Bahare Salehi, Javad Sharifi-Rad*, Jesús Herrera-Bravo, Luis A. Salazar, Carla Delporte, Gabriela Valenzuela Barra, Maria-Elena Cazar Ramirez, Maria Dolores López, Karina Ramírez-Alarcón, Natália Cruz-Martins and Miquel Martorell* Pages 953 - 970 ( 18 )
The native flora of Chile has unique characteristics due to the geographical situation of the country, with the vast desert in the North, Patagonia in the South, the Andean Mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. This exclusivity is reflected in high concentrations of phytochemicals in the fruits and leaves of its native plants. Some examples are Aristotelia chilensis (Molina), Stuntz (maqui), Berberis microphylla G. Forst. (calafate), Peumus boldus Molina (boldo), Ribes magellanicum Poir. (Magellan currant), Ugni molinae Turcz. (murtilla), Rubus geoides Sm. (miñe miñe), Drimys winteri J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. (canelo), Luma apiculata (DC.) Burret (arrayán) distributed throughout the entire Chilean territory. Some of these Chilean plants have been used for centuries in the country's traditional medicine. The most recent studies of phytochemical characterization of parts of Chilean plants show a wide spectrum of antioxidant compounds, phenolic components, terpenoids and alkaloids, which have shown biological activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies. This manuscript covers the entire Chilean territory characterizing the phytochemical profile and reporting some of its biological properties, focusing mainly on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, chemopreventive and cytotoxic activity, and potential against diabetes, metabolic syndrome and gastrointestinal disorders.
Phytotherapy, maqui, calafate, boldo, murtilla, Chilean plant.
Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomas, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomas, Departamento de Quimica Farmacologica y Toxicologica, Laboratorio de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas y Farmaceuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont 964, Independencia, Santiago, Laboratorio de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 233, Santiago 1, Biotechnology and Biodiversity Group, Universidad de Cuenca. Department of Applied Chemistry and Production Systems. Chemical Sciences Faculty. Av. 12 de Abril s/n, Cuenca, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad de Concepción, Avenida Vicente Mendez, 595, Chillán 3812120, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepcion, 4070386 Concepcion, VIII-Bio Bio Region, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepcion, 4070386 Concepcion, VIII-Bio Bio Region