Ethnopharmacology of Mexican Asteraceae (Compositae)

Abstract

Traditional herbal remedies have increased in popularity in Europe and the United States in recent years but have always been important to people living in rural Mexico and to their Mexican American/Chicano descendants in the United States. Mexican American patients will often be ingesting herbal teas at the same time that they are being treated for their ailments with antibiotics or antiinflammatory agents. The plant family Asteraceae (Compositae) has contributed the largest number of plants to this pharmacopoeia; the reasons for the importance of this family include its large number of species in Mexico and its wide array of natural products that are useful in the treatment of the maladies that have afflicted the inhabitants of rural Mexico. These natural products include sesquiterpene lactones, polyacetylenes, alkaloids, monoterpenes, and various phenolics such as flavonoids. In this review, we emphasize the sesquiterpene lactones, a large group of compounds with antiinflammatory properties and the ability to relax smooth muscles and thereby relieve gastrointestinal distress. These compounds also readily form adducts with glutathione or free thiols and can thereby affect the metabolism, activity, and toxicology of a wide array of pharmacological agents.

Ethnomedicinal practices and medicinal plant knowledge of the Yuracarés and Trinitarios from Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro-Sécure, Bolivian Amazon

“…The popularity of Asteraceae has been attributed to the wide array of bioactive components it contains, as well as to the higher likeliness of people to experiment with members of this family as a consequence of the typical bitter phytochemicals they often contain (e.g. sesquiterpene lactones) ( [Heinrich et al, 1998], [Alexiades, 1999], [Casagrande, 2002] and [Shepard, 2004]). Piperaceae has been identified as overused by Bennett and Husby (2008), Leonti et al (2003) andTreyvaud Amiguet et al (2006).…”

Mexican Medicinal Plants Used to Alleviate the Symptoms of Anxiety: Mini-Review

“…During the last few years, there is a revival of popular interest in plants use for the treatment of different diseases including anxiety disorder [5,9]. Recently in Mexico there is an increase interest in using alternative medicine among people with psychiatry disorders, such as anxiety [10].…”

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant DPPH Activity of the Floral and Leaves Essential Oils of cMontanoa speciosa</i> DC

“…In México, there are 35 native species from this genus [7] [8]. Several species are of importance since they have been used in traditional medicine as abortive (Montanoa tomentosa, M. grandiflora, M. frutescens) and ornamental plants (M. hibiscifolia, M. grandiflora) [9] [10]. M. tomentosa known as "zoapatle" is a valued species due to its medicinal properties, mainly as a menstruation and childbirth inducer [11] [12].…”