Ferns with important ethnomedicinal value and chemical and biological aspects of Nephrolepis cordifolia: brief review
Resumo
The Atlântic Forest comprises native forest formations which make it one of the main biomes in Brazil while the Cerrado is a strategical biome due to its diversity and economic resource. Ferns play important roles in both ecosystems and in the social context. Even though there are few studies of Pteridophytes, they have become fundamental not only to phytoremediation, but also to chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Ferns have different forms of life since they may be terrestrial, epiphytic, rupicolous, aquatic, hemiepiphyte and climbing plants which range from tiny herbaceous plants to arborescent ones. Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl, which is mostly found in the world’s tropical and subtropical regions, is an ornamental fern that belongs to the Nephrolepidaceae family and whose young fronds and tubers are edible in some countries. Besides, it has medicinal properties against certain diseases, such as rheumatism and anorexia, and symptoms, such as nasal congestion. This brief report aims at compiling results of studies of chemical and biological applications of ferns, mainly the ones exhibited by the N. cordifolia species, such as the main secondary metabolites it biosynthesizes, its lab-proven biological activities and its uses in folk medicine.
Downloads
DECLARAÇÃO DE ORIGINALIDADE E DIREITOS AUTORAIS
Declaro que o presente artigo é original, não tendo sido submetido à publicação em qualquer outro periódico nacional ou internacional, quer seja em parte ou em sua totalidade.
Os direitos autorais pertencem exclusivamente aos autores. Os direitos de licenciamento utilizados pelo periódico é a licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0): são permitidos o compartilhamento (cópia e distribuição do material em qualqer meio ou formato) e adaptação (remix, transformação e criação de material a partir do conteúdo assim licenciado para quaisquer fins, inclusive comerciais.
Recomenda-se a leitura desse link para maiores informações sobre o tema: fornecimento de créditos e referências de forma correta, entre outros detalhes cruciais para uso adequado do material licenciado.