Medicinal Plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Used as Immunostimulants

Abstract

A literature review was undertaken by analyzing distinguished books, undergraduate and postgraduate theses, and peer-reviewed scientific articles and by consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases, such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, SCIELO, Medline, and Google Scholar. Medicinal plants used as immunostimulants were classified into two categories: (1) plants with pharmacological studies and (2) plants without pharmacological research. Medicinal plants with pharmacological studies of their immunostimulatory properties were subclassified into four groups as follows: (a) plant extracts evaluated for in vitro effects, (b) plant extracts with documented in vivo effects, (c) active compounds tested on in vitro studies, and (d) active compounds assayed in animal models. Pharmacological studies have been conducted on 29 of the plants, including extracts and compounds, whereas 75 plants lack pharmacological studies regarding their immunostimulatory activity. Medicinal plants were experimentally studied in vitro (19 plants) and in vivo (8 plants). A total of 12 compounds isolated from medicinal plants used as immunostimulants have been tested using in vitro (11 compounds) and in vivo (2 compounds) assays. This review clearly indicates the need to perform scientific studies with medicinal flora from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, to obtain new immunostimulatory agents.

Anti-inflammatory and nephroprotective activity of Juglans mollis against renal ischemia–reperfusion damage in a Wistar rat model

“…Immunostimulating agents can be isolated from plants of the Juglans genus ( J. major [45] and J. jamaicensis [46]). Compounds with immunostimulatory activity, such as the polysaccharide JRP1, which has an immunostimulatory effect in vivo by increasing the release of IFN-γ and IL-2, have been isolated from other species, including J. mandshurica [47, 48]. J. regia has been reported to have anti-inflammatory [49], antibacterial [50, 51], and antidiabetic [52, 53] properties.…”

Ethnomedicine of Tetun ethnic people in West Timor Indonesia: philosophy and practice in the treatment of malaria

“…This will greatly facilitate someone suffering from malaria. In modern explanation, factors as long working in cold place, long time under the hot sun, fatigue and the presence of other diseases in the body can cause decreasing of the immunity, thus, the person becomes more susceptible to attack of diseases 24 …”

Xanthium strumarium – a potential cheap resource of plant substances for medicinal use

“…Pima used the plant against diarrhea as a decoction of burs (Curtin 1949). X. strumarium is listed among traditionally used medicinal plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean with pharmacological evidence of its immunostimulant effects (Alonso-Castro & al. 2016).…”