Antimicrobial evaluation of ethanolic extracts from aroeira (Schinnus terebinthifolius): Review

Abstract

Faced with the growing emergence of resistant microorganisms, conventional treatments for some diseases may become ineffective, requiring the formulation of new drugs. In this sense, considering that drugs are usually made of compounds extracted from plants, this is the reason to research the antimicrobial activities of the most varied species. A literature review was conducted to determine whether there is scientific evidence available to support the antimicrobial action of mastic, specifically of its ethanolic extracts. The methodology employed for this review gathered the results of experimental studies already developed, with no limit of year of publication. To identify eligible studies, a search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Portal Periódicos CAPES, ScienceDirect and Scopus, and to document the literature search process the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used. The final sample of this review resulted in a set of 13 articles, which contained the eligibility criteria that best represented the properties researched. In the analysis of these studies, it was found that the ethanolic extract of the mastic tree has great potential to be used as an antimicrobial. The results provide important data and perspectives on the use of mastic as a natural antimicrobial for the treatment of infectious diseases. To this end, the parameter used was the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) of the selected studies, because it is a test that allows the evaluation of pathogen sensitivity to various products of natural origin and herbal medicines.