Anti-inflamatórios sintéticos e fitoterápicos: ação sobre enzimas e processos envolvidos na hemostasia

Abstract

The use of medicinal and phytoterapic plants is a very important practice in the field of health studies. Besides being an alternative form for the treatment of diseases, several studies prove that these practices have fewer side effects when compared to synthetic medicines. Diseases originated and developed from inflammatory processes havebeen affecting the humankind increasingly, highlighting the need for alternative treatments development and application. Hence, this study aims to obtain information on the efficacy and safety of phytoterapic medicines. It seeks to promote the prescription and use of these medicines, encouraging the resumption of natural practices for the prevention and primary treatment of diseases. The anti-inflammatory phytotherapicswere evaluated in order to prove their efficiency, and their actions were compared to those of synthetic anti-inflammatories. In this way, phytotherapics based on Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Zingiberofficinale Roscoe (ginger) were chosen based on their pharmacological properties described by RENISUS (Brazilian National Relation of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Unified Health System). Both plants are described with anti-inflammatory action related to the activity of secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds. The phytotherapicsturmeric and ginger, which were obtained commercially, have a technical report of chemical composition determined by HPLC. The results show that the phytotherapic based on turmeric was mainly composed of ferulic, vanillic, caffeic and coumaric acids, and the vanillic acid was at the higher concentration in ginger. In vitro research was also conducted to evaluate the modulatory action of phytotherapeutic and allopathic anti-inflammatory drugs (nimesulide and diclofenac sodium) on enzymes involved in blood coagulation and inflammation processes. The tests were also performed after simulation of the passage of the drugs by the gastric fluid. Hemolytic activity, was potentialized by ginger and turmeric phytotherapics (30% and 33%, respectively) under the conditions evaluated. Nimesulidepotentializedhaemolysis by 60% and diclofenac sodium by 43% and the thrombolytic activity, induced by proteases, was inhibited in 53% and 39% by nimesulide and diclofenac, respectively. Whereas for the ginger and turmeric phytoterapic products, the greatest inhibitions were 32% and 54%, respectively. Both synthetic and phytotherapeutic drugs prolonged the coagulation time induced by proteases after incubation. In the anti-inflammatory activity, evaluated by the high temperature hemolysis test, inhibitions of 89% were observed for ginger and 95% for turmeric, 91% for nimesulide and 93% for diclofenac. The results confirm the potential therapeutic use of ginger and turmeric in the prevention and treatment of haemostatic disorders. These drugs may act on pathophysiological processes, such as inflammatory response and blood coagulation, since the enzymes used as tools to induce the activities evaluated have high homology with human enzymes.