Volume 26, Issue 3, May–June 2016, Pages 392–399
Open Access
Review Article
- a Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- b Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Received 28 September 2015, Accepted 14 January 2016, Available online 28 March 2016
- Open Access funded by Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia
- Under a Creative Commons license
Abstract
Eryngium creticum Lam. (E. cyaneum Sibth. & Sm., E. syriacum
Lam.), Saniculoideae, Apiaceae is of great importance in the
traditional Greco – Arab medicine. This study was carried out in order
to contribute to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of this medicinal
species. This review describes the botanical characterization and
distribution, as well as critically assesses the phytochemical
properties and biological activities of E. creticum, a species
that has been used in traditional medicine for many decades. Possible
trends and perspectives for future research of this plant are discussed,
as well. E. creticum has been found to contain several
chemical constituents, mostly sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, aldehydes,
coumarins, sitosterols and sugars. Eryngo with its bioactive compounds
possesses a wild range of biological activities. It was reported that in
traditional medicine E. creticum was applied mainly as the
remedy for snake and scorpion bites. Some published studies have shown a
broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities, including
anti-snake and anti-scorpion venom, as well as antibacterial, antifungal
and antileishmanial effects. Other have indicated antihyperglycemic,
hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities of this species. The in vitro studies and in vivo models have provided a simple bioscientific explanation for its various ethnopharmacological uses.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Eryngium creticum;
- Eryngo;
- Ethnopharmacology;
- Phytochemistry;
- Pharmacological activity
Introduction
To
promote traditional medicine and herbal therapeutics, there should be
provided the knowledge of plant bioactive compounds playing an important
role in human healthcare and the scientific confirmation of their
traditional use. Eryngium creticum Lam., Apiaceae is an example
of a species that has remained a wild edible plant and it is known
mostly to gatherers. This article provides an overview of E. creticum,
a traditional herbal remedy used mostly for snake and scorpion bites:
the distribution pattern and botanical description of the species, the
status of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and the laboratory data on
the bioactivity. The current status of literature on eryngo has been
reviewed.
In brief, this review presents the results of the investigations on E. creticum
that have been conducted so far and points out the gaps in knowledge,
which disclosure is necessary to understand the mechanism of action of
the extracts used in a traditional medicine. Also it indicates the
necessity to conduct in-depth examination of the correlation between the
pharmacological effect and the presence of the bioactive compounds
responsible for the action. The review summarizes the phytochemical
analysis and biological studies that may be helpful for researches to
undertake further studies supporting the existing knowledge necessary to
understand the action and may contribute to the discovery of new uses
of this interesting species.
