Phytochemical Attributes and Pharmacological Activities of Genus Leucas: A Mini Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jomalisc.v3.40Keywords:
Leucas Genus, medicinal plant, phytochemical study, pharmacological activities, ethno botanicalAbstract
The genus Leucas is among the plethora of ethnobotanical species with promising applications in traditional medicines to treat different ailments. Despite extensive studies on the Leucas genus, the focus has largely been on their ethnobotanical importance alongside a modest number of studies on their phytochemical- or pharmacological attributes, including but not limited to antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic. In this review, phytochemical data alongside pharmacological activities of several notable species in the Leucas genus are compiled. The review focuses on the chemical constituents and essential oils that several species from this genus produce. Previous studies on the prominent species of this genus reported the presence of many beneficial chemical constituents, such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and alkaloids, that are substantial to the genus's pharmacological activities. However, these studies are preliminary in the sense that the proven in vitro activities are not further studied on the molecular level, efficacy, toxicity, and clinical levels. Insight into the pharmacological activities are discussed in this review: anthelmintic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diarrheal, anti-diabetic, and anti-nociceptive alongside hepato-protective activities. The lack of extensive in vivo studies but the immense medicinal potential is viewed as an opportunity for further studies on the genus.
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