Effect of essential oils on Leishmania amazonensis: a systematic review.

This systematic review investigated the evidence for the therapeutic potential of essential oils (EOs) against Leishmania amazonensis. We searched available scientific publications from 2005 to 2019 in the PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases, according to PRISMA statement. The search strategy utilized descriptors and free terms. The EOs effect of 35 species of plants identified in this systematic review study, 45.7% had half of the maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 µg mL-1 and 14.3% had a 10 < IC50µg mL-1 for promastigote forms of L. amazonensis. EOs from Cymbopogon citratus species had the lowest IC50 (1.7 µg mL-1). Among the plant species analyzed for activity against intracellular amastigote forms of L. amazonensis, 39.4% had an IC50 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 µg mL-1, and 33.3% had an IC50 10 < IC50µg mL-1. Aloysia gratissima EO showed the lowest IC50 (0.16 µg mL-1) for intracellular amastigotes. EOs of Chenopodium ambrosioides, Copaifera martii and Carapa guianensis, administered by the oral route, were effective in reducing parasitic load and lesion volume in L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice. EOs of Bixa orellana and C. ambrosioides were effective when administered intraperitoneally. Most of the studies analyzed in vitro and in vivo for the risk of bias showed moderate methodological quality. These results indicate a stimulus for the development of new phytotherapy drugs for leishmaniasis treatment.

Therapeutic Effects of Medicinal Plants on Cutaneous Wound Healing in Humans: A Systematic Review.

The pharmaceutical industry has made great strides in providing drugs that are able to stimulate the healing process, but only 1-3% of all drugs that are listed in Western pharmacopoeias are intended for use on the skin or cutaneous wounds. Of these, at least one-third are obtained from plants. We sought to review the therapeutic effects of medicinal plants on human skin lesions. For this systematic review, we searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify clinical trials that were published from 1997 to 2017. We reviewed studies that described the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of skin lesions in humans. Ten studies were selected, eight of which were published from 2007 to 2016, with a total of 503 patients. Among the plant species that were used for the treatment of human skin lesions, 12 belonged to 11 families and were included in the analysis. All of the plant species that were studied presented high therapeutic potential for the treatment of cutaneous lesions.