Piranhea trifoliata an Amazonian Plant with Therapeutic Action: A Review

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants reflects the reality of a part of human history. The Brazilian population with limited access to public health programs led to the development and conservation of ethnobotanical knowledge-rich information regarding medicinal plants. However, popular wisdom lacks systematization so that it can correctly use it. Herein we present the Piranhea trifoliata (family Picrondendraceae), an Amazonian plant with a wide variety of molecules with biological effects. The antimalarial effect was the dominant description observed in the studies used for this review, followed by antifungal and antioxidant actions. This review provides a synopsis of the recent literature exploring the extracts from P. trifoliata that could efficiently prevent pathologies associated with cellular maintenance mechanisms during malaria or fungal infection and oxidative stress.

Piranhea trifoliata extracts ameliorate muscular decline in Drosophila melanogaster exposed to Paraquat

“…Initially, we performed a phytochemical profile to identify the prominent families of natural compounds present in the bark of P. trifoliata extracts. Studies demonstrate compounds with predominant biological activity in the leaves, and the articles with bark extracts were dedicated only to the antimalarial and antifungal effects (Vieira et al, 2021). Table 1 revealed the presence of phenols and 46.06 mg EAG/g quantified.…”

“…Radical stabilization is related to the ability of the aromatic ring of molecules to form stable radical substances, which reduce the risk of disease (Shen et al, 2022). Studies with P. trifoliata showed bioactive compounds such as triterpene with antimalarial, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities (Vieira et al, 2021).…”

“…The diversity in the Amazon rainforest represents a nutritional value and medicinal effect, currently among the most significant therapeutic agents obtained from nature. Also, certain native plants have gained a "cultural marker" status as Piranhea trifoliata (Vieira et al, 2021;Yamaguchi & Souza, 2020). P. trifoliata is a tree (up to 25 m high) found in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil.…”

“…They are distributed in areas of floodplains and igapos, and their woods are resistant to fungi and insects. The bark is used as a dressing for inflammations in the uterus in sitz baths and teas in malaria treatment (Vieira et al, 2021).…”

“…Popularly, P. trifoliata is known as Piranheira because fruits and seeds feed piranhas and other fish. The phytochemical profile in bark and leaf extracts shows antimalarial activities, as the local population has known, and recent studies also described significant antifungal and antioxidant activities (Vieira et al, 2021). However, the protective role of P. trifoliata extracts on muscular function remains uncharacterized.…”