Review Article Jatropha Gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae): a Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of This Medicinal Plant
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Hindawi Publishing Corporation Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2014, Article ID 369204, 32 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/369204 Review Article Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae): A Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of This Medicinal Plant Juliana Félix-Silva,1 Raquel Brandt Giordani,2 Arnóbio Antonio da Silva-Jr,1 Silvana Maria Zucolotto,2 and Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa1 1 Laboratorio´ de Tecnologia & Biotecnologia Farmaceuticaˆ (TecBioFar), Programa de Pos-graduac´ ¸ao˜ em Cienciasˆ Farmaceuticas(PPgCF),UniversidadeFederaldoRioGrandedoNorte(UFRN),RuaGeneralCordeirodeFarias,s/n,ˆ Petropolis,´ 59012-570 Natal, RN, Brazil 2 Laboratorio´ de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Farmacia,´ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Rua General Cordeiro de Farias, s/n, Petropolis,´ 59012-570 Natal, RN, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa; [email protected] Received 24 February 2014; Revised 1 May 2014; Accepted 1 May 2014; Published 5 June 2014 Academic Editor: Shi-Biao Wu Copyright © 2014 Juliana Felix-Silva´ et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), widely known as “bellyache bush,” is a medicinal plant largely used throughout Africa and America. Several human and veterinary uses in traditional medicine are described for different parts and preparations based on this plant. However, critical reviews discussing emphatically its medicinal value are missing. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the traditional uses, as well as the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity data of J. gossypiifolia species, in view of discussing its medicinal value and potential application in complementary and alternative medicine. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated significant action of different extracts and/or isolated compounds as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, and anticancer agents, among others, supporting some of its popular uses. No clinical trial has been detected to date. Further studies are necessary to assay important folk uses, as well as to find new bioactive molecules with pharmacological relevance based on the popular claims. Toxicological studies associated with phytochemical analysis are important to understand the eventual toxic effects that could reduce its medicinal value. The present review provides insights for future research aiming for both ethnopharmacological validation of its popular use and its exploration as a new source of herbal drugs and/or bioactive natural products. 1. Introduction is derived from the Greek words “jatros,”whichmeans “doctor” and “trophe,” meaning “food,” which is associated The Euphorbiaceae family, which is considered one of the with its medicinal uses [3]. The Jatropha genus is divided largest families of Angiosperms, covers about 7,800 species into two subgenera, Jatropha and curcas, from which the distributed in approximately 300 genera and 5 subfamilies subgenus Jatropha has the widest distribution, with species worldwide. These species occur preferentially in tropical and found in Africa, India, South America, West Indies, Central subtropical environments [1, 2]. America,andtheCaribbean[4]. Jatropha species are used in Among the main genera belonging to this family, there traditional medicine to cure various ailments in Africa, Asia, is Jatropha L., which belongs to the subfamily Crotonoideae, and Latin America or as ornamental plants and energy crops Jatropheae tribe and is represented by about 200 species. [3]. Several known species from genus Jatropha have been This genus is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical reported for their medicinal uses, chemical constituents, and regions of Africa and the Americas [1]. The name “Jatropha” biological activities such as Jatropha curcas, Jatropha elliptica, 2 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Jatropha gossypiifolia,andJatropha mollissima,amongothers 2. Methodology [3]. From these species, Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Figure 1) An extensive review of the literature was undertaken in is discussed here. It is a vegetal species widely known different national and international scientific sources, such as “bellyache bush” and is a multipurpose medicinal plant as Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (http://www.crd largelyusedinfolkmedicineforthetreatmentofvarious .york.ac.uk/CRDWeb/), The Cochrane Library (http://www diseases [3, 5, 6]. It is widely distributed in countries of .thecochranelibrary.com), PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm tropical, subtropical, and dry tropical weather and tropical .nih.gov/pubmed/), Science Direct (http://www.science- semiarid regions of Africa and the Americas [7]. In Brazil, it direct.com/), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com/), Lilacs predominates in the Amazon, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest (http://lilacs.bvsalud.org/), Scielo (http://www.scielo.org/ and is distributed throughout the country in the North, php/index.php), Web of Knowledge (http://apps.webof- Northeast, Midwest, South, and Southeast regions [8]. knowledge.com), and the Brazilian database of thesis and Several human and veterinary uses in traditional dissertations “Dom´ınio Publico”´ (http://www.dominiopubli- medicine are described for different parts (leaves, stems, co.gov.br/pesquisa/PesquisaPeriodicoForm.jsp). The study roots, seeds, and latex) and preparations (infusion, decoction, database included original articles, theses, books, and and maceration, among others) based on this plant, other reports that preferentially had been judged for by different routes (oral or topical). The most frequent academic quality (peer-reviewed), covering several reports concern its antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, aspects of the vegetal species (botany, phytochemistry, antiophidian, analgesic, antipyretic, antimicrobial, healing, traditional uses, pharmacology, or toxicology), dating antianemic, antidiabetic, and antihemorrhagic activities, from 1967 (first scientific report) to November 2013, among many other examples [3, 5, 7, 9]. Other uses are also without language restriction. The search strategy was related to this plant, such as biodiesel production, pesticide, constructed based on the scientific name, synonyms, and insecticide, vermifuge, ornamentation, and even its use in main popular names of the species identified by the botanical religious rituals [3, 6, 10–13]. databases “Flora do Brasil” (http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br), An important feature of J. gossypiifolia species is that, due Tropicos (http://www.tropicos.org), The Plant List (http:// to its important potential medicinal applications, in Brazil, it www.theplantlist.org), and NCBI Taxonomy Browser (http:// is included in the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/taxonomy). The search strategy to the Brazilian Public Health System (Relac¸ao˜ Nacional de contained the combination of the following terms: “Jatropha Plantas Medicinais de Interesse ao Sistema Unico´ de Saude´ gossypiifolia”OR“Jatropha gossypifolia”OR“Jatropha Brasileiro—RENISUS),whichisareportpublishedbythe gossipyifolia”OR“Manihot gossypiifolia”OR“Adenoropium BrazilianHealthMinistryinFebruary2009thatincludes71 gossypiifolium”OR“Adenoropium elegans”OR“Jatropha species of medicinal plants that have the potential to generate elegans”OR“Jatropha staphysagriifolia”OR“pinhao˜ roxo” pharmaceutical products of interest to public health of Brazil OR “pinhao-roxo”˜ OR “piao˜ roxo” OR “piao-roxo”˜ OR “peao-˜ [14]. roxo” OR “peao˜ roxo” OR “batata-de-teu” OR “bata de teu” Regarding its phytochemical constitution, alkaloids, OR “erva-purgante” OR “erva purgante” OR “jalapao”˜ OR coumarins, flavonoids, lignoids, phenols, saponins, steroids, “mamoninha” OR “raiz-de-teiu”´ OR “raiz de teiu”´ OR “peao-˜ tannins, and terpenoids were already detected in different curador” OR “peao˜ curador” OR “peao-paj˜ e”´ OR “peao˜ paje”´ extracts from different parts of this plant [15]. OR “piao-caboclo”˜ OR “piao˜ caboclo” OR “black physicnut” Among the main activities already studied for this OR “bellyache bush”. The Endnote X.3.0.1 reference manager species (including various types of extracts from differ- was used. The software ACD/ChemSketch Freeware Version ent parts of the plant), the antihypertensive, antimicrobial, 12.01 was used to draw the chemical structures. anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antineoplasic activities mainly stand out, supporting some of its popular uses [3, 16]. 3. Botanic Information Some toxicity studies have shown that despite the known toxicity of Jatropha species, J. gossypiifolia presented low Jatropha gossypiifolia Linneus is a Euphorbiaceae plant toxicity in some in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, popularly known worldwide as “bellyache bush” or “black some studies have indicated that ethanolic extract from the physicnut”. It is a pantropical species originating from South leaves, in acute oral use, is safe for rats, but with chronic use, America that is cultivated in tropical countries throughout it could be toxic [17–19]. the world [20–22]. So,inviewofthepotentialapplicationsofthisplant, In Brazil, it is known by various popular names and the this review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the most common are “pinhao-roxo,˜ ”“piao-roxo,˜