Anti-Inflammatory Chilean Endemic Plants

Medicinal plants have been used since prehistoric times and continue to treat several diseases as a fundamental part of the healing process. Inflammation is a condition characterized by redness, pain, and swelling. This process is a hard response by living tissue to any injury. Furthermore, inflammation is produced by various diseases such as rheumatic and immune-mediated conditions, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes. Hence, anti-inflammatory-based treatments could emerge as a novel and exciting approach to treating these diseases. Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and this review introduces various native Chilean plants whose anti-inflammatory effects have been evaluated in experimental studies. Fragaria chiloensis, Ugni molinae, Buddleja globosa, Aristotelia chilensis, Berberis microphylla, and Quillaja saponaria are some native species analyzed in this review. Since inflammation treatment is not a one-dimensional solution, this review seeks a multidimensional therapeutic approach to inflammation with plant extracts based on scientific and ancestral knowledge.

Automated summary

Medicinal plants have a long history of being used to treat diseases, and their anti-inflammatory properties make them a novel approach to treating conditions such as rheumatic diseases, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. This review focuses on various native Chilean plants, such as Fragaria chiloensis and Berberis microphylla, whose anti-inflammatory effects have been studied in experimental research. By combining scientific and ancestral knowledge, this review aims to provide a multidimensional therapeutic approach to inflammation with plant extracts.