Abstract
The search for molecules that contribute to the relief of pain is a field of research in constant development. Lamiaceae is one of the most recognized families world-wide for its use in traditional medicine to treat diseases that include pain and inflammation. Mexico can be considered one of the most important centers of diversification, and due to the high endemism of this family, it is crucial for the in situ conservation of this family. Information about the most common genera and species found in this country and their uses in folk medicine are scarcely reported in the literature. After an extensive inspection in bibliographic databases, mainly Sciencedirect, Pubmed and Springer, almost 1200 articles describing aspects of Lamiaceae were found; however, 217 articles were selected because they recognize the Mexican genera and species with antinociceptive and/or anti-inflammatory potential to relieve pain, such as Salvia and Agastache. The bioactive constituents of these genera were mainly terpenes (volatile and non-volatile) and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids (glycosides and aglycone). The aim of this review is to analyze important aspects of Mexican genera of Lamiaceae, scarcely explored as a potential source of secondary metabolites responsible for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of these species. In addition, we point out the possible mechanisms of action involved and the modulatory pathways investigated in different experimental models. As a result of this review, it is important to mention that scarce information has been reported regarding species of this family from Mexican genera. In fact, despite Calosphace being one of the largest subgenera of Salvia in the world, found mainly in Mexico, it has been barely investigated regarding its potential biological activities and recognized bioactive constituents. The scientific evidence regarding the different bioactive constituents found in species of Lamiaceae demonstrates that several species require further investigation in preclinical studies, and of course also in controlled clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of these natural products to support their therapeutic potential in pain relief and/or inflammation, among other health conditions. Since Mexico is one of the most important centers of diversification, and due to the high endemism of species of this family, it is crucial their rescue, in situ conservation, and investigation of their health benefits.
Highlights
The term Labiatae comes from the Latin word “labia”, which means “lip”, and refers to the peculiar morphological characteristic of all the species that belong to this family, which have the corolla split into an upper lip and a lower one
We provide evidence of the minimal number of species explored to investigate potential secondary metabolites responsible for their antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties and point out the mechanisms of action involved and modulatory pathways by using different experimental models
Mexico can be considered one of the most important centers of diversification, and due to the high endemism of this family, it is crucial for the in situ conservation of this family [35] (Figure 2B)
Summary
The term Labiatae comes from the Latin word “labia”, which means “lip”, and refers to the peculiar morphological characteristic of all the species that belong to this family, which have the corolla split into an upper lip and a lower one. This term precedes the name Lamiaceae, which comes from the Greek “laimos” referring to the “gaping mounth”. The Lamiaceae family belongs to the order Lamiales, in the clade Lamids, in the Eudicots [2]. Various studies report that the members of this family are a source of phytochemical compounds with health benefits or play an active role in the improvement of diseases, mainly due to the content and type of compounds, the main ones being essential oils, terpenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids [5,6], many of which can be used to relieve pain
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