Pharmacological potential of maytenus species and isolated constituents, especially tingenone, for treatment of painful inflammatory diseases

Abstract

Uses of medicinal plants by people around the world significantly contribute and guide biologically activecompounds research that can be useful in the combat against various diseases. Due to a great chemical andstructural variety found in their vegetal structures it consolidates ethnopharmacology as an importantscience for the pharmaceutical section. Inserted in the diversity of medicinal plants, is the Maytenusgenus, whose research has already revealed lots of isolated substances which are responsible for a greatvariety of biological activities, among which we cite analgesic and anti-inflammatory, for the treatmentof inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gastritis, ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this review article is to make a compendium of the Maytenus genus and its isolated chemicalcompounds, among them tingenone. The elucidation of its mechanism of action reveals promising sourcesfor the development of new drugs specially targeted for the treatment of painful inflammatory diseases.