From Folk Medicine to Pharmacology: A Systematic Review of the Anti-Inflammatory Evidence for Hymenaea spp. (Fabaceae)
<i>Hymenaea</i> spp. (Fabaceae) are widely used in folk medicine to treat fatigue, inflammation, respiratory, and gastrointestinal disorders. However, comprehensive evidence-based evaluations of their pharmacological potential remain limited. This systematic review brought together the existing pharmacological and phytochemical evidence on the significant therapeutic potential of <i>Hymenaea</i> spp. A total of 17 studies were included; phytochemical analyses identified flavonoids, triterpenes, procyanidins, xyloglucans, and caryophyllene oxide among the major bioactive constituents. The reported biological activities were primarily anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative. Mechanistic findings consistently substantiated anti-inflammatory evidence through COX/LOX inhibition, cytokines, and redox-related modulations. Despite these promising results, the molecular mechanisms and translational evidence remain poorly defined. In conclusion, <i>Hymenaea</i> spp. exhibit significant pharmacological potential. Future studies integrating metabolomics and preclinical and clinical validation are essential to translating traditional knowledge of this species into evidence-based therapeutics.
Authors
- Leonardo Luíz Borges (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2183-3944)
- Élson Alves Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1996-0901)
- José Luís Rodrigues Martins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3516-5350)
- Luís Eduardo Maggi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3931-7921)
- Fabiana Aparecida Marques
- Iransé Oliveira‐Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2692-1548)
- João Maurício Fernandes Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1945-6695)
- Rogério de Freitas Lacerda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1249-7988)
- Joy Cavalcante (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1456-0482)
- Sandro Dutra e Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0001-5726)
- James Oluwagbamigbe Fajemiroye (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7440-7581)
- Roberta de Freitas Lopes
- Adriely de Brito Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2188-0788)
- Lucimar Pinheiro Rosseto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6611-4770)
- Lucas Barbosa Ribeiro de Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9365-7196)
- O. Silva
- Natascha de Vasconcellos Otoya
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Acre (BR)
- Universidade Evangelica de Goiás (BR)
- Instituto Federal Goiano (BR)
- Universidade Estadual de Goiás (BR)
- Instituto Federal do Acre (BR)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Goiás (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Plants
- Published
- 2025-11-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14223545
- Primary Topic
- Bioactive natural compounds
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00