Traditional Yucatan medicine found to effectively reduce pain and inflammation

Many plants are utilized in the Yucatan peninsula as traditional medicines for different conditions. One of the commonly used Yucatan natural remedies for pain and inflammation is amargo del monte (Calea urticifolia). In a study, published in The Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, it was determined that amargo del monte contains bioactive compounds that can be attributed for its ability to reduce pain and inflammation.

• Amargo del monte is traditionally used as a remedy for stomach ache, malaria, and gastric ulcers.
• Previous studies have shown that this plant is abundant in bioactive compounds like sesquiterpene lactones, germacranolides, heliangolides, and isoeugenol.
• Analysis of sesquiterpene lactones revealed that these have different biological activities, such as reducing free radical content, inhibiting the production of inflammatory proteins, promoting apoptosis, preventing adipocyte differentiation, and suppressing melanin biosynthesis.
• In this study, phytochemicals present in amargo del monte were detected and isolated from crude amargo del monte root extracts. These compounds were then identified to determine if they are responsible for the plant’s biological activities.

Results of the study showed that terpenoids and derivatives of dicaffeoylquinic acid in amargo del monte extracts can be attributed to the plant’s pharmacological properties. The researchers also concluded that dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives can be developed as novel anti-inflammatory and pain relieving agents.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Learn more about the different natural remedies for pain and inflammation by visiting Cures.news today.

Journal Reference: 

Mijangos-Ramos IF, Zapata-Estrella HE, Ruiz-Vargas JA, Escalante-Erosa F, Gómez-Ojeda N, García-Sosa K, Cechinel-Filho V, Meira-Quintão NL, Peña-Rodríguez LM. BIOACTIVE DICAFFEOYLQUINIC ACID DERIVATIVES FROM THE ROOT EXTRACT OF CALEA URTICIFOLIABIOACTIVE DICAFFEOYLQUINIC ACID DERIVATIVES FROM THE ROOT EXTRACT OF CALEA URTICIFOLIA. The Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy. 24 May 2018;28(3). DOI:10.1016/j.bjp.2018.01.010