Exploring the therapeutic potential of Brazilian medicinal plants for anti-arthritic and anti-osteoarthritic applications: A comprehensive review.

Medicinal plants are used in several countries for the treatment of various diseases, including arthritis and osteoarthritis, thus constituting a valuable alternative to commercial drugs. In Brazil, several cultivated plants of economic interest have been indicated for the treatment of rheumatic diseases in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological surveys. From this perspective, the present study aimed to review the literature on the anti-arthritic and anti-ostoarthritic potential of plants traditionally used in Brazil. The scientific documents were retrieved from different databases, from the first report published in 1989 until December 2023. A total of 55 species distributed in 31 families are used for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in different Brazilian states. The species Echinodorus grandiflorus , Pterodon emarginatus , Morinda citrifolia , Uncaria tomentosa , and Miconia albicans stood out for the number of citations. Leaves (41%) are the parts of plants most used in the medicinal preparations. Of the 55 species used by traditional communities, 24 had their anti-arthritic and anti-osteoarthritic activities investigated in preclinical models, and 14 in randomized clinical trials. Phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, may be directly involved with the reported anti-arthritic and anti-osteoarthritic activity. Many of the species cited in ethnobotanical surveys carried out in Brazil still lack scientific investigations that prove their anti-arthritic effects in preclinical and clinical trials. The exploration of novel phytopharmaceuticals derived from commonly utilized plant raw materials holds the potential to facilitate the establishment of more readily accessible therapeutic alternatives for the general public. [Display omitted] • 31 families and 55 species are traditionally used for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in Brazil. • Asteraceae and Lamiaceae are widely used in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis in Brazil. • The Brazilian states of Goiás and Mato Grosso had the higher number of ethnomedicinal uses. • 24 species traditionally used in Brazil showed anti-arthritic potential in vivo. • 14 species were evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]