Chemical and biological evaluation of genus teucrium

Abstract

The genus Teucrium is represented by about 300 species in the world and 27 species in Turkey, 8 of them being endemic. Teucrium species are rich source of neo-clerodane diterpenoids. Although several furanoid diterpenes with the neo-clerodane skeleton have been isolated from many plants, the genus Teucrium is the most abundant natural source of these compounds, therefore Teucrium species are accepted as chemotaxonomic markers for neo-clerodanes. Chemical investigations on this genus showed that some of the species also contain rearranged neo-clerodane or abietane diterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes and steroids. Flavonoids and aromatic compounds, although not as abundant as in the genus Salvia from the same family, are also found in the genus Teucrium. In this review, general chemical properties of neo-clerodanes isolated from Teucrium species are given with their stereochemical studies. Teucrium species have been used for more than 2000 years as medicinal plants. They showed diuretic, diaphoretic, antiseptic and antipyretic activities. Antifeedant activities of some species previously studied against Spodeptera littoralis were presented herein. Teucrium species are used as hypoglycemic agents in North Africa and Saudi Arabia. They also possess antispasmolitic activity and used in the treatment of stomach aches. Some of the Teucrium extracts exhibited central nervous system depressant action. © 2000 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.