Ação cicatrizante de plantas medicinais: um estudo de revisão / Healing action of medicinal plants: a review

Plantas Medicinais são utilizadas desde a antiguidade para tratar uma série de doenças desempenhando um papel fundamental na saúde mundial. O uso da fitoterapia é muitas vezes o único recurso terapêutico de algumas comunidades. A Organização Mundial da Saúde reconhece a fitoterapia como uma alternativa de tratamento viável com baixo custo e recomenda o levantamento, identificação, estímulo e orientação do uso das plantas medicinais que possuem eficácia e segurança terapêutica comprovada. Nos últimos anos, os fitoterápicos ganharam espaço importante na reparação de tecidos, obtendo a partir deles formulações que agem no tratamento das feridas. O presente estudo teve por objetivo analisar pesquisas envolvendo plantas medicinais e seu poder cicatrizante. Foram utilizados dados de bases online, dos últimos dez anos, utilizando como descritores: "feridas, cicatrização, plantas medicinais". Foram analisados os nomes científico e popular das plantas, a parte da planta que foi utilizada para os experimentos, tipo de extração e utilização, classes das substâncias e efeito na cicatrização. As plantas pesquisadas foram: Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Babosa), Coronopu didymus (Mastruz), Tabebuia avellanedae (Ipê roxo), Arnica Montana L. (Arnica), Orbignya phalerata (Babaçu), Stryphnodendron adstringens Martius (Barbatimão), Caesalpinia ferrea Martius (Jucá), Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Erva de Santa Maria), Triticum vulgare (Trigo), Tabernaemontana catharinensis (Jasmim), Calendula officinalis (Calêndula) e Helianthus annus (Girassol), Catharanthus roseus L. (Vinca Rosea) e Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Aroeira). Assim, pode-se observar que todas as plantas estudadas no artigo favoreceram o processo de cicatrização por meio de diferentes atividades, e que essas atividades estão relacionadas com as diversas classes de metabólitos

Medicinal plants have been used to treat a number of diseases since ancient times, and play a key role in human health. In recent decades, modern medicine has made great advances, but plants still contribute to the development of medicines. The use of herbal medicine is often the only therapeutic resource available in some communities. The World Health Organization recognizes herbal therapy as a viable treatment alternative at a low cost and recommends the collection, identification, stimulation and guidance of the use of medicinal plants that have presented efficacy and safety therapeutics. In recent years, herb therapy has gained important space in the repair of tissues through formulations that act in the treatment of wounds. The aim of this study was to analyze studies involving medicinal plants and their healing potential. Data from online databases from the past ten years were analyzed, using the descriptors: "wounds, healing, medicinal plants". The scientific and popular names of plants, the part of the plant used, type of extraction, therapeutic use, classes of substances and effect on wound healing were analyzed. The plants studied were: Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Babosa), Coronopu didymus (lesser swine cress), Tabebuia avellanedae (pink ipe), Arnica Montana L. (wolf's bane), Orbignya phalerata (Babassu), Stryphnodendron adstringens Martius (Barbatimão), Caesalpinia ferrea Martius (Brazilian ironwood), Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (wormseed), Triticum vulgare (wheat), Tabernaemontana catharinensis (Jasmin), Calendula officinalis (Calendula) and Helianthus annus (sunflower), Catharanthus roseus L. (Madagascar periwinkle) and, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Brazilian peppertree). Thus, the results showed that all the studied plants favored the wound healing process through different mechanism. These activities may be related to the different classes of substances

Morpho-anatomical study of rhizome of Limonium brasiliense

AbstractLimonium brasiliense (Boiss.) Kuntze, Plumbaginaceae, is an herb popularly known as guaicuru, guaicurá or baicuru. The species inhabits salt marshes from the coastal region of southern Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, to Uruguay and Argentina. Although widely used in folk medicine in the state of Rio Grande do Sul to treat genitourinary infections and to regulate menstrual periods, L. brasiliense has been little studied. The present morpho-anatomical study was undertaken to resolve some doubts in the literature as to the nature of the part of the plant that is used for medicinal purposes, a true rhizome or a root. The morpho-anatomical characteristics were analyzed with the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy. The botanical material was characterized as a rhizome with internodes that are evident in the younger but not the older portions. Microscopic analysis revealed the presence of a multilayered periderm with a cortex, ray parenchyma, and pith, formed by collenchyma tissue with abundant intercellular spaces in the outer portions of the cortex, responsible for the rigidity of the body, and with walls impregnated with phenolic compounds. The vascular bundles are collateral with elliptical to elongated cells, and with few conducting and sclerenchymal elements. Groups of sclereids are dispersed through the cortex and pith. These morpho-anatomical characteristics define the structure as a rhizome.