Mediterranean lavenders from section stoechas : an undervalued source of secondary metabolites with pharmacological potential

article

Domingues, Joana
Delgado, F.M.G.
Gonçalves, J.C.
Zuzarte, Mónica
Duarte, Ana Paula

MDPI

DOMINGUES; Joana [et al.] (2023) - Mediterranean lavenders from section stoechas : an undervalued source of secondary metabolites with pharmacological potential. Metabolites. 13:3, 337. DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13030337

cv-prod-3155184

10.3390/metabo13030337

Mediterranean lavenders from section stoechas : an undervalued source of secondary metabolites with pharmacological potential

Lavandula pedunculata
Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri
Lavandula stoechas subsp. stoechas
Lavandula viridis
Chemical profile
Biological activities

PD21-00003 - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB)
UID/AMB/00681/2013

2023-03-09T15:20:50Z
2023-03-09T15:20:50Z
2023
2023-03-03T11:54:31Z

Globally, climate change and wildfires are disrupting natural ecosystems, thus setting several endemic species at risk. The genus Lavandula is widely present in the Mediterranean region and its species, namely, those included in the section Stoechas, are valuable resources of active compounds with several biological assets. Since ancient times lavenders have been used in traditional medicine and for domestic purposes. These species are melliferous, decorative, and essential oilproducing plants with a high economic interest in the pharmaceutical, flavor, fragrance, and food industries. The essential oils of Lavandula section Stoechas are characterized by high amounts of 1,8-cineole, camphor, fenchone, and specifically for L. stoechas subsp. luisieri one of the major compounds is trans-α-necrodyl acetate. On the other hand, the diversity of non-volatile components like phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, make these species an important source of phytochemicals with pharmacological interest. Rosmarinic, caffeic, and salvianolic B acids are the major phenolic acids, and luteolin and eriodictyol-O-glucuronide are the main reported flavonoids. However, the concentration of these secondary metabolites is strongly affected by the plant’s phenological phase and varies in Lavandula sp. from different areas of origin. Indeed, lavender extracts have shown promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties as well as several other beneficial actions with potential for commercial applications. Despite several studies on the bioactive potential of lavenders from the section Stoechas, a systematized and updated review of their chemical profile is lacking. Therefore, we carried out the present review that gathers relevant information on the different types of secondary metabolites found in these species as well as their bioactive potential.
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openAccess

eng