Caesalpinia ferrea C. Mart., popularly known as "Juca" or "Pau-ferro", belongs to the Fabaceae family, and is classified as a native and endemic species in Brazil. Numerous studies that portray its ethnobotany, chemical composition, and biological activities exist in the literature. The present study aimed to systematically review publications addressing the botanical aspects, uses in popular medicine, phytochemical composition, and bioactivities of C. ferrea. The searches focused on publications from 2015 to March 2020 using the Scopus, Periodicos Capes, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases. The leaves, fruits, seeds, and bark from C. ferrea are used in popular medicine to treat disorders affecting several systems, including the circulatory, immune, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, and conjunctive systems. The most commonly found chemical classes in phytochemical studies are flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, and other phenolic compounds. The biological properties of the extracts and isolated compounds of C. ferrea most cited in the literature were antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and healing potential. However, further studies are still needed to clarify a link between its traditional uses, the active compounds, and the reported pharmacological activities, as well as detailed research to determine the toxicological profile of C. ferrea.

Caesalpinia ferrea C. Mart. (Fabaceae) Phytochemistry, Ethnobotany, and Bioactivities: A Review.

Photoprotective, biological activities and chemical composition of the non-toxic hydroalcoholic extract of Clarisia racemosa with cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications

This review sought to gather scientific evidence that points to the antioxidant potential of plants from the Caatinga. It also verified the amplitude of scientific production in the last ten and a half years on the antioxidant activity of the plants of this biome. Scientific articles present in the Scopus and PubMed databases published between the years 2010 and June 2021 that investigated the antioxidant action of extracts or isolated compounds of Caatinga plants were collected. The quantitative and qualitative results of this research were then extracted. It was possible to observe a reduced number of articles published on the antioxidant activity of Caatinga plants in the time interval chosen for this review. Also, few sampling sites were the focus of these studies, which may suggest that not all regions of the Caatinga are having their plants investigated by scientific research. In this study, it was also possible to observe that the most investigated plants of this biome are Opuntia ficus indica, Poincianella pyramidalis, Anadenanthera colubrina, Ziziphus joazeiro and Cnidoscolus quercifolius. These results point to the need for further studies that explore the antioxidant potential of the Caatinga flora. 

Antioxidant potential of the Caatinga flora

Phytochemical prospection, evaluation of antibacterial activity and toxicity of extracts of Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz

Abstract Due to increased UV radiation on the Earth’s surface, caused by depletion of the stratospheric ozone, people have become more susceptible to different types of skin damage, such as erythema, sunburns, and cancer; this is especially of concern in tropical countries. Thus, efforts to improve awareness as well as the use of sunscreen are increasing worldwide. However, synthetic UV filters have been associated with deleterious effects such as photosensitization. Natural products have been used by ancient cultures for several purposes, including protecting the skin from the sun. However, there is still doubt today whether photoprotection is a real phenomenom or whether it is simply tanning of the skin. Plants have self-protective mechanisms and produce secondary metabolites that can protect themselves from UV radiation. Yet, can phytochemical compounds protect human skin? This review discusses the paradoxical effect of chemical UV filters and the influence of phytochemicals in in vitro and in vivo tests of photoprotection.

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Can natural products improve skin photoprotection

Background: Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation may cause photoaging, unsightly marks, or dangerous lesions, such as carcinomas and/or melanomas. Sun filters are substances capable of absorbing, reflecting, or refracting UV radiation and thus protect the skin from direct exposure to sunlight. The current trend in the cosmetics industry, in Brazil, is to rationally explore local biodiversity as a way of developing products of natural origin, especially derived from plants. Objective: The present study aims to determine the in vitro sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 species from the Caatinga region used in popular medicine as anti-inflammatories. Materials and Methods: Samples of duly identified plant species were dried and ground and hydroethanolic extracts were obtained (80:20). Spectrophotometric analyses were carried out to determine the SPF, antioxidant activity, and quantification of secondary metabolites. In vitro calculation of SPF was based on the method developed by Mansur. Results: Erythrina velutina Willd. had the best SPF of 9.71 ± 1.29 at a concentration of 100 mg/L. Conclusion: The study showed that native species to the Caatinga used by the local population to treat inflammatory disorders have good photoprotective potential and could be used for pharmaceutical preparations to this end.
Abbreviations used: ANOVA: Analysis of variance; AOA: Antioxidant activity; CC: Coumarin content; CE: Coumarin equivalent; DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; IC50: Inhibitory concentration 50%; LEA-UFPE: Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Social-ecological Systems-Federal University of Pernambuco; RE: Rutin equivalent; SPF: Sun protection factor; TAE: Tannic acid equivalent; TFC: Total flavonoid content; TPC: Total phenolic content; TTC: Total tannin content; UFPE: Federal University of Pernambuco; UFRPE: Federal Rural University of Pernambuco; UV: Ultraviolet; UVA: Ultraviolet type A; UVB: Ultraviolet type B; UV-VIS: Ultraviolet-visible

Patrícia Maria da Silva Neri

Papers

Photoprotective activity of medicinal plants from the caatinga used as anti-inflammatories