• DOI:10.5530/phrev.2019.2.4
• Published:November 2019

Authors: Danilo Maciel Carneiro,Thiago Veiga Jardim,Ymara Cássia LucianaAraújo,AnaCarolina Arantes,Andrea Cristina de Sousa,Weimar Kunz Sebba Barroso,Ana Luiza Lima Sousa,Luiz Carlos da Cunha,Hérica Núbia Cardoso Cirilo,Maria Teresa Freitas Bara,

and Paulo César Brandão Veiga Jardim

Author(s) affiliations:

Danilo Maciel Carneiro^1,2, Thiago Veiga Jardim¹, Ymara Cássia Luciana Araújo¹, Ana Carolina Arantes¹, Andrea Cristina de Sousa¹, Weimar Kunz Sebba Barroso¹, Ana Luiza Lima Sousa¹, Luiz Carlos da Cunha³,*, Hérica Núbia Cardoso Cirilo³, Maria Teresa Freitas Bara³, Paulo César Brandão Veiga Jardim^1,4

¹Hypertension League, School of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás (UFG). Goiânia – Goiás, BRAZIL.

²Reference Center in Integrative and Complementary Medicine of the State Health Department of Goiás, Goiânia – Goiás, BRAZIL.

³NEPET-UFG – Toxicopharmacological Studies and Research Group (School of Pharmacy-UFG). Goiânia – Goiás, BRAZIL.

⁴School of Medicine of UFG. FM/HC/UFG Hypertension League. Goiânia – Goiás, BRAZIL.

Abstract:

Relevant aspects to the clinical use of Equisetum arvense L. (common horsetail; EA) were reviewed and a search was conducted in the databases PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane and Scopus using the keyword “Equisetum arvense” for articles published from 2013 through 2017. So, eighty-eight articles that addressed the pharmacognostic aspects and in vitro and in vivo biological activity, clinical trials with Equisetum arvense (EA) combined with other plants or alone, case reports concerning possible drug interactions and review studies were selected. The most relevant reported pharmacological effects included antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, vascular and ileum smooth muscle relaxant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antilithiatic, dermatologic, wound healing, antileishmanial, diuretic, immunizing, platelet aggregation inhibitory, osteoblast response-promoting, remineralizing, anxiolytic, sedative, anticonvulsant and cognitive performance-stimulating activities. Five clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of phytotherapeutic complexes containing EA, with three for treating benign prostate hyperplasia, one for chronic musculoskeletal pain and one describing the effects of a topical preparation on brittle nail syndrome. Three clinical trials tested EA alone; one analyzed its pharmacokinetics; another addressed the wound-healing effect of 3% EA ointment and a randomized double-blind clinical trial found that the diuretic effect of EA was superior compared to the negative control and equivalent to treatment with hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/ day) without changes in electrolyte excretion. Considering its long history of traditional use in several countries, in vivo and in vitro research and more recent clinical studies, EA meets the requisites for having well-defined medical applications with proven efficacy and acceptable safety.

Reference:

https://www.phcogrev.com/article/2019/13/26/105530phrev201924