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Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Anredera cordifolia is a plant recognized as a non-conventional food plant. In folk medicine, it shows promise, being used in the treatment of skin diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. Objectives: to map the properties of the Anredera cordifolia plant in the therapeutic process of non-communicable chronic diseases. Materials and methods: The study was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. The search was conducted in the Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases in 2022 and updated in 2023. Selection criteria were primary studies, in any language, country of origin, and publication year, conducted with humans, animals, and/or cellular models, in a laboratory context, focusing on the properties of the plant. Selection was performed independently by two reviewers using the Rayyan software. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: In the 27 included articles, the results demonstrated that the plant has positive properties in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and cataracts, as well as being beneficial in controlling cholesterol, triglyceride, and uric acid levels. The main therapeutic properties identified were hypoglycemic effect and reduction in serum levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol. The plant also showed beneficial effects on the healing of diabetic wounds, reduction in heart rate, and obesity. Conclusions: Chronic diseases with evidence on the use of the plant include hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, and cataracts. Additionally, the plant has beneficial properties regarding clinical markers such as triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic non-communicable diseases are related to lifestyle and are an important component of the epidemiological transition, correlated with the demographic transition seen in the population profile. With a view to achieving comprehensive health care, the Ministry of Health recommends the use of Integrative and Complementary Practices in Health (PICS) in the services of the Care Networks. The objective was to report the experiences of a PICS training program, with workshops on medicinal plants and condiments, aimed for health professionals in the city of Coxim, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil and academics from a Higher Education Institution. The Training Program was planned through alignment meetings between the proposers of the action, and the content was based on the National Policies on Integrative and Complementary Practices, Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapeutics, Food and Nutrition. Next, there was publicity and the opening of registrations for the target audience. There was the direct participation of 21 participants. Among these, the majority reported having no prior contact with this topic during their academic training. The workshops had a theoretical-practical component, with applicability in health units being presented and demonstrated. These actions are extremely important to promote health and healthy habits and enhance popular knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivos de Ciências da Saúde da UNIPAR is the property of Associacao Paranaense de Ensino e Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Health & Society is the property of Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Periodicojs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cogitare Enfermagem is the property of Cogitare Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cogitare Enfermagem is the property of Cogitare Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista da Associação Brasileira de Nutrição is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Nutricao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río is the property of Editorial Ciencias Medicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rev Rene is the property of Rev Rene and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Alternative therapies using medicinal plants and herbal medicines have been growing worldwide, as natural treatments have low cost and less toxic effect compared to conventional drugs available. Aim: To evaluate in vitro cytotoxicity and ex-vivo genotoxicity of Brazilian species of the Malvaceae family: Waltheria viscosissima A. St. Hil. In vitro methods were used to verify the cytotoxic potential through hemolytic and antihemolytic assays and the ex-vivo genotoxic analysis. Results: The Crude Etanolic Extract (CEE) and Cloroformic Fraction (CF) was obtained in vegetal sample used on this study; the CEE-Wv and CF-Wv products exhibited the lowest cytotoxic potential with hemolysis less than 40% in all concentrations evaluated. A moderate anti-hemolytic effect was described in all samples treated with 500 and 1000 µg/mL, with hemolysis <60 %. In addition, the compounds showed low ex-vivo genotoxic effect with a general index of normal cells greater than 84 % at all concentrations. Conclusion: The results suggest a low toxic profile of the compounds obtained from species of the Malvaceae family, indicating safe limits for the use of these natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scire Salutis is the property of CBPC - Companhia Brasileira de Producao Cientifica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Currently, the therapeutic alternatives available for the treatment of helminthiases are restricted to a low number of synthetic drugs that are classically used on a large scale, thus causing the resistance of several parasites. Seeking to optimize this problem, and often because it is the only option in low-income populations, the use of medicinal plants against parasites is the subject of several studies. Momordica charantia L. is a plant species with notorious pharmacological activities described in the literature, among which the anthelmintic activity stands out, which is mainly associated with the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids. The optimization of extractive processes through the most suitable choice of solvents and also the best methodology helps directly in obtaining rich fractions of the compounds of interest, as well as in a better yield of the extract to be used in pharmaceutical forms. Techniques that employ speed in execution, and even those that result in longer contact time between drug: solvent are reported here, as well as the use of solvents ranging from water to the most nonpolar organic compounds. The designation of a specific marker for quality control purposes is also an important factor and, as much as the plant species have a variety of constituents, the selection of a standard such as quercetin has been observed as the most common in the use of techniques such as chromatography and mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: medicinal plants are a useful and accessible therapeutic resource to solve health problems. COVID-19 has been the most difficult health challenge that man has faced in the XXI century and to combat it he has resorted to all possible therapeutic options, including medicinal plants. Objective: to describe the use of medicinal plants against COVID-19 in the Municipality of Santa Clara. Methods: an exploratory descriptive study was carried out in Santa Clara, Villa Clara Province, during the months of January and February 2021. Random surveys were applied to people from three popular councils and the use of medicinal plants for this disease was investigated. The different treatment protocols proposed by the Ministry of Public Health and other scientific literature on the subject were reviewed in order to contrast the results obtained. Results: 60 people were surveyed, with a predominance of women and medium level of schooling. 55% referred to the use of the drug. Fifty-five percent reported the use of homemade or pharmaceutical phytopreparations for possible symptoms or as a preventive measure. The most commonly used plants were Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera), Plectranthus amboinicus (French oregano), Citrus aurantium (orange) and Allium cepa (onion). This coincides with that established in the treatment protocols proposed in Cuba from version 1.2. The review of scientific literature showed the proposal of the mentioned plants and others with the purpose of treating symptoms and raising people's immunity (or both). Conclusions: the population of Santa Clara employs medicinal plants and their preparations to prevent and treat symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 in correspondence with what has been established in Cuban treatment protocols. Bibliographic reviews corroborate these medicinal uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde Coletiva is the property of MPM Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Saúde Coletiva is the property of MPM Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude is the property of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude is the property of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The traditional groups that inhabit the Northeastern region, especially the rural ones, of the Caatinga Semi-Arid region, have an empirical knowledge, which is passed on between generations, maintaining a link with the medicinal flora. The study aimed to carry out a floristic survey of medicinal plants, native and exotic species used by residents of Parari-PB, as well as a study of the socio-economic condition of the population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, investigating which vegetables are grown by families and the socioeconomic situation. The population of the municipality consists mainly of farmers, retirees, and municipal civil servants. Regarding medicinal plants, 13 botanical families were used to control respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary disorders. Also, the therapeutic indications of the plants made by the raizeiros are scientifically proven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Saúde is the property of Revista Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of the study was to develop and characterize the gel based on Aloe vera for the Manoel Casado de Almeida Pharmacy School. The research was done at the Education and Health Center off the Federal University of Campina Grande, located in the city of Cuité (PB). For the quality control, chemical physical tests were carried out as determine pH, apparent density, viscosity, spreadability and centrifugation test. The gel demonstrated acceptable physicochemical characteristics exhibiting pH 5, bulk density 0.1018 (± 0.0008), viscosity above 10 000 cP, and adequate stability. Complementary studies on microbiological quality are suggested, to give safety on their therapeutic potential in wound management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude is the property of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Pesquisa: Cuidado é Fundamental is the property of Revista de Pesquisa: Cuidado e Fundamental Online and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The cancer also known as neoplasia, are invading cells, characterized by the progressive and abnormal increase of the cells. It is known that the treatment for this type of disease is usually done through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgeries. In order to treat several diseases, including cancer, there is a progressive increase in the use of herbal medicines in medicine. Faced with this growth, not only the population, but also health professionals need reliable information about the possibilities of herbal medicines. The objective of this work was to report the use of plants, as complementary therapy in the treatment of cancers, emphasizing that this work is relevant due to the large number of people who are affected by various types of neoplasias today, since it is a pathology that does not discriminate age, sex and ethnicity. The work proceeded from a bibliographical review on the theme medicinal plants for the alternative treatment of cancers. Medicinal plants are considered to have definite effects on diseases or symptoms. Knows itself the importance of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases, including cancer. With this, the present work came to contribute with the knowledge about certain indications of some plants very used in Brazil and in the world. More studies with various medicinal plants are needed in order to discover new plants that are effective in this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of medicinal plants by the Brazilian population is a traditional practice, and is often the only resource used in basic health care. Within the context of the new instrumental analytical techniques, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy stands out, being used mainly for areas where the rapid profile of constituents is indispensable. The medicinal plants used in this study were: Brazilian arnica (Solidago microglossa D. C.), chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert), Chilean boldo (Peumus boldus Molina), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia Paniculata (Martius) Kuntze). This work aims to qualitatively analyze, through X ray fluorescence, the elemental composition of selected medicinal plants that are commonly marketed in the state of Rio de Janeiro. By means of the generated energy spectra, Ca, K, Fe, Zn, Ni, among others, were observed. The Chilean boldo, camomila and arnica samples presented a large number of photon counts for Ca and K, while the lemongrass showed a high number of photons for Fe and Ni. However, one of Chilean boldo samples was highlighted as worrying, due to peak in the spectrum, referring to energy that corresponds to a heavy metal, lead (Pb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As plantas medicinais, utilizadas milenarmente pela humanidade, constituem um elo frágil dentro do contexto terapêutico, tanto pela regulamentação, ainda em construção, como pelo uso indiscriminado por sua taxação de inocuidade. Desse modo, seu monitoramento e acompanhamento pela farmacovigilância são essenciais para identificar, avaliar, compreender e prevenir eventos não desejáveis relacionados com estes produtos. Com isso, o presente estudo objetivou identificar o perfil geral das notificações de produtos à base de espécies vegetais notificados como medicamento no Sistema Nacional de Notificações para a Vigilância Sanitária (NOTIVISA) de 2008 a 2012. Os dados foram obtidos do Sistema NOTIVISA e analisados no programa Epiinfo, versão para Windows 3.5.4. Foram analisadas 50.824 notificações referentes a medicamentos no período proposto, das quais 399 corresponderam a notificações de produtos a base de espécies vegetais, em que dez tratavam de eventos adversos e 389 de queixas técnicas. Dentre essas últimas, 48,6% corresponderam a notificações de “empresas sem Autorização de Funcionamento de Empresa (AFE)/produto com suspeita de estar sem registro”. Dentre todos os campos das notificações analisados foi verificado que aproximadamente 50% dos mesmos não estavam preenchidos, o que se torna um indicador da qualidade das notificações e fragiliza o processo da farmacovigilância. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medicinal plants, used by humans for millennia, constitute a weak link in the therapeutic context, because of the regulation under construction and the indiscriminate use by your taxing of safety. Monitoring and attention to pharmacovigilance is essential for identifying, evaluating, understanding, and preventing undesirable events associated with these products. This study aimed to identify the general profile of notifications for products based on plants species reported as medicinal in the National System of Health Surveillance Notifications (NOTIVISA) from 2008 to 2012 in Brazil. Data were obtained from NOTIVISA and analyzed using EpiInfo software, version 3.5.4 for Windows. A total of 50,824 notifications for medications were analyzed, of which 399 were associated with products based on plant species, with 10 representing complaints of adverse events and 389 representing complaints about techniques. Among the latter, 48.6% corresponded to notifications of “companies without operating permit/product suspected of being unregistered.” Among all fields of the reports analyzed, approximately 50% were not filled out, weakening the process of pharmacosurveillance and constituting an indicator of poor report quality.

Objective. To evaluate the analgesic effect of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Pereskia lychnidiflora, the prospection of secondary metabolites and the toxicologic analysis. Materials and Methods. Analgesic activity was evaluated by testing acetic acid and formalin in NIH mice at a concentration of 30, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight, using Ibuprofen control at 200 mg/kg and distilled water as the target. Secondary metabolites were prospected using the thin layer chromatography method and the toxicity of the extract was evaluated in vivo according to the maximum dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight. Results. Phytochemical prospecting determined the presence of alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, and sterols as major chemical constituents. The ethanolic extract of Pereskia lychnidiflora was found to have an analgesic activity similar to ibuprofen. No signs of toxicity were observed in the experimental mice and the extract is classified as non-toxic with a DL50 greater than 2,000 mg/kg. Conclusions. The ethanolic extract of Pereskia lychnidiflora has an antiinflammatory analgesic effect that could be conditioned by the presence of alkaloids, tannins, and sterols (terpenoids) present in this species and can be classified as non-toxic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the protective effect of Zea mays L., purple variety (purple corn) against inflammatory response and osteoarticular damage in rats with experimental arthritis. Materials and Methods. Sixty-five Holtzman rats were used, assigned to seven groups: G1 (n=5): control; G2 (n=10): pristane (PIA) + distilled water; G3 (n=10): PIA + methotrexate 0.1 mg/kg; G4 (n=10): PIA + indomethacin 0.6 mg/kg; G5 (n=10): PIA + Zea mays 100 mg/kg; G6 (n=10): PIA + Zea mays 1000 mg/kg, and G7 (n=10): PIA + methotrexate 0.1 mg/kg + Zea mays 1000 mg/kg. Treatments were administered by orogastric cannula daily for 21 days; pristane was administered subdermal only on day 1. Volume of hind leg was recorded with a digital plethysmometer. The radiological analysis of the legs was evaluated according to the modified Clark criteria. Results. The percentage of inflammation at the end of the experiment was: (G1) 1.50 ± 0.5; (G2) 13.73 ± 8.4; (G3) 14.76 ± 8.8; (G4) 14.22 ± 9.0; (G5) 10.81 ± 9.1; (G6) 5.31 ± 1.4; (G7) 6.38 ± 0.5. The radiological scores of the affected areas were: (G1) 0.6; (G2) 3.5; (G3) 0.6; (G4) 1.7; (G5) 1.9; (G6) 1.4; (G7) 1.0. Only the groups Zea mays L. 1000 mg/kg and methotrexate + Zea mays L. 1000 mg/kg showed a significantly lower inflammatory response (p<0.05) and showed significantly lower joint scores in relation to PIA. Conclusions. Zea mays L. (purple corn) reduces the inflammatory process and radiological modifications of PIA-induced arthritis in rats in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the earliest times, man seeks to make use of nature, especially of the resources derived from the flora, as a medicinal source in the treatment of some diseases. Research carried out on this subject reveals, in this way, an age-old habit of using the power of plants to cure illnesses in an artisanal way, which reveals ways of thinking, being and acting of the man. In this sense, aware of the importance and viability of the use of medicinal plants as one more means of treatment of several health problems, we sought to return the attention of the present study to an institution that aims at the rehabilitation of people with problematic use of licit drugs and/or illicit, the Fazenda do Sol, located in Campina Grande - Paraíba. Thus, activities involving the planting, cultivation, harvesting and rational use of medicinal plants were developed through sensitization techniques and educational strategies. These actions aimed at spreading the principles and practices of phytotherapy, giving the inmates the possibility of implementing small community production methods, such as vegetable gardens around the farm, whose products, after processing, could be used for self-directed consumption. As results, the construction of knowledge about the planting, cultivation and adequate harvesting of medicinal plants by the participants of the extension project, as well as the technical support offered by the extension workers for the farm gardens adequacy, stand out. It is also pointed out that through a questionnaire and the participants' speeches during the meetings, it was possible to identify the main symptoms related to drug abstinence and thus to suggest, based on the contribution of a specific trained pharmacist, the appropriate use of medicinal plants to soften them. In addition, this extension project has raised the need for a work that is developed with these people, in addition to the condition of a person with problematic use of alcohol and other drugs, understanding that the aspects that define them are not only the use of a certain substance, but their experiences, experiences, life histories and the way they stand before them, even recovering their self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]