Elisangela Bini Dorigon’s scientific contributions

Introduction: Alternanthera brasiliana, commonly known as Penicillin, belongs to the Amaranthaceae family and is popularly used in the treatment of various pathologies due to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic properties and its inhibitory activity against the herpes simplex virus. Despite its empirical use, pharmaceutical industry investigations into the biological characteristics of this species have been limited. Objective: Carry out a systematic literature review on the biological activities, types of extraction and chemical composition of Alternanthera brasiliana, aiming to provide an update on the state of the art of knowledge regarding the species, contributing to the scientific prospection of new drugs. Contribute to the development of drugs and expand understanding of the pharmacological properties of Alternanthera brasiliana. Materials and methods: Therefore, the guiding question of this research was the following: Do the chemical components and biological properties identified in Alternanthera brasiliana have pharmacological actions? The adopted methodology comprises a systematic literature review, searching for articles in the PubMed, SciELO, Web of Science, EBSCO, SCOPUS and Science Direct databases, covering the period from 2003 to 2023. Studies that address the chemical composition and the biological properties of Alternanthera brasiliana, using analytical methods such as LC-MS and GC-MS. Results: The main constituents identified were phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, saponins, alkaloids and terpenes. These compounds were mainly extracted from leaves using hydroalcoholic, aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts. Its highlighted biological activities include anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, wound healing and antimicrobial effects. Conclusion: Alternanthera brasiliana shows promise as a source for the development of new medicines due to its chemical composition and biological properties. Originality: This study offers perspectives for application in the development of pharmaceuticals and nutraceutical products.