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Ethnobotany, Chemistry, and Biological Activities of the Genus Tithonia (Asteraceae)
Author(s) -
ChagasPaula Daniela A.,
Oliveira Rejane B.,
Rocha Bruno A.,
Da Costa Fernando B.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201100019
Subject(s) - tithonia , genus , phytochemistry , ethnobotany , chemistry , antidiarrhoeal , antimicrobial , traditional medicine , asteraceae , botany , biology , medicinal plants , biochemistry , organic chemistry , medicine , castor oil
The genus Tithonia is an important source of diverse natural products, particularly sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenes, and flavonoids. The collected information in this review attempts to summarize the recent developments in the ethnobotany, biological activities, and secondary metabolite chemistry of this genus. More than 100 structures of natural products from Tithonia are reported in this review. The species that has been most investigated in this genus is T. diversifolia , from which ca. 150 compounds were isolated. Biological studies are described to evaluate the anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, antimalarial, antiviral, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, vasorelaxant, cancer‐chemopreventive, cytotoxic, toxicological, bioinsecticide, and repellent activities. A few of these studies have been carried out with isolated compounds from Tithonia species, but the majority has been conducted with different extracts. The relationship between the biological activity and the toxicity of compounds isolated from the plants of this genus as well as T. diversifolia extracts still remains unclear, and mechanisms of action remain to be determined.