Principales plantas medicinales disponibles en Guatemala con actividad contra virus respiratorios que infectan al ser humano ­ Revisión narrativa / Main medicinal plants available in Guatemala with activity against respiratory virus that infects the human being ­ Narrative review

Las infecciones respiratorias constituyen una importante causa de morbilidad y mortalidad a nivel mundial, incrementándose su relevancia ante la reciente infección por SARS-CoV-2, causante de la pandemia de COVID-19. Las opciones terapéuticas para esta infección respiratoria son escasas y sin eficacia comprobada. El objetivo de esta revisión fue buscar la información sobre plantas con actividad antiviral o viricida publicada en los últimos 10 años, en las bases de datos de Google Scholar, Scopus y PubMed. La búsqueda priorizó aquellas especies disponibles en Guatemala, la cual se complementó con la búsqueda de moléculas con actividad antiviral para finalmente postular aquellas que puedan prevenir la infección o aminorar la patogénesis del SARS-CoV-2. Se detectaron más de 170 especies con actividad antiviral y se organizó la información por país o región y tipo de actividad antiviral contra virus específicos. De las especies de mayor disponibilidad en Guatemala se seleccionaron 20. La revisión culmina con 15 artículos que proponen plantas o moléculas con potencial actividad específica en el manejo de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2. Se concluye que existen especies vegetales (Curcuma longa, Echinacea purpurea, Psidium guajava, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis y Eucalyptus globulus) y fitocompuestos vegetales (hesperidina, rutina, diosmina, apiina, aloe-emodina, piperina, capsaicina, curcumina, oleuropeina, rhamnetina y gallato de epicatequina) que podrían contribuir al manejo de la enfermedad. Se insta a académicos y autoridades a poner más atención a estas opciones terapéuticas que nos ofrece la naturaleza y que podrían contribuir a aliviar el colapso de los sistemas de salud prevalentes.

Respiratory infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, increasing their relevance by the recent SARS-CoV-2 infection causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapeutic options for this respiratory infection are scarce and without proven effectiveness. The objective of this review was the search for information on plants with antiviral or viricidal activity published in the last 10 years in the Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases. The search prioritized those species available in Guatemala, was completed with the search of molecules with potential to prevent infection or reduce the activity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. More than 170 species with antiviral activity were detected and the information organized in surveys by country or region, activity against specific viruses and antiviral information on the 20 most commonly available species in the country. It is complemented with a summary of 15 articles that proposed plants or molecules with potential specific activity in the management of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is concluded there are plant species (Curcuma longa, Echinacea purpurea, Psidium guajava, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis and Eucalyptus globulus) and phytocompounds isolated from these species (hesperidin, rutin, diosmin, apiine, aloe-emodin, piperine, capsaicin, curcumin, oleuropein and epicatechin gallate) that could contribute to the management of the disease. Academics and authorities are urged to pay more attention to these therapeutic options that nature offer to us and could contribute to alleviate the collapse of the prevailing health systems in the country.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) in mice

PURPOSE: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) in mice. METHODS: The anti-inflammatory effect of alcoholic extracts of green tea (AE) was evaluated in a cell migration assay with four groups of six Swiss mice receiving 0.07g/Kg or 0.14g/Kg EA (treatment groups), saline (negative control) or 10mg/Kg indomethacin (positive control) by gavage. One hour later 300 µg carrageen an was administered intraperitoneally or subcutaneously. The analgesic effect was evaluated using four groups of six animals receiving 0.07g/Kg or 0.14g/Kg EA, saline or 10mg/Kg indomethacin subcutaneously, followed 30 minutes later by 1% acetic acid. RESULTS: When administered subcutaneously at either dose (0.07g/Kg and 0.14g/Kg), AE inhibited carrageenan-induced cell migration (p<0.05). However, when administered by gavage, only the latter (0.14 g/Kg) was efficient (p<0.05). AE at both doses (0.07g/Kg and 0.14g/Kg) inhibited abdominal contortions (p<0.05), but the effect was not dose-dependent. CONCLUSION: Green tea was shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and may constitute a natural treatment option in chronic inflammatory disorders. .

Tratamiento de las verrugas genitales: una actualización / Genital wart treatment: an update

La infección por el Virus del Papiloma Humano es una afección altamente prevalente a nivel mundial y una de sus consecuencias es la verruga genital externa o condiloma genital. El tratamiento de estas lesiones ha sido tradicionalmente difícil, debido a la alta recurrencia de las lesiones. Se revisan los aspectos más novedosos del tratamiento de las verrugas genitales. Las sinecatequinas y una nueva formulación de Imiquimod al 3,75% resaltan como las terapéuticas más novedosas, mientras que la terapia fotodinámica carece de evidencia científica adecuada como para recomendar su uso rutinario. Las vacunas profilácticas y terapéuticas parecen poseer un gran potencial pero aún se encuentran en fases iniciales de investigación. Es deseable estudios con un mayor número de pacientes y un seguimiento más prolongado, que permita una comparación directa de la efectividad entre las diferentes técnicas terapéuticas a corto y largo plazo.

Human Papillomavirus infection is a highly prevalent condition worldwide whose frequent consequence is the external genital wart or genital condyloma. The treatment for this condition has been traditionally difficult due to the recurrence of the lesions. The most innovative aspects of the treatment of genital wart, are reviewed. The sinecatechins and a new formulation of Imiquimod 3.75% stand out as the most innovative therapeutic, while photodynamic therapy lacks adequate scientific evidence to recommend its routine use. The prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines seem to have great potential but are still in early stages of research. Studies should be conducted with larger patient samples and longer follow-ups to allow comparison of the effectiveness among the different therapeutic techniques in the short and long term.

ACTIVO-I Study Report - A Retrospective Prescription Event Monitoring for Safety and Efficacy of Waist Circumference in the Management of Overweight and Obesity.

The study was conducted on the combination of bioactive ingredients [Bioactives; Hoodia Gordonii, Hydroxycitric Acid (the active ingredient in Garcinia cambogia), Green tea extract, Ginger extract and Piperine] to estimate its safety and efficacy in decreasing the body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) after treatment. Design and methods: The study was retrospective prescription event monitoring study. Total 99 overweight and obese patients (52 males and 47 females; mean age 45.45 ± 10.20 years) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were administered one capsule of Bioactives orally one hour before lunch and dinner daily for 90 days. All subjects were given standard advice regarding healthy food choices in their diet and physical activity. However, subjects were not advised to restrict dietary calorie intake. Clinical examination, BW, BMI and WC were estimated in all subjects at baseline and at the end of 30, 60 and 90 days. Observations: Bioactives was found to be significantly effective in decreasing BW by 4.36%, 7.12 % and 10.25% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and these results were statistically significant (p = 0.002, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). BMI was also reduced with Bioactives by 5.11%, 9.83% and 11.88% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and results were statistically significant (p <0.0001, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). Bioactives was found to be significantly effective in decreasing WC by 3.28%, 5.29% and 7.31% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and these results were statistically significant (p = 0.0023, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). Bioactives can be rated as good to very good based on results observed on 66% patients. Side effect or adverse event was not reported in any case. Conclusion: Bioactives appears to be significantly effective in decreasing the BW, BMI and WC within 30, 60 and 90 days in overweight and obese patients. Bioactives has excellent tolerability as adverse event was not reported in any case.

Protection against cephalosporin-induced lipid peroxidation and nephrotoxicity by (+)-cyanidanol-3 and vitamin E

The ability of the clinically used cephalosporins: cephalothin, cefotaxime and cefotiam to induce lipid peroxidation (LPO) and renal damage was compared to that of nephrotoxic cephaloridine under in vivo conditions. Glutathione was measured in rat liver or in renal cortex as non-protein sulfhydryls. LPO was measured in plasma, renal cortex and liver by the generation of malondialdehyde or as the increase in renal cortical concentration of conjugated dienes. Impairment of renal function was measured as the decrease in renal cortical accumulation of the organic anion p-aminohippurate (PAH). Administration of cephalosporins to rats as a single dose (2000 mg/kg, ip) induced a significant glutathione-depletion in the renal cortex with cephaloridine, and in the liver with cephaloridine, cephalothin and cefotiam. Treatment of rats with cephaloridine, cephalothin and cefotiam (200, 500, or 1000 mg kg-1 day-1, ip) for 5 days resulted in a dose-dependent increase of LPO in the renal cortex. While cephaloridine induced the highest concentration of conjugated diene, cefotaxime had no effect. Measurements of PAH accumulation in renal cortical slices from cephalosporin-treated rats showed a dose-dependent decrease in the renal cortical accumulation of PAH. Pretreatment with the antioxidants vitamin E or cyanidanol (400 mg kg-1 day-1, ip) 1 h before treatment with cephaloridine, cephalothin or cefotiam (1000 mg kg-1 day-1, ip) for 3 days inhibited cephalosporin-induced LPO and significantly reduced the impairment of renal cortical accumulation of PAH. The potential of different cephalosporins for inducing LPO and reducing PAH accumulation was ranked as follows: cephaloridine > cephalothin > cefotiam > cefotaxime.