsing any herbal remedy for cancer. I am merely compiling information on biological activity of some plants and plant-derived compounds. Even though some folk cancer plants do contain biologically active compounds with antitumor compounds, we do not endorse herbal medication. La-pachol was listed recently by Perdue308 among the most important antitumor agents from plants. There are many folk uses reported in the popular press. Californians tell me in 1983 that they are drinking pao d’arco for fungal infections and applying the decoction (one spoon soaked in a quart of water overnight) locally to Candida. They report favorable results. Personally, I would not hesitate to apply such a decoction or drink so dilute a tea. But, if there are data to show long-term effects, positive or negative, I do not know them. Xyloidone, as noted, is active against Candida.
Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated anti-inflammatory activities: a review
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2018
Victor Pena Ribeiro, Caroline Arruda, Mohamed Abd El-Salam, Jairo Kenupp Bastos
Jatropha elliptica (Pohl) Oken (Euphorbiaceae) (Ferreira-Rodrigues et al. 2016), Justicia pectoralis Jacq. (Acanthaceae) (Leal et al. 2000), Kalanchoe brasiliensis Cambess (Crassulaceae) (Costa et al. 2006), Magnolia ovata (A. St.-Hil) Spreng. (Magnoliaceae) (Kassuya et al. 2009); Mikania glomerata Spreng. (Asteraceae) (Fierro et al. 1999); Myracroduon urundeuva Allemao (Anacardiaceae) (Souza et al. 2007), Peschiera australis (Mull. Arg.) Miers (Apocynaceae) – Tabernaemontana catharinensis D.C. (Apocynaceae) (Rates et al. 1993), Piper marginatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) (D’Angelo et al. 1997), Plinia edulis (Vell.) Sobral (Myrtaceae) (Azevedo et al. 2016), Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich) Vahl. (Verbenaceae) (Penido, Costa, Futuro, et al. 2006), Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. Ex. D.C.) Standl. (Bignoniaceae) (Koyama et al. 2000), Vanillosmopsis arborea (Gardner) Kaber. (Asteraceae) (Santos et al. 2015), Virola michelii Heckel (Myristicaceae) Carvalho, Sertie, et al. (1999), Ximenia americana L. (Ximeniaceae) (Shettar et al. 2015), Zeyheria montana Mart. (Bignoniaceae) (Guenka et al. 2008), Byrsonima intermedia A. Juss (Malpighiaceae) (Orlandia et al. 2011), and other plants native to Brazil with anti-inflammatory activities need further studies to fully elucidate their mechanisms of action.