The use of herbal medicines in the treatment of anxiety
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i16.38643Keywords:
Anxiety; Valeriana officinalis; Herbal medicines; Passiflora incarnata.Abstract
Anxiety is a vague and unpleasant feeling of fear, characterized by discomfort derived from an anticipation of danger, of something unknown. Valeriana officinalis is the most used plant in therapy, rich in valerenic and isovaleric acids, being widely used to treat health problems such as insomnia, anxiety and stress. Passiflora incarnata is a medicinal plant used in the preparation of infusions, tinctures and herbal remedies to combat anxiety and insomnia. The aim of this article is to carry out a narrative bibliographical review highlighting aspects related to the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of anxiety. In the methodology, a systematic review will be carried out where an exploratory reading will be carried out, evaluating the title and abstract of the article. The search considered only articles published in 2010-2022 in the following languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish. Secondary studies, articles repeated in searches and other materials that deviated from the research topic were excluded. Of the 576 studies found in the search, 10 were used for this study. The studies showed that there are already researches that prove the effects of Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata plants in the treatment of anxiety. Both plants act directly on the central nervous system using GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps in the treatment of anxiety. After exploring the botanical and phytochemical profile of these plants, and also evaluating the selected studies, it can be concluded that the plants Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata can and are already used in the herbal field as drugs to reduce anxiety.
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