RESUMO
Rubus liebmannii is an endemic species from Mexico used in traditional medicine primarily to treat dysentery and cough. The in vitro activity against Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica that produces the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant led us to expand the pharmacological and phytochemical research of this species. Gastrointestinal disorders including amebiasis remain one of the health problems that need to be addressed and it is of interest to find alternatives that improve their treatment. Also, it is important to emphasize that R. liebmannii grows wild in the country and is not found in abundance; therefore, alternatives that avoid overexploitation of the natural resource are mandatory. Ongoing with the evaluation of the potentialities that R. liebmannii possesses for treating infectious gastrointestinal diseases, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects and the chemical composition of the micropropagated plant.
RESUMO
UNLABELLED: The plant species Ageratina pichinchensis has been used, for many years, in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of superficial mycosis. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study compared the therapeutic effectiveness and tolerability of two concentrations of the standardized extract from Ageratina pichinchensis (12.6 and 16.8%) on patients with clinical and mycological diagnosis of mild and moderate onychomycosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two identical phytopharmaceuticals (containing the standardized extract from Ageratina pichinchensis) in nail lacquer solution for topical administration were evaluated in a double-blind clinical trial. Treatments were administered for 6 months to patients distributed in two groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of 122 patients who agreed to participate in the study, 103 (84.4%) concluded the treatment. The therapeutic effectiveness exhibited by the 12.6% Ageratina pichinchensis extract was 67.2%, while that of the 16.8% Ageratina pichinchensis extract was 79.1%. Regarding clinical evolution, analysis of results at the end of treatment evidenced that the 16.8% concentration possesses higher therapeutic effectiveness with a significant statistical difference (p=0.010). No treatment produced side effects. CONCLUSION: Both concentrations of phytopharmaceuticals possess high rates of effectiveness on patients with mild and moderate onychomycosis, and the formulation with a 16.8% concentration possesses higher effectiveness.