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Pharmaceuticals
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The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Ethnopharmacology in Latin America
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The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Ethnopharmacology in Latin America

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 3647

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Farmacia, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Interests: pharmacology; medicinal plant; ethnobotany; pharmacy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Latin America is a multicultural region, which encompasses 43 countries, and it was the settlement of many pre-Hispanic civilizations. Their knowledge and culture still remain. This region is the home of over 50 million indigenous people belonging to 400 different ethnic groups. Their ancient knowledge was incorporated into many pharmacopeias from this region. Latin America has many endemic medicinal plants. However, this region is facing a loss of biodiversity. The migration to rural areas is resulting in the loss of ethnomedicinal information. In Latin America, the use of medicinal plants for primary healthcare is a common practice among the general population due to the lack of/insufficient medical attention and the lack of economic resources. Many of these medicinal plants remain to be studied for their toxicology, pharmacology, and chemistry. This Special Issue will be focused on the following topics: (i) ethnobotanical studies using quantitative tools, (ii) survey-based studies about self-medication/use of herbal products, (iii) preclinical and clinical studies with plant extracts and their active compounds, (iv) analytical procedures for the standardization of plant extracts, and (v) legislation and regulation of herbal products. The journal Pharmaceuticals invites experts to contribute to this Special Issue with reviews and original research articles focusing on the pharmacology, toxicology, analytical chemistry, pharmacy, and ethnobotany of medicinal plants endemic to Latin America.

Dr. Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Latin America
  • preclinical
  • clinical
  • ethnobotany
  • pharmacology
  • chemical standardization
  • herbal products

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2532 KiB  
Article
Piperine as an Herbal Alternative for the Prevention of Drug-Induced Liver Damage Caused by Paracetamol
by Aline Meireles Coelho, Isabela Ferreira Queiroz, Luiza Oliveira Perucci, Tatiana Prata Menezes, Wanderson Geraldo Lima, André Talvani and Daniela Caldeira Costa
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1477; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111477 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Background/Objective: Hepatic drug intoxication is becoming increasingly common with the increasing use of chronic medications. Piperine has emerged as a promising alternative for protecting the liver against drug-induced injury. We evaluated the prophylactic effects of piperine in C57BL/6 mice with an acute liver [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Hepatic drug intoxication is becoming increasingly common with the increasing use of chronic medications. Piperine has emerged as a promising alternative for protecting the liver against drug-induced injury. We evaluated the prophylactic effects of piperine in C57BL/6 mice with an acute liver injury induced by a paracetamol (APAP) overdose. Methods: Piperine was administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg (P20) or 40 mg/kg (P40) for eight consecutive days before the animals were exposed to a hepatotoxic dose of paracetamol (500 mg/kg). The animals were euthanized 3 h after the paracetamol overdose. Results: The prophylactic treatment with piperine (P20 and P40) maintained the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the biomarkers of oxidative damage (TBARS and carbonylated proteins), which were statistically similar to those for the control group. The extent of hepatocyte necrosis and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) levels were lower than those in the group exposed to liver injury (APAP group). Piperine modulated the gene expression of CYP2E1 (cytochrome P4502E1) and the inflammasome pathway (NLRP3, CASP-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), which play a crucial role in the inflammatory response. In the P40 group, the degree of hepatic hyperemia was similar to that in the control group, as was the increase in metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity. Conclusion: Piperine has demonstrated beneficial and promising effects for the prevention of liver injury resulting from paracetamol-induced drug intoxication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Ethnopharmacology in Latin America)
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15 pages, 7451 KiB  
Article
Antihyperglycemic and Hypolipidemic Activities of Flavonoids Isolated from Smilax Dominguensis Mediated by Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
by Erandi Ortiz-Barragán, Samuel Estrada-Soto, Abraham Giacoman-Martínez, Francisco J. Alarcón-Aguilar, Ángeles Fortis-Barrera, Hugo Marquina-Rodríguez, Emmanuel Gaona-Tovar, Roberto Lazzarini-Lechuga, Alfredo Suárez-Alonso and Julio César Almanza-Pérez
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111451 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 454
Abstract
Background/objetives: Mexican people use Smilax dominguensis as a traditional medicine for diabetes control. Some reports have shown an anti-hyperglycemic effect in animal models. In the current research, a chemical bio-guided fractionation in vitro and in silico was performed to identify compounds with [...] Read more.
Background/objetives: Mexican people use Smilax dominguensis as a traditional medicine for diabetes control. Some reports have shown an anti-hyperglycemic effect in animal models. In the current research, a chemical bio-guided fractionation in vitro and in silico was performed to identify compounds with anti-hyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects through PPARγ/α dual agonist activity because they regulate genes involved in energy storage and burning, such as GLUT4 and FATP. Methods: The S. dominguensis extract was evaluated in mice through oral glucose tolerance tests. The bioactive extract was fractionated by open-column chromatography, and seven final fractions (F1–F7) were obtained and evaluated. C2C12 myoblasts were treated with the fractions, and the mRNA expression levels of PPARs, GLUT-4, and FATP were quantified. The most active fractions were evaluated on GLUT-4 translocation and lipid storage in C2C12 cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, respectively. Results: The F3 fraction increased the expressions of PPARγ, GLUT-4, PPARα, and FATP, and it induced GLUT-4 translocation and decreased lipid storage. F3 was then analyzed by NMR, identifying three flavonoids: luteolin, apigenin, and kaempferol. These compounds were analyzed by molecular docking and on PPAR expressions. Luteolin, apigenin, and kaempferol produced a discrete increase in the mRNA expression of PPARs. Luteolin and kaempferol also decreased lipid storage. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the compounds identified in S. dominguensis exhibit dual agonist activity on PPARγ/PPARα and have the potential for the development of new therapeutic agents helpful in diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Ethnopharmacology in Latin America)
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Review

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28 pages, 3160 KiB  
Review
Medicinal Orchids of Mexico: A Review
by Luis J. Castillo-Pérez, Amauri Ponce-Hernández, Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro, Rodolfo Solano, Javier Fortanelli-Martínez, Luicita Lagunez-Rivera and Candy Carranza-Álvarez
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(7), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17070907 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1794
Abstract
Some species of the Orchidaceae family are used in Mexican traditional medicine. However, there are no current and critical compilations of the medicinal uses and pharmacological effects of the members of the Orchidaceae family. This review provides a current, critical, and comprehensive analysis [...] Read more.
Some species of the Orchidaceae family are used in Mexican traditional medicine. However, there are no current and critical compilations of the medicinal uses and pharmacological effects of the members of the Orchidaceae family. This review provides a current, critical, and comprehensive analysis of the traditional medicinal uses, pharmacological reports, and active compounds isolated from Mexican orchids. A total of 62 Mexican orchids with medicinal potential have been recorded, of which 14 have scientific evidence. The remaining 48 plant species have ethnomedicinal information but have not been validated with scientific studies. These orchids are distributed in 14 states of the Mexican Republic, mainly in the southern region of Mexico. The most common pharmacological activities reported are anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxant, antinociceptive, antioxidant, spasmolytic, antihypertensive, and hallucinogenic activities. It is necessary to increase the number of pharmacological, phytochemical, and toxicological studies with medicinal orchids from Mexico because there are scientific studies on only 22.5% of these species. In further studies, it will be possible to evaluate the pharmacological effects of Mexican orchids in clinical trials. In addition, the mechanisms of action by which plant extracts and their active compounds exert medicinal effects remain to be studied. Plant extracts from orchids and their active compounds show promising antinociceptive and spasmolytic effects, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 20th Anniversary of Pharmaceuticals—Ethnopharmacology in Latin America)
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