Medicinal plants of Argentina. Pharmacological properties and phytochemistry

MARÍA P. ZUNINO; MARÍA L. LÓPEZ; JULIO A. ZYGADLO

Advances in Phytochemistry

Año: 2003; p. 209 - 245

Medicinal plants from Argentina are reviewed. The review includes the following botancial families: Acanthaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Amaranthaceae, Anacardiaceae, Anonaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Bignonaceae, Boraginaceae, Bromeliaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Gentianaceae, Lamiaceae, Poligonaceae, Portulaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae, Simaroubaceae, Solanaceae, Scrophylariaceae, Turneraceae, Urticaceae and Verbenaceae. Among pharmacological properties, anti-inflamatory, analgesic, diuretic, anti-diarrheic, bronchodilator, antioxidant, carminative, hypotensive, anticonceptive, antimicrobian,  antiviral, antirheumatic, expectorant, laxative, antispamodic and antitumoral activity were studied. However, some injurious effects, as cytotoxic, allergic, hypertriglyceridemic, toxicogenic, dermatogenic and calcinogenic were also found. The present work deals with the majority of studies on medicinal plant sfrom Flora of Argentina where the scientific evidence supports folk medicine.