Traditional uses in the Amazon region and bioactives of pharmacological interest from Uncaria Tomentosa
1 – Cat’s Claw; 2 – Bioactives; 3 – Traditional Medicine
Uncaria tomentosa, popularly known as Cat's Claw, has emerged as a relevant plant due to its widely documented therapeutic properties and its potential use in medicine. The plant is widely used in indigenous South American medicine, mainly by the people of the Amazon, who use it to treat a variety of conditions, including inflammation, ulcers, arthritis, infectious diseases and even as an adjuvant in the treatment of cancer. Such traditional uses have motivated countless scientific research aimed at unveiling the mechanisms of action and the bioactive compounds responsible for these therapeutic effects. This study sought to consolidate scientific and traditional knowledge of the species of Uncaria tomentosa in order to stimulate pharmacological interest and regional development, in addition to validating a standardized methodology for obtaining the extract from this plant. To achieve this, this study was based on bibliographical research, systematic literature review, using sources such as official documents from the Ministry of Education, magazines and available scientific articles, such as Scielo, Elsevier, Research, Society and Development and NCBI. These magazines and websites stand out for housing a significant amount of publications from different countries, including Brazil. This approach provided a comprehensive and well-founded analysis, integrating varied perspectives to enrich the understanding of the topic in question. Among the results obtained, phytochemical studies that identified bioactive compounds in Uncaria tomentosa stand out, including oxindolic alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides and triterpenes. Among these, oxindole alkaloids are often identified as the main responsible for the plant's immunomodulatory properties. These compounds have also demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which reinforces the potential of Uncaria tomentosa as a multifunctional therapeutic agent.