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The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review that reported the medicinal use of the genus Piper, and pharmacological elucidations for the treatment of symptoms and processes of inflammation and inflammatory diseases. The systematic review was prepared in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The databases used for this research were the Web of Science and Scopus, where associations with the terms were applied in both databases: "Piper" and "Ethnobotanical" and "Piper" and "Anti-inflammatory effect". Initially, the research identified 153 articles, of which 24 articles were selected for final analysis following the inclusion criteria. The results indicate that the medicinal use of species of the Piper genus entails mainly using of leaves, roots, and fruits, and decoct, maceration and powder for the treatment of inflammatory and respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. Regarding the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effect of the genus, only seven species presented studies with their scientifically proven anti-inflammatory effect. Biases in the methodology applied in the studies were observed. In this systematic review, it was noticed that both studies addressed have gaps that can cause damage to future research and that pharmacological studies for inflammation with the use of the species themselves are still limited, with a more job for the isolated compounds of these plants. Key words: Piper, medicinal, ethnobotanic, anti-inflammatory effect.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The Malvaceae family, an important group of plants that have the Gossypium (cotton) genus has been used in folk medicine to treat microbial diseases and symptoms. Aims of the study This article aims to understand its ethnobotany expression in communities and scientific elucidation of antimicrobial activities of this genus through literature review. Materials and methods The bibliographic survey was carried out from 1999 to 2019 with keywords combinations such as "Gossypium + ethnobotanical", " Gossypium + medicinal ", "Gossypium + the biological activity" in scientific databases as Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, Scielo, Bireme. Results After data analysis, we found that the Gossypium genus, specifically Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum, G. arboreum are the species most cited in the treatment of microbial diseases and symptoms in communities all over the world. In light of scientific elucidation of biological activities, the Gossypium genus has been used to treat protozoal, bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases. Conclusions The review demonstrated that the Gossypium genus is a promising source of biological activities against microbial diseases, especially in the treatment of protozoal diseases like malaria.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The use of popular plants has guided pharmaceutical research aimed at combating pathogenic microorganisms. Psidium guajava L. is a plant of great versatility and it has been used both as food and as a therapeutic agent. Root, bark, leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds are used for medicinal purposes, especially in infusions and decoctions for oral and topical use . P. guajava is utilized in symptomatology treatment related to organ malfunction and of diseases caused by the action of pathogenic and/or opportunistic microorganisms. Many pharmacological studies have been conducted to scientifically assess its therapeutic potential. Aims of study The aim of the current study is to relate the popular use of this plant and its bioscientific assessment as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of diseases and symptoms caused by the action of protozoa, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and also evaluate the safety for the usage and the interaction with drugs. Materials and methods A bibliographic database the ethnobiology of Psidium guajava (2005–2015) and the pharmacological infections and parasitic diseases (2010–2015). Searches were done in scientific disclosure databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results P. guajava leaf extracts were scientifically investigated for the treatment of diseases caused by protozoa (leishmaniasis, malaria, giardiasis, amoebiasis and trichomoniasis), fungi (dermatosis, systemic and mucocutaneous diseases), bacteria (respiratory, mucocutaneous and gastrointestinal infections, cholera, gastritis and stomach ulcers, oral and periodontal infections, venereal diseases and urinary infections) and viruses (herpes, influenza, rotavirus disease and AIDS). The toxicity assays indicates the safet for usage. Conclusions Highlight and elucidate the therapeutic potential and versatility of P. guajava . They also justify using ethnobiology efficiency to guide pharmacological studies. Some limitations can be observed in this kind of study, as the lack for ethnobiological informations and the absence of some controls in the assays.

Introduccion: Melissa Officinalis L., de la familia Lamiaceae, es una hierba utilizada en la medicina popular. Es conocido en Brasil como erva cidreira, melisa, y meliteia cidrilha. Teniendo en cuenta que M. Officinalis L. se utiliza ampliamente en la medicina popular, entre ellos para uso antibacteriano, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar la actividad antibacteriana y modulador de extracto de metanol y hexano rodar el tallo de M. officinalis L. frente a las cepas de bacterias normas y las bacterias multirresistentes. Materiales y metodos: se analizo el extracto de metanol y hexano del tallo rodadura M. Officinalis L. para la actividad antibacteriana por una prueba de microdilucion para la determinacion de la Concentracion Minima Inhibitoria (mic) y la modulacion de aminoglucosidos (gentamicina y amikacina). Resultados: en la evaluacion de la mic los resultados obtenidos fueron ≥1024μg/ml con contra las bacterias (Escherichia coli y Staphylococcus aureus) en ambos extractos. El extracto de metanol mostro resultados significativos en combinacion con efecto potenciador gentamicina contra E. coli y s. Aureus cuando se combina con amikacina, esta bacteria era antagonismo. Ya extracto de hexano dio lugar a una reduccion de la mic de amikacina y gentamicina contra cepas de E. coli, que muestra el efecto antagonico con cepas de la cuenta de amikacina de S. Aureus. Conclusion: se concluye que el material vegetal influye en el comportamiento de los antimicrobianos, lo que hace este trabajo importante como parametro para futuros estudios que puedan combatir la creciente resistencia de las bacterias.

The Piper mikanianum species were investigated by the antimicrobial potential and chemical composition. Chemical analysis was performed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) as well as the 50% Inhibitory Concentration against Candida strains were determined by microdilution. The effect of the drug-oil combination was also evaluated to verify possible synergism. The Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) was evaluated by subculturing the microdilution in Petri dishes and the anti-pleomorphism potential of the oil was tested in humid chambers. Chemical analysis revealed safrol as the major compound. The results from the intrinsic activity evaluation of the oil did not reveal a clinical importance, however, it presented a synergistic effect when associated with gentamicin against the multidrug resistant E. coli strain and when associated with fluconazole against fungal strains. Moreover, the oil possessed a fungistatic effect. Total inhibition of filamentous structures occurred in both Candida species in the anti-virulence test. The P. mikanianum essential oil showed a potentiating activity of drugs for which resistance exists and an inhibitory effect of one of the main virulence factors of the Candida genus, morphological transition, which has been previously shown to be responsible for causing invasive infections in human tissues.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical profile and antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. (HELZJ). The antioxidant DPPH and FRAP assays and chemical profile were determined by colorimetric methods and HPLC/DAD. The antiparasitic, antibiotic and antibiotic-modifying activity were evaluated by microdilution assays. The HPLC–DAD assay showed the presence of mostly tannins and flavonoids, such as caffeic acid and quercetin. The levels of polyphenols and flavonoids were 183.136mg/g extract and 7.37mg/g extract, respectively. DPPH and FRAP showed low antioxidant activity for the extract. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were not of clinical relevance, showing MIC>1024μg/mL. However, synergism was observed between HELZJ and the antibiotics amikacin and gentamicin, which resulted in decreased bacterial drug resistance. EHFZJ showed low toxicity in fibroblasts in vitro, while antiparasitic results against Trypnosoma cruzi, Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum were not clinically relevant. Thus, our results indicate that Z. joazeiro Mart. (HELZJ) could be a source of plant-derived natural products that could lead to the development of promising new antibiotic compounds for infectious diseases.

Croton campestris A., popularly known as “Velame do campo” (Euphorbiaceae), is a shrub originating from Brazil, mainly present in the Southeast and Northeast regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract (EECC), hexane (HFEECC) and dichloromethane fractions (DFEECC), obtained from the ethanol extract of Croton campestris A. leaves. Antibacterial and modulating activity (on bacterial resistance) was determined by micro dilution method to identify the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration). In the antibacterial activity tests the fractions showed a MIC of ≥ 1024 µg/mL (where ≤ 128 µg/mL for MIC is considered clinically relevant). In regards to modulation of bacterial resistance, all products showed synergism when combined with antibiotic against bacterial strains. It was observed that all products potentiated the antibiotic action of all antibiotics assayed against all bacterial strains. The results indicate that the extracts and fractions obtained fr...

Introduction “Erva-baleeira,” Cordia verbenacea DC. (Boraginaceae), is one of the species of plants currently exploited for the purpose of producing a phytotherapeutic product, which is extracted from the leaves. Methods Extracts of C. verbenacea were prepared from fresh leaves, and chloroform fractions were obtained from the different extracts for evaluation. Phytochemical screening was performed and the phytochemicals were quantified by HPLC-DAD. The microdilution assay was used to determine antibiotic and aminoglycoside-modifying activities (2.4–2500 μg/mL), and the results were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-test. Results Phytochemical screening and HPLC analysis of the fractions were in agreement with the literature, which describes the presence of several tannins and flavonoids in C. verbenacea leaves. The fractions showed moderate antibacterial activity when considering clinical relevance with a MIC of 128 μg/mL against a resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus and 512 μg/mL against a resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, when they were combined with antibiotics, synergism was observed, significantly lowering the MIC of the antibiotics by 12.5 (P Conclusions Our results indicated that the fractions of C. verbenacea, when combined with an antibiotic, demonstrated significant synergistic activity. Due the extensive use and sale of products derived from C. verbenacea may exert pressure on the populations of this species. The development of management plans for rational and sustainable use of the species and more studies with emphasis on the use of such fractions in the treatment of other diseases are necessary.

Heavy metals, chemical elements considered toxic at certain concentrations, can be considered potential threats to plants, animals, and biological resources of a particular ecosystem. Among them, mercury and aluminum, when involved in bioaccumulation processes, can cause damage to various organ systems of both animals and plants. In vegetables, heavy metals produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in the occurrence of malformations and deficits in the growth of roodets and plumule of several species of plants, which justifies the study of natural antioxidant agents that may come to reverse or ameliorate the deleterious effects caused by these compounds. In this sense, this study aims to evaluate the cytoprotective effect of hydroethanolic extract of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart., species popularly known as “barbatimao” against the heavy metals mercury and aluminum in vegetable model, because of its known antioxidant potential. To this end, there was the cytoprotection test in microbial and lettuce seeds (germination) in order to ascertain the potential of the said extract on the protection of roots and stem this. It was observed that the extract showed no allelopathic effect on lettuce seeds at a concentration of 32 μg/mL and in combination with HgCl2 and AlCl3, it enabled a higher growth in the roodets and stem Lactuta sativa L. These results demonstrated that the extract of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium can be an alternative to solve the problem with soil contamination by heavy metals, showing thus its promising potential cytoprotective in plant species.

Introduction The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of methanol (MFEECC) and ethyl acetate (AFEECC) fractions, obtained from the ethanol extract of Croton campestris A. leaves. Methods Antibacterial and modulating activity (on bacterial resistance) was determined by micro dilution method to identify the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration), performed in triplicate and statistical significance tested by ANOVA (two-way) with Bonferroni post hoc test ( p Results In the antibacterial activity tests the fractions showed a MIC of ≥1024 μg/mL. In regards to modulation of bacterial resistance, MFEECC showed synergism when combined with antibiotic against bacterial strains. In the modulation tests, AFEECC potentiated the effects of amikacin against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but had an antagonistic effect against Escherichia coli . AFEECC combined with gentamicin displayed antagonism against S. aureus and E. coli and an antagonistic effect against P. aeruginosa. When AFEECC was combined with Neomycin it resulted in antagonism against P. aeruginosa but did not affect S. aureus and E. coli . Conclusions The results indicate that the extracts and fractions obtained from C. campestris leaves could represent an alternative source of natural products capable of modifying and interfering with bacterial resistance to aminoglycosides.

The use of natural products is crucial to suppress the development of these micro-organisms and to reduce the concentration necessary to inhibit these microrganisms, reducing the toxicity risks also. In this study, the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides Leaves and its main constituent α-Terpinene were used in the antibacterial and potentiating activity of antibiotics and ethidium bromide assays, against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus IS-58, carriers of efflux pumps. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined using a microdilution method. The capacity of the aforementioned was also tested in combination with tetracycline and ethidium bromide, with the aim of improving the activity of the antibacterials. The MIC of the C. ambrosioides L. essential oil and of α-Terpinene were above 1024 μg/mL, comprising a clinically irrelevant value. However, when associated with the antibiotics, the C. ambrosioides L. essential oil, significantly decreased the MIC of tetracycline and ethidium bromide. The efflux pump is the only mechanism the bacteria possesses to reduce the toxicity of ethidium bromide, and thus this reduction in the MIC demonstrates that the C. ambrosioides L. essential oil is an effective option in the inhibition of the efflux pump present in these micro-organisms.