Medicinal Plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Used as Immunostimulants

Abstract

A literature review was undertaken by analyzing distinguished books, undergraduate and postgraduate theses, and peer-reviewed scientific articles and by consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases, such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, SCIELO, Medline, and Google Scholar. Medicinal plants used as immunostimulants were classified into two categories: (1) plants with pharmacological studies and (2) plants without pharmacological research. Medicinal plants with pharmacological studies of their immunostimulatory properties were subclassified into four groups as follows: (a) plant extracts evaluated forin vitroeffects, (b) plant extracts with documentedin vivoeffects, (c) active compounds tested onin vitrostudies, and (d) active compounds assayed in animal models. Pharmacological studies have been conducted on 29 of the plants, including extracts and compounds, whereas 75 plants lack pharmacological studies regarding their immunostimulatory activity. Medicinal plants were experimentally studiedin vitro(19 plants) andin vivo(8 plants). A total of 12 compounds isolated from medicinal plants used as immunostimulants have been tested usingin vitro(11 compounds) andin vivo(2 compounds) assays. This review clearly indicates the need to perform scientific studies with medicinal flora from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, to obtain new immunostimulatory agents.