Article review
- Open Access funded by Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia
- Under a Creative Commons license
Abstract
The term “nervios” is referred as a folk illness recognized by Mexican Traditional Medicine, and also widely reported across many countries in Latin America. “Nervios” are characterized by a “state of bodily and mental unrest”, which decreases the ability to achieve daily goals. The causes are varied; in fact, any situation that alters the emotional state or mood is interpreted as a possible triggering agent. Depression and anxiety are psychiatric disorders, which share symptoms, or can be included in the same group of disorders with “nervios”. The therapies are designed to reassure health, i.e. “calm the nerves”. For this propose, the oral administration of plants infusions is common. In this review we compile information regarding the plants used for the treatment of “nervios” in México, along with those for which reports of anxiolytic or/and antidepressive activity exist. We found 92 plant species used in folk medicine for the treatment of “nervios”, among these, sixteen have been studied experimentally. The most studied plant isGalphimia glauca Cav., Malpighiaceae, which current clinical studies have validated its efficacy in patients, and their active components, the triterpenes galphimine A, B, and C, identified. Inter-estingly only nine plants were found to be reported in folk medicine for the treatment of sad- ness or/and depression, but their antidepressant activity has not been investigated. However, among the plants used in folk medicine for treatment of “nervios”, several, as Litsea glaucescens Kunth, Lauraceae, have been proven to show antidepressant activity in experimental models, and some of their active compounds have been determined. These species could be a potential source of compounds with activity in the central nervous system.
Keywords
- Mexican medicinal plants;
- Nervios;
- Anxiety;
- Depression;
- Mexican traditional medicine
Introduction
“Nervios” is a group of human maladies recognized by Mexican Folk or Traditional Medicine, which can be translated as “jitters”. Synonyms are: “alteration of nerves, nerves, and nervousness”. “Nervios” are characterized by a “state of unrest in which is usual getting insomnia, loss of appetite or compulsive eating, anxiety, rapid pulse, occasional despair and other disorders such as hair loss, dermatitis and weakness. Any circumstances that alter the emotional state or mood are interpreted as possible triggering agents” (Zolla, 1990). Several ethnic groups of México, for instance the “Pame” ethnia at the State of San Luis Potosi, distinguish this group of maladies, and name them as “lamayin” (Chemin, 1984).
Several conditions are described as: sporadic, customary, and explosive. The first one is an occasional state suffered by any human being. The second is part of the character of an individual, which in itself is affected, and suffering from a state of chronic anxiety, among other symptoms. The third is a “nervous breakdown”, a severe condition, in which the individual shows little control over their emotions and actions, occurring suddenly in response to a stressful stimulus; loss of consciousness may occur (Guarnaccia et al., 1989; Zolla, 1990). The therapies are designed to reassure health, i.e. “calm the nerves”, recuperate sleep and appetite, and alleviate particular conditions of each case. The oral administration of plant infusions, decoctions, but also as inhalations, as well as hot or cold baths generally prepared with aromatic plant species is common. Massaging, rubbing and kneading the body (“sobadas”) are also prescribed for muscle relaxation and to reduce stress. Commonly therapies are accompanied by rituals and ceremonies in order to improve the psychological status ( Campos and Cano, 1979 and Zolla, 1990)
“Nervios” is referred as a folk illness; it is included in the “culture-bound syndromes”, treated in the Appendix I of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This manual defines “nervios” as an idiom of distress used throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, which reflects a broad range of expressions of negative feeling states due to stressful experiences (Alcántara et al., 2012), the phrase is helpful in indicating negative aspects of experiences, and associated culturally shaped communication patters (Durà-Vilà and Hodes, 2012). However, “nervios” is so widely reported across many contrasting regional, linguistic, and demographic barriers that it defies description as a culture- bound syndrome. The way the illness is experienced and conceptualized may vary across cultural groups (Guarnaccia, 1993). “Nervios” may be caused different reasons; in fact, every stressful situation can act as a triggering agent that alters the mood and induces depression or anxiety, for example, familiar, economic and/or working problems, strong impression or a social conflict (Guarnaccia et al., 1996). These individuals may experience a variety of social, political, economic and familiar issues (Weller et al., 2008).
