Therapeutic Potential of Brazilian Cerrado Campomanesia Species on Metabolic Dysfunctions

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 9; p. 2336
• Main Authors: Cardozo, Carla Maiara Lopes, Inada, Aline Carla, Marcelino, Gabriela, Figueiredo, Priscila Silva, Arakaki, Daniela Granja, Hiane, Priscila Aiko, Cardoso, Claudia Andrea Lima, Guimarães, Rita de Cássia Avellaneda, Freitas, Karine de Cássia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 13.09.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Atherosclerosis; Biodiversity; Brazilian Cerrado; Campomanesia species; Cardiovascular disease; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cytokines; Diabetes; Ecosystems; Food; Fruits; Herbal medicine; Humans; Hypertension; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin resistance; Lipids; Low density lipoprotein; medicinal plants; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - drug therapy; Myrtaceae - chemistry; Obesity; obesity-induced metabolic syndrome; Oxidative stress; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Review; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Brazil; Cerrado Biome; Africa; obesity-induced metabolic syndrome; medicinal plants; Brazilian Cerrado; Campomanesia species
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092336

Obesity, in conjunction with other metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, is a feature of metabolic syndrome which is characterized by a pro-inflammatory state and increased oxidative stress. Therefore, antioxidant foods are proposed to prevent and treat these disorders. Medicinal plants are one of the main strategies in this regard. Guavira, a Brazilian Cerrado plant, contains different bioactive compounds with a high antioxidant capacity and without clinical or reproductive toxicity effects. Though there are different varieties of guavira, the principal Brazilian Cerrado guaviras demonstrated hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic actions. There is also a potential antiplatelet agent in C. xanthocarpa, while C. adamantium displayed hypocholesterolemic actions in animal models and human clinical trials. On the other hand, even with a lack of studies related to C. pubescens, it demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and an antioxidant capacity in in vitro studies. Despite the fact that most of the studies were not performed to evaluate pathological conditions specific to obese animal models or obese subjects, guavira demonstrated effects in metabolic disorders that are commonly related to the obesity context, such as cardiovascular disturbances and hyperglycemia status. This suggests that guavira is a potential therapeutic approach to obesity-induced metabolic syndrome.