ABSTRACT Uses of medicinal plants by people around the world significantly contribute and guide biologically active compounds research that can be useful in the combat against various diseases. Due to a great chemical and structural variety found in their vegetal structures it consolidates ethnopharmacology as an important science for the pharmaceutical section. Inserted in the diversity of medicinal plants, is the Maytenus genus, whose research has already revealed lots of isolated substances which are responsible for a great variety of biological activities, among which we cite analgesic and anti-inflammatory, for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gastritis, ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this review article is to make a compendium of the Maytenus genus and its isolated chemical compounds, among them tingenone. The elucidation of its mechanism of action reveals promising sources for the development of new drugs specially targeted for the treatment of painful inflammatory diseases.

Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers, Bignoniaceae, is native to the Brazilian Cerrado and popularly known as "cipó-de-são-joão". In Brazilian folk medicine, the flowers of P. venusta are used as a general tonic and a treatment for diarrhea, vitiligo, cough, and common infections and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. Nevertheless, there are still no studies on its possible anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. The P. venusta hydroethanolic extract (PvHE) was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in carrageenan-induced paw edema, peritonitis induced by lipopolysaccharide, acetic acid-induced writhing, and formalin-induced paw-licking tests in Swiss male mice. PvHE at doses of 30-300 mg/kg p.o. demonstrated anti-inflammatory effect. PvHE reduced paw edema induced by carrageenan and inhibited leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity. The extracts showed antinociceptive activity in acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin tests. Our results showed that the PvHE demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive action in mice. All the anti-inflammatory actions obtained are also suggested to due the presence of acacetin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside.