RESUMO:A família Myrtaceae possui representantes de grande interesse medicinal e o gênero Pimenta é um dos que merecem destaque. A maioria das espécies desse gênero é nativa da América Central, com exceção da Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L. R. Landrum, nativa nas regiões centro-oeste e sudeste do Brasil. O presente estudo teve como objetivo revisar aspectos botânicos, químicos e farmacológicos descritos na literatura sobre o gênero Pimenta. Os dados foram obtidos de artigos originais e revisões indexadas nas bases Periódicos Capes, ISI Web of Knowledge, Bireme e SciELO. As espécies desse gênero podem ser arbustivas ou arbóreas, possuem pelos unicelulares, folhas usualmente coriáceas, inflorescência em dicásio ou panícula e são distinguidas, principalmente, pela estrutura do ovário. As propriedades farmacológicas são conferidas, principalmente, pelos óleos essenciais que são constituídos, na maioria, por derivados fenilpropanóides, monoterpenos, aldeídos monoterpênicos e alcoóis monoterpênicos. Dentre as propriedades farmacológicas apresentadas por espécies desse gênero destacam-se as anti-hipertensivas, anti-inflamatórias, analgésicas, antimicrobianas e antioxidantes. Das quinze espécies de Pimenta conhecidas, a Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill e a Pimenta racemosa (Miller) J. Moore são as espécies de maior importância econômica e, por esse motivo são as mais estudadas do ponto de vista químico e farmacológico.Palavras-chave: Myrtaceae, Pimenta, óleos essenciais, composição química, atividades farmacológicas ABSTRACT: Pimenta genus: botanical aspects, chemical composition and pharmacological potential. The family Myrtaceae has representatives of great medical interest, and the genus Pimenta deserves attention. Most species of this genus are native to the Central America, except Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L. R. Landrum, which is native to the Central-West and Southeast Brazilian Regions. This study aimed to review botanical, chemical and pharmacological aspects described in the literature for Pimenta genus. Information was obtained from original papers and reviews indexed in the databases "Periódicos Capes", ISI Web of Knowledge, "Bireme" and SciELO. This genus can present shrubs or trees, which have unicellular hairs, usually coriaceous leaves and dichasium or panicle inflorescence, and are mainly distinguished by the ovary structure. The pharmacological properties are mostly due to essential oils, mainly consisted of phenylpropanoid, monoterpene, monoterpenic aldehyde and alcohol derivatives. Among these properties, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial and antioxidant ones are highlighted. Of the fifteen known Pimenta species, Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill and Pimenta racemosa (Miller) J. Moore have the greatest economic importance and consequently have been the most chemically and pharmacologically studied

Combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput synthesis of novel materials wa1Tant a parndigm shift in cunent methods to analyse biologi'c.:al responses. This chapter will provide an overview on bioassay development mid how novel assays amenuble to hightbroughput screening platfonns can be adapted to more complex systems. Special emphasis will be devoted to the development of assays that can be used in plationns that closely mimic the in vivo complexity of tissues and organs. Jn that respect, nssays thut can cope with co-cultun: systems as well as JD environments will be discusst.:d. M1)reover, modifications or development of new assays and techniques wiU be described as well as their rei;pectivc advantages and disadvantag~. Basic principles of assay development The ability ttl meAsure the speed of light changt!d the Geld of physics and tbc world. Chemical reacltons led to the Big Bang and the creation oftJJe Universe, but the ahility !I) measure and control those reactions changed the face of the Earth. We can surely Nay that the need to see more, and in more detail, led to the development of technologies that made tbal possible and ultimately contributed to the advance of science 1md society. In the eighteenth century, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was the tlrst to sec organi.ms aud cells under a micro~cope that he built. This observation paveJ the way to Lhe high-resoll1ti011 microscopes we use to