Medicinal Importance of Ajuga Species in Iran: Ethnobotanical and Traditional Applications, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Studies

[摘要] Context: Five species of the genus Ajuga (Lamiaceae) having the common name of "bugle" are found in Iran. In Persian medicine(PM), the genus Ajuga (Kamaphytus) is used for treating jaundice, joint pain, gout, amenorrhea, sciatica, and wound healing. Thisstudy aimed to review the ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and biological activities of Ajuga species that grow in Iran to determinetheir therapeutic potentials and suggest further studies on the healing properties of this genus in Iran.Evidence Acquisition: Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were comprehensively searched for studies on Ajuga species in Iran, including "Ajuga austro-iranica," "Ajuga chamaecistus," "Ajuga comata" (Syn.: "Ajuga chia," "Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. Chia"), "Ajuga orientalis," and "Ajuga reptans." The search period was from 1966 to February 2021. The related articles wereselected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the current study.Results: Several ethnobotanical and pharmacologic reports have verified the traditional uses of the genus Ajuga for antiinflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, analgesic, anabolic, anti-arthritis, antipyretic, and hepatoprotective activities. Numerous phytochemicals have been identified from Ajuga species involving phytoecdysteroids, neo-clerodane-diterpenes, iridoids,flavonoids, withanolides, phenylethyl glycoside, and essential oils.Conclusions: Due to the beneficial therapeutic effects of Ajuga genus, it can be considered in future clinical studies as a source ofnatural antioxidants, dietary supplements in the pharmaceutical industry, and stabilizing food against oxidative deterioration.

[学科分类] 药理学

[关键词] Ajuga;Persian Medicine;Pharmacological Activities;Phytochemical Compositions;Ethnobotanical Uses