New therapeutic approaches using medicinal plants from the Caatinga for the treatment of anxiety

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is an ancient practice that continues to generate debate in scientific circles. Over time, innovations, discoveries and adaptations have emerged in this field. In this context, the use of medicinal plants to treat global diseases, as a concern, has been a frequently pursued approach. An example of this are medicinal plants from the Caatinga biome, which present promising results in scientific studies. The objective of this research was to investigate a potential path in the treatment of anxiety, focusing on the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants originating from the Caatinga. To this end, a narrative review of the literature was carried out, using articles available in the following databases: National Library of Medicine (NLM/PubMed), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). The research results indicated that the Caatinga biome has several plants with therapeutic potential for the treatment of anxiety, such as: Croton blanchetianus, Aloysia gratíssima, Lippia medoides which has calming effects, as well as Cnidoscolus quercifolius, Anadenanthera colubrina, Tabebuia aurea which act in the central nervous system and has sedative potential. The use of these plants opens up space for the pharmacist to act through phytotherapy and pharmaceutical care, contributing to better rationality and therapeutic indication. Thus, studies like this highlight the importance of new approaches and in-depth exploration of a biome so rich in bioactive substances, which can be useful in tackling several emerging public health problems, such as anxiety.