ABSTRACT
Amphipterygium adstringens is a plant widely used in Mexican traditional medicine for its known anti-inflammatory and antiulcer properties. In this work, we evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities of the methanolic extract of A. adstringens against oral pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Candida albicans, and Candida dubliniensis, using microdilution (MIC) and agar diffusion methods (MBC), and the antiproliferative activity evaluating total growth inhibition (TGI) by staining the protein content with sulforhodamine B (SRB), using nine human cancer cell lines. Crude extract (CE) of A. adstringens showed some degree of activity against one or more of the strains with a MIC from 0.125 mg/mL to 63 mg/mL and MBC from 1.6 to 6.3 mg/mL and cytotoxic activity, particularly against NCI-ADR/RES, an ovarian cell line expressing multiple resistance drugs phenotype. The CE is a complex mixture of possible multitarget metabolites that could be responsible for both antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities, and further investigation is required to elucidate the identity of active compounds. Nevertheless the CE itself is useful in the development of new antimicrobial treatment based on natural products to prevent oral diseases and as alternative natural source for cancer treatment and prevention.
ABSTRACT
During the past few years, interest in the potential clinical and pharmacological basis of the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines has increased greatly, due to widespread domestic self-medication with these agents. Some authors have analyzed the use of Mentha ssp. in the pharmacological industry. The essential oil from Mentha spp. is used to treat discomfort of the gastrointestinal tract, irritable bowel syndrome, myalgia and neuralgia, as well as oral mucosal inflammation, and also as an expectorant, an antimicrobial and an ingredient in many analgesic creams. The essential oil also contains chemical compounds that are associated with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions, flushing and headaches. Therefore, the purpose of the present review was to examine the literature on the efficacy and safety of the possible clinical and pharmacological uses of the essential oil from Mentha spp. in human beings.
Nas últimas décadas, houve um aumento crescente no interesse sobre as bases clínicas e farmacológicas potenciais em relação à eficácia e a segurança das drogas produzidas de plantas medicinais, devido à automedicação destes agentes. Diversos autores avaliaram o óleo essencial de Mentha spp., devido a sua larga utilização na indústria farmacológica. O óleo essencial de Mentha spp. componente de muitos analgésicos e com atividade antimicrobiana, é usado para tratamentos nos desconfortos gastrintestinais e dutos biliares superiores, Síndrome de Bowel, expectorante, mialgia e neuralgia, bem como na inflamação oral da mucosa. No entanto, esse óleo contém compostos químicos que apresentam efeitos colaterais tais como náusea, vômito, reações alérgicas e dores de cabeça. O objetivo desta revisão atual foi avaliar dados da literatura específica sobre a possível utilização, eficácia e segurança clínica e farmacológica do óleo essencial de Mentha spp. em seres humanos.
