Revisiting Amazonian Plants for Skin Care and Disease

Abstract

Abstract:This review concerns five species of trees and palm trees that occur as dominant plants in different rainforest areas of the Amazon region. Due to their abundance, these species can be exploited as sustainable sources of botanical materials and include Carapa guianensis Aubl., family Meliaceae; Eperua falcata Aubl., family Fabaceae; Quassia amara L., family Simaroubaceae; and Attalea speciosa Mart. and Oenocarpus bataua Mart., family Arecaceae. For each species, the general features, major constituents, overall medicinal properties, detailed dermatological and skin care applications, and possible harmful effects have been considered. The major products include seed oils from A. speciosa and C. guianensis, fruit oil from O. bataua, and active compounds such as limonoids from C. guianensis, flavonoids from E. falcata, and quassinoids from Q. amara. The dermatologic and cosmetic applications of these plants are growing rapidly but are still widely based on empiric knowledge. Applications include skin rehydration and soothing; anti-inflammatory, antiage, and antiparasite effects; hair care; burn and wound healing; and the amelioration of rosacea and psoriasis conditions. Despite a limited knowledge about their constituents and properties, these species appear as promising sources of bioactive compounds for skin care and health applications. An improvement of knowledge about their properties will provide added value to the exploitation of these forest resources.

Stereometric characterization of kefir microbial films associated with Maytenus rigida extract

“…Several studies have highlighted that kefir has the potential to treat diseases such as cancer (Hatmal et al, 2018;Melo et al, 2018;Topuz et al, 2008), gastritis (Akal et al, 2018;Bekar et al, 2011;Yamane et al, 2018), tumors (Yamane et al, 2018), inflammations (Rodrigues et al, 2016), and infections (Iraporda et al, 2017;Burlando & Cornara, 2017;Spinler et al, 2016;Prado et al, 2016). In regenerative medicine, kefir is given special attention as a biocurative for the skin (Gonçalves et al, 2019;Gonçalves et al, 2017).…”

Bioactive Metabolites of the Stem Bark of Strychnos aff. darienensis and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant and UV Protection Activity in Human Skin Cell Cultures

“…The remaining three compounds werecompletely non-cytotoxic and actually enhanced cell viability to 140-148% of the control at the highest concentration of 100 µg/ml, see Figure 3. In total, fourteen (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) compounds have been isolated and identified using spectroscopic methods. 1D and 2D NMR experiments, see Supplementary Material, Tables S2-S15, as well as, high-resolution MS led to unambiguous structure elucidation of the isolated compounds.…”

“…The flora of the Amazonian forests has proven to be an important source of bioactive ingredients, with a high potential as pharmaceutical or protective agents. The rich ethnobotany of South and Central America is still under thorough investigation for the discovery of skin care products, based on the traditional uses of raw plants or preparations by the indigenous residents [1]. The genus Strychnos, although known as the source of highly toxic compounds, still remains a promising source of bioactive ingredients.…”

Healing effect of andiroba-based emulsion in cutaneous wound healing via modulation of inflammation and transforming growth factor beta 3

“…Andiroba has been used as a medicine for fever, inflammation, and pain, as well as an anti-parasitic agent and insect repellent. The anti-inflammatory properties of andiroba are thought to depend on the presence of limonoids, and andiroba exhibits inhibitory effects on histamine, bradykinin, and platelet-activating factor actions [4][5][6] . Andiroba is registered in ANVISA (Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency) as a hydrating cosmetic and insect repellent, but its clinical effectiveness makes it an adjuvant in the treatment of actinic dermatitis and compression bedsores.…”