Review of antiviral and immunomodulating properties of plants of the Peruvian rainforest with a particular emphasis on Una de Gato and Sangre de Grado

Viral diseases, including emerging and chronic viruses, are an increasing worldwide health concern. As a consequence, the discovery of new antiviral agents from plants has assumed more urgency than in the past. A number of native Amazonian medicines of plant origin are known to have antimicrobial an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAlternative medicine review Vol. 6; no. 6; pp. 567 - 579
Main Author Williams, J E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Thorne Research Inc 01.12.2001
Subjects
Antibody Formation - drug effects
Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use
Cat's Claw - chemistry
Consumer health
Croton - chemistry
Ethnobotany
Evaluation
Humans
Immunity, Cellular - drug effects
Medicinal plants
Medicine, Botanic
Medicine, Herbal
Peru
Phytotherapy
Virus Diseases - drug therapy
Peru
United States
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Summary:Viral diseases, including emerging and chronic viruses, are an increasing worldwide health concern. As a consequence, the discovery of new antiviral agents from plants has assumed more urgency than in the past. A number of native Amazonian medicines of plant origin are known to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, although only a few have been studied for their antiviral properties and immunomodulating effects. Those most studied include: Sangre de Grado (drago) (Croton lechleri) in the Euphorbiaceae family and Una de Gato (Uncaria tomentosa) in the Rubiaceae family. This article reviews the chemical composition, pharmacological properties, state of current research, clinical use, and potential antiviral and immunomodulating activity of these and other plants from the Peruvian Amazon.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:1089-5159
2169-1509