Health functions and related molecular mechanisms of Miconia genus: A systematic review

Abstract

The Miconia genus is traditionally used in folk medicine in Brazil and other tropical American countries and is represented by 282 species in this region. It is a multifaceted genus of medicinal plants widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), pain, inflammatory diseases, and many more therapeutic applications. In the present study, we systematically identify and discuss the literature on in vivo and in vitro studies focusing on the therapeutic potentials and related molecular mechanisms of the Miconia genus. The review also assessed phytochemicals and their pharmacological properties and considered safety concerns related to the genus. Literature searches to identify studies on the Miconia genus were carried out through four main electronic databases, namely PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science limited to Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) and Descriptores en Ciencias de la Salud (DCS) (Health Sciences Descriptors) to identify studies published up to December 2022. The relevant information about the genus was gathered using the keywords 'Miconia', 'biological activities', 'therapeutic mechanisms', 'animal model, 'cell-line model', 'antinociceptive', 'hyperalgesia', 'anti-inflammatory', and 'inflammation'. The therapeutic potentials and mechanisms of action of 14 species from genus Miconia were examined in 18 in vitro studies and included their anti-inflammatory, anticancer, analgesic, antibacterial, cytotoxic, mutagenic, antioxidant, anti-leishmanial, antinociceptive, schistosomicidal, and anti-osteoarthritis potentials, and in eight in vivo studies, assessing their analgesic, antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-osteoarthritis activities. Some of the main related molecular mechanisms identified are the modulation of cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as the inhibition of inflammatory mediators and prostaglandin synthesis. The limited number of studies showed that commonly available species from the genus Miconia are safe for consumption. Miconia albicans Sw.Triana and Miconia rubiginosa (Bonpl.) DC was the most frequently used species and showed significant efficacy and potential for developing safe drugs to treat pain and inflammation.

Keywords: Analgesic; Animal model; Anti-inflammatory; Antioxidant; Miconia; Therapeutic mechanism.

Fig. 1

Flow chart diagram of the selection process of eligible studies.

Fig. 2

A bar graph showing the number of articles, their citations, and the year they were published about the genus Miconia.

Fig. 3

A–C. Promising phytochemical structures identified/isolated from different Miconia plant species that are responsible for a variety of biological functions from the reviewed studies.

Fig. 3

A–C. Promising phytochemical structures identified/isolated from different Miconia plant species that are responsible for a variety of biological functions from the reviewed studies.

Fig. 3

A–C. Promising phytochemical structures identified/isolated from different Miconia plant species that are responsible for a variety of biological functions from the reviewed studies.

Fig. 4

The in vivo biological studies evaluated the therapeutic potentials of the Miconia species, such as their analgesic, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-arthritis, joint pain, and anti-osteoarthritis activities The extracts and secondary metabolites from Miconia species, such as phenolic compounds, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, triterpenes, sterols, ellagitannins independently or synergistically, might have contributed to strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities through cytokine-mediated responses. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine production might have modulated various ILs-mediated cellular responses to the tested diseases, especially for treating osteoarthritis, and joint pain.

Fig. 5

In vitro pharmacological studies of Miconia species showed several crucial health benefits, mainly focused on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, antibacterial, anti-leishmanial, antinociceptive, schistosomicidal, anti-osteoarthritis, cytotoxic, and mutagenic activities. Phenolic compounds, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, ellagitannins, chlorogenic acids, fatty acids, and many more, might have contributed to the aforementioned therapeutic potentials of Miconia species. Evidence indicates that the extracts and secondary metabolites from Miconia species are also safe for consumption and could be explored further for managing diseases.