P. major and P. lanceolata are two medicinal plants used extensively all over the world as remedies for a wide range of diseases. This study aimed to apply a sustainable recovery extraction to obtain bioactive extracts from the medicinal plants P. major and P. lanceolata . Different extraction methods were compared in terms of yield process, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The methods used were: supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO 2 pure and with ethanol as co-solvent, conducted at temperatures from 40 to 60 °C and pressures from 10 to 30 MPa, and by Soxhlet (SOX) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UE) with different solvents. High extraction yields were obtained by SOX with methanol ( P. major ) and by UE with EtOH-H 2 O ( P. lanceolata ). The moderate-polar and polar solvents presented the best TPC values and antioxidant performance, included the supercritical extraction of P. major with 5.0% of ethanol as co-solvent (EC 50 276 ± 1). SC-CO 2 extract presented the best antibacterial activity, being more effective against the Gram-positive bacteria ( Bacillus cereus ). The results showed that the use of green recovery methods such as SFE and UE with polar solvents (EtOH-H 2 O and ethanol) provide high valuable extracts for Plantago species.

Green-based methods to obtain bioactive extracts from Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata

Dereplication and quantification of the ethanol extract of Miconia albicans (Melastomaceae) by HPLC-DAD-ESI-/MS/MS, and assessment of its anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory profiles in a mice arthritis-like model: Evidence for involvement of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6.

Solanum paniculatum L. decreases levels of inflammatory cytokines by reducing NFKB, TBET and GATA3 gene expression in vitro.

The Atlantic Forest and Caatinga ecosystems differ in terms of biodiversity and geoclimatic conditions but are similar in their rich socio-diversity and heterogeneity of vegetation types that comprise their floras. The objectives of this work were to map the ethnobotanical studies that have been conducted in these ecosystems and record the most investigated communities, regions, and vegetation formations related to this research. A literature review was made of ethnobotanical articles related to the use and knowledge of medicinal and food plants employed by local populations within the original territories of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. The areas with the highest concentrations of studies (Southeast and South regions in the Atlantic Forest and the states of Pernambuco and Paraiba in the Caatinga) reflect the presence of research groups in these regions. Until now, it was thought that ethnobotanical studies had been conducted throughout the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga; however, the results of this work show that both ecosystems contain areas that still need to be studied.

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Where are the Brazilian ethnobotanical studies in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga

The essential oil of the leaves of Verbesina macrophylla (Cass.) S.F.Blake has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities and is toxicologically safe.

We investigated the knowledge and practices of local residents in Sao Francisco do Conde, Bahia, regarding the use of medicinal and mystical plants with the aim of proposing strategies for the incorporation of phytotherapies into the local Unified Health System through local Basic Health Clinics. This municipality was founded during the early colonization of Brazil, introducing the monoculture of sugarcane and slave labor to the region, resulting in a currently largely Afro-Brazilian population. Key informants and local specialists were interviewed and workshops were undertaken at the Basic Health Clinics to collect data and information. The interviewees made 254 references to 126 plant species distributed among 107 genera and 50 families. Among the species cited with medicinal or mystical uses, 51.6% were considered autochtonous, and 42.8% were cited in at least one document of the Brazilian Health Ministry; of these, 11.1% were mentioned in four to eight documents, indicating potential for introduction to the local Unified Health System. The valorization of local knowledge and practices concerning the use of medicinal plants represents an important approach to public health efforts.

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Species with medicinal and mystical-religious uses in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil: a contribution to the selection of species for introduction into the local Unified Health System

Maria Lenise M.L. Guedes

Papers

Species with medicinal and mystical-religious uses in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil: a contribution to the selection of species for introduction into the local Unified Health System