Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition whose treatment includes aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, and immunomodulators. Medicinal plants seem to be an important alternative treatment for this condition. They have been the subject of a great number of studies in recent years. This study was conducted to systematically review the medicinal plants tested in experimental models of ulcerative colitis. We conducted a systematic literature search through specialized databases (PUBMED, SCOPUS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, LILACS, SCIELO, and SCISEARCH) and selected articles published between January 2000 and June 21, 2016 by using ?medicinal plants? and ?ulcerative colitis? as key words. Sixty-eight studies were included, and the families Asteraceae and Lamiaceae presented the largest number of studies, but plants from several other families were cited; many of them have shown good results in experimental animals. However, only a few species (such as Andrographis paniculata and Punica granatum) have undergone clinical tests against ulcerative colitis, and the observation that many preclinical studies reviewed are purely descriptive has certainly contributed to this fact. Chemical constituents (mainly flavonoids and terpenes) seem to play a role in the effects of the plants. Thus, the data herein reviewed reinforce the potential of medicinal plants as a source of alternative approaches to the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
The effect of natural products in animal models of temporomandibular disorders Treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a challenge for health care professionals. Therefore, new approaches have been investigated, such as the use of natural products. Objective: This systematic review aims to summarize the natural products used in treatment of experimental models of TMD. Methodology: A systematic search was performed in the databases Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, SciELO, LILACS, and Scholar Google databases in January 2020, dating from their inception. Pre-clinical studies with natural products for intervention in experimental TMD were included. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias. Results: 17 records were selected, and 17 different natural products were found, including three lectins, three plants or algae extracts, three sulfated polysaccharides, three cocoa preparations, and five isolated compounds. Concerning the risk of bias, most studies lacked on randomization and blinding. Nociception induced by phlogistic agents was evaluated in most articles, and in five studies it was associated with analysis of inflammatory parameters. In order to investigate the mechanism of action of the natural products used, eight studies evaluated expression of neural or glial molecular markers. Conclusions: 16 of 17 natural products found in this review presented positive results, showing their potential for treatment of TMD. However, the lack of methodological clarity can influence these results.
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