Molecules (Mar 2011)

Analgesic-like Activity of Essential Oils Constituents

  • Damião Pergentino de Sousa

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules16032233
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 3
pp. 2233 – 2252

Abstract

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Research on neuroactive drugs is a pharmaceutical sector of high interest and growth. The discovery of efficient drugs that can relieve pain is a subject of research in the pharmaceutical industry and academic field because pain is a symptom of many diseases. This review will summarize results on the discovery of essential oil constituents with analgesic-like activity from the chemical and pharmacological perspectives. Overall, 43 bioactive compounds were selected in nociception models. Among them, 62.8% were monoterpenes, 18.6% sesquiterpenes and other constituents represented 18.6%. The data show the potential of this group of natural product chemicals as analgesic drugs that may be useful for therapeutic purposes.

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