Plants Used in Folk Medicine and Nitric Oxide

MICALIZZI B, DAVICINO R, CASALI Y, MATTAR A, CORREA SG

Advances in Chemistry and Biology of Nitric Oxide

Año: 2007; p. 1 - 20

From remote time, plants were used in popular medicine in the worldwide. People have attributed to plants a very large amount of therapeutic properties  to threat a high number of  diseases of human . The following are some of folk medicinal claims and uses atribuited to plants: healing sores and wounds, rheumatism, inflammation of respiratory and intestinal tract, gastric disturbance, venereal diseases, tonic, corrective, antiseptic, stimulating expectorant, emetic,  arthritis, cancer, tuberculosis, common cold, rubefascient and so go,  as well as immunoregtulatoy properties. The followings  are some examples of plants which properties have been demonstrated: Larrea divaricata Cav, antimicrobial, antitumoral, immunmolulatory activities; Echinacea spp, anti-inflammatory and immunopharmacological activities, Panax ginseng, antitumoral activity; Ligaria cuneifolia,  immunological activities.  It is know that NO is synthesized for many cellular types involved in immunity and inflammation. NO have many  physilogical roles, e.g., it acts as a vascular relaxing agent a nurotransmiter and an inhibitor of platelet  aggregation. The nitric oxide plays a dual role in the inflammatory process.  NO may induce toxic reactions against some tissues of the host. Depending of the levels of NO produced, it may acts as a pro-inflammatory agent or may act as an anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive agent via it inhibitory or apoptotic effects. Plants may show antioxidant properties and may affect the NO production In this chapter we will show some reports on some plants and NO production and their activity on inflammation and cells involved in the immune response.