Psychopharmacology of Brazilian Native Plants Focusing on Mood: A Bibliographical Survey Followed by a Systematic Review
Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Given the difficulty of treating some psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions, Brazil's rich biodiversity provides an optimal scenario for exploring therapeutic alternatives based on bioactive compounds from natural products.30 non-scientific books were consulted to identify plants popularly used for any purposes related to feelings of well-being.Native species with four or more citations in different books were considered as most popular species, and underwent a systematic review in PubMed, LILACS and Periódicos CAPES databases, including articles in the area of psychopharmacology published up to December 2023, written in Portuguese, English or Spanish.The major use of the 27 native species identified in the survey was as stimulant or calmative, mainly through aqueous extractions of leaves and barks.The systematic review includes 568 articles on the psychopharmacological effects of 23 of the original 27 native species identified, from which 28 articles corresponds to clinical stage.Although most of the studies reviewed support the popular use attributed to some species, it is noteworthy that the vast majority relate to preliminary studies, especially on in vitro antioxidant activity, and that clinical studies are still very scarce.In this sense, this review may serve not only as a guide to the effects popularly and scientifically attributed to Brazilian flora products, but also to encourage future research and the development of alternative therapies against psychological stress.
Authors: Allan Falconi-Souto, Gabriela Morales-Lima, Yutaka Kuroki, Fúlvio Rieli Mendes
Institution: Universidade Federal do ABC
Language: English
Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4407858415