A comprehensive review of Pfaffia glomerata botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, and biotechnology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen, Amaranthaceae, is found in South America, mainly in Brazil, where it is considered a species of great medicinal interest owing to its popular use as a tonic, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. These properties can be attributed to the presence of the phytosteroid, 20-Hydroxyecdysone (ß-ecdysone), the main compound found in its roots. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to provide information about the botanical characteristics, ethnomedicinal uses, the phytochemistry, the biological activities, and the biotechnology of P. glomerata, an important species to local communities and groups researching medicinal plants of South America. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information available on P. glomerata was collected from scientific databases (ScienceDirect, PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and Scopus) until June 7, 2023, using the search terms "Pfaffia glomerata", "Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen", and "Brazilian ginseng". The review includes studies that evaluated the botanical, ethnopharmacological, and phytochemical aspects, biological properties, nutraceutical uses, and the application of biotechnology for improving the biosynthesis of metabolites of interest. RESULTS: A total of 207 studies were identified, with 81 articles read in full. Seventy-six studies were included for qualitative synthesis. Overall, 40 compounds belonging to different classes are presented in this review, including ecdysteroids, triterpenes, saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, tannins, coumarins, alkaloids, and polysaccharides. Among them, flavonoids, anthraquinones, tannins, coumarins, and alkaloids were only putatively identified. ß-Ecdysone, triterpenes, saponins, and polysaccharides are the chemical components most frequently identified and isolated from P. glomerata and possibly responsible for ethnopharmacological use and the biological activities of this species, with important in vitro and in vivo activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, analgesic, gastroprotective, antioxidant, and prebiotic. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes discussions about the P. glomerata species, highlighting its ethnopharmacological, chemical, biotechnological, and nutraceutical importance. New scientific studies on this species are encouraged in the search for new therapeutic molecules with pharmaceutical potential and nutraceutical applications.

Evaluation of antitumoral and antioxidant activities of the hydroalcoholic extract and fractions obtained from the fruit pericarp of Sapindus saponaria L.

The fruits of Sapindus saponaria L., popularly known as 'saboeiro', have been used in medicine. This study evaluated the antioxidant and antitumor activities of the hydroethanolic extract (HAE) and fractions obtained from the fruit pericarp of S. saponaria. The HAE was obtained from the S. saponaria fruit pericarp by maceration; this was followed by fractionation using reversed-phase solid-phase extraction, resulting in fractions enriched with acyclic sesquiterpenic oligoglycosides (ASOG) and saponins (SAP1, and SAP2), confirmed by mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI-QTOF-MS). The greatest citotoxic activity was observed with the SAP1 fraction against the CaCo2 cell line with a GI50 of 8.1 µg mL-1, while the SAP2 fraction had a GI50 of 13.6 µg mL-1 against CaCo2. The HAE demonstrated the greatest antioxidant activity. S. saponaria has potential therapeutic use in the pharmaceutical industry as a natural anti-oxidant or antitumor product.

Cereus peruvianus Mill. (Cactaceae) as a source of natural antioxidants: Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of cladode extracts in two collection periods.

The economic potential of the cactus species Cereus peruvianus Mill. (syn. C. hildmannianus K. Schum.) has already been demonstrated through the generation of products and patents. However, the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity have not yet been evaluated. The aim of our study was to determine the total phenolic compounds, evaluate the antioxidant activity and characterize the phenolic compounds of cladode extracts from C. peruvianus grown in the southern region of Brazil, in two collection periods. Higher total content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were detected in the cladode extract collected in 2016 than in the cladode extract collected in 2015. The profile of phenolic compounds identified five flavonoids that had not previously been reported in species of the genus Cereus. The phenolic compounds linked to antioxidant activities identified in the cladode extract from C. peruvianus support the use of this species in human food as a source of natural antioxidants.

Cereus hildmannianus (K.) Schum. (Cactaceae): Ethnomedical uses, phytochemistry and biological activities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cereus hildmannianus (K.) Schum. (syn. C. peruvianus) is a native medicinal plant in the Neotropical region. C. hildmannianus cladodes extracts are used in folk medicine for weight loss, reducing cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, as diuretic and cardiotonic, and to treat various diseases, including pulmonary disorders, rheumatism, and in topical treatment for wounds and lithiasis. Fruits and flowers of C. hildmmanianus have high nutritional value. AIM OF THE REVIEW: In this review, previous reports on C. hildmannianus (syn. C. peruvianus) concerning its botanical description, geographical distribution, ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties, food benefits and plant biotechnology were summarized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific search engines, including ScienceDirect, Capes Journals Portal, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scielo, and Scifinder, were consulted to gather data on C. hildmannianus. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of phytochemical compounds, ethnomedicinal uses, phytopharmacological activities, and food value of cladodes, flowers, fruits, seeds, and tissue culture from C. hildmannianus. RESULTS: In traditional medicine, C.hildmannianus is used to treat various diseases, including pulmonary disorders, rheumatism, and in topical treatment for wounds and lithiasis. The extracts from the cladodes of C. hildmannianus exhibited numerous in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities such as gastroprotective, antioxidant, antifungal, ovicidal, hemagglutinating and slimming, and anticancer activity. These extracts' substances belong to different classes of chemical compounds such as fatty acids, polysaccharides, terpenes, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids CONCLUSIONS: Ethnomedicinal surveys have indicated the use of C. hildmannianus, an important medicinal plant in South America, for the treatment of various diseases. The ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and ethnomedicinal properties from various morphological parts of the plant of C. hildmannianus were highlighted in this review, which provides information for future studies, commercial exploration and reveals that this plant has a huge potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.