Innovation and Biodiversity: Patent Trends in Therapeutic and Cosmetic Use of Scientifically Relevant Pantanal Plants

Pantanal is the largest wetland on the American continent. This biome contains several plant species of interest for the development of medicines and cosmetics. Hence, this work aimed to review technologies described in patents concerning highly published plants from the Pantanal and their pharmacological and cosmetic applications. This research surveyed species in the Brazilian Pantanal and identified those with relevant scientific data. Patent searches for the selected species were conducted covering the past 10 years. Overall, 1859 plant and fungal species from the Pantanal were identified. Anacardium occidentale L., Annona montana Macfad., Annona muricata L., Annona squamosa L., and Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton presented the highest number of scientific publications. The patent search yielded 58 patents, mostly filed by private companies and in South Korea. Additionally, extracts were the primary products examined. The main pharmacological activities exploited were antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic. For cosmetic compositions, the main activities were anti-aging, anti-acne, hair loss, and skin whitening. Despite strong scientific evidence for the included plant species, their claimed activities, and filings from Countries with a strong history of technology development, most studies focused on extracts. Therefore, the development of formulations to deliver these plant extracts is encouraged to improve technology transfer.