Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Arctotis arctotoides (L.f.) O. Hoffm.: A review

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Arctotis arctotoides (Asteraceae) is part of the genus Arctotis. Arctotis is an African genus of approximately 70 species that occur widely in the African continent with diverse medicinal values. This plant is used for the treatment of indigestion and catarrh of the stomach, epilepsy, topical wounds and skin disorders among the ethnic groups in South Africa and reported to have a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties.

Aim of the review: The aim of the present review is to appraise the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological potential, analytical methods and safety issues of A. arctotoides. Additionally, this review will help to fill the existing gaps in knowledge and highlight further research prospects in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Materials and methods: Information on A. arctotoides was collected from various resources, including books on African medicinal herbs and Zulu medicinal plants, theses, reports and the internet databases such as SciFinder, Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Mendeley by using a combination of various meaningful keywords. This review surveys the available literature of the species from 1962 to April 2017.

Results: In vitro and in vivo studies of the medicinal properties of A. arctotoides were reviewed. The main isolated and identified compounds were reported as sesquiterpenes, farnesol derivatives, germacranolide, guaianolides and some steroids, of which, nine were reported as antimicrobial. Monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids were the predominant essential oil compound classes of the leaves, flowers, stems and roots. The present review revealed potential pharmacological properties such as anti-oxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities of plant extracts as well as isolated compounds. Moreover, the review reports the safety profile (toxicity) of the crude extracts that had been screened on brine shrimps, rats and human cell lines.

Conclusions: The present review has focused on the phytochemistry, botany, ethnopharmacology, biological activities and toxicological information of A. arctotoides. On the basis of reported data, A. arctotoides has emerged as a good source of natural medicine for the treatment of microbial infections, skin diseases, anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents and also provides new insights for further isolation of new bioactive compounds, especially the discovery of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer novel therapeutic lead drug molecules. Additionally, intensive investigations regarding pharmacological properties, safety assessment and efficacy with their mechanism of action could be future research interests before starting clinical trials for medicinal practices.

Keywords: (E)-3-methyl-4-(4-((E)-4-methyl-5-oxopent-3-enyl)-5-oxo-2,5-dihydro-furan-2-yl)but-2-enyl acetate (PubChem CID: not found); (E)-5-(5-((E)-4-hydroxy-2-methylbut-2-enyl)-2-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl) -2-methylpent-2-enal (PubChem CID: not found); (E, E)-5-[4-(Acetyloxy)-2-methyl-2-butenyl]-3-[5-(acetyloxy)-4-methyl-3- pentenyl]-2(5H)-furanone (PubChem CID: not found); 1, 8-Cineole (PubChem CID: 2758); 10,14-Deoxyarctolide (PubChem CID: not found); 11β, 13-Dihydro-10, 14-desoxoarctiolide (PubChem CID: not found); 11β, 13-Dihydroarctiolide (PubChem CID: not found); 12, 14-Diacetoxy-2Z-farnesyl acetate (PubChem CID: not found); 14-Acetoxy-12-hydroxy-2Z-farnesol (PubChem CID: not found); 3-Deacetyl-3-isobutyryl arctolide (PubChem CID: not found); 3-Deacetyl-3-propionyl-11, 14-deoxoarctolide (PubChem CID: not found); 3-Deacetyl-3-propionylarctolide (PubChem CID: not found); 3-Desacetyl-10,14-desoxoarctolide (PubChem CID: not found); 3-O-[β-D-(6´-nonadeanoate) glucopyranosyl]-β-sitosterol (PubChem CID: not found); 4β, 15-dihydro-3-dehydro-zaluzanin C (PubChem CID: not found); Abietic acid (PubChem CID: 10569); Arctiolide (PubChem CID: not found); Arctodecurrolide (PubChem CID: not found); Arctolide (PubChem CID: 442144); Arctotis arctotoides; Asteraceae; Bicyclogermacrene (PubChem CID: 5315347); Botany and toxicology; Caryophyllene oxide (PubChem CID: 1742210); Daucosterol (PubChem CID: 296119); Dehydrobrachylaenolide (PubChem CID: 44566739); Dehydrocostus lactone (PubChem CID: 73174); Ethnopharmacology; Germacranolide (PubChem CID: not found); Glycerol-1-docosanoate (PubChem CID: 53480989); Grosshemin (PubChem CID: 442256); Limonene (PubChem CID: 440917); Linalool (PubChem CID: 6549); Lupeol (PubChem CID: 259846); Lupeol acetate (PubChem CID: 92157); Myrtenol (PubChem CID: 10582); Nepetin (PubChem CID: 5317284); Pedalitin (PubChem CID: 31161); Perydiscolic acid (PubChem CID: not found); Phytochemistry; Piperitone (PubChem CID: 6987); Serratagenic acid (PubChem CID: 21594175); Spathulenol (PubChem CID: 92231); Stigmasterol (PubChem CID: 5280794); Terpinen-4-ol (PubChem CID: 11230); Zaluzanin C (PubChem CID: 72646); Zaluzanin D (PubChem CID: 12445012); cis-Nerolidol (PubChem CID: 5320128); cis-α-Bergamotene (PubChem CID: 91753502); cis-α-Bergamotol acetate (PubChem CID: 102208434); cis-α-Farnesene (PubChem CID: 5317320); trans-α-Bergamotol (PubChem CID: 6429302); α-Cadinol (PubChem CID: 6431302); β-Bisabolol (PubChem CID: 27208); β-Caryophyllene (PubChem CID: 5281515); β-Farnesene (PubChem CID: 5281517); β-sitosterol (PubChem CID: 222284); γ-Curcumene (PubChem CID: 12304273); γ-Terpinene (PubChem CID: 7461).