Abstract
The genus Teucrium is a large and polymorphic genus of the Lamiaceae family distributed in mild climate
zones, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. Studies of nonvolatile
constituents of Teucrium species showed that they are a rich source of neo-clerodane diterpenoids, considered as chemotaxonomic markers of the genus. In addition
to the nonvolatile metabolites, there has been a large interest in the essential oils
of this genus. In this review, a complete survey of the chemical composition and biological
properties of the essential oils isolated from Teucrium taxa is provided. In traditional medicine, since ancient times, species of this genus
have been widely implemented for their biological properties, including antimicrobial,
anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, insecticidal, anti-malaria, etc. Therefore, a complete
review of all of the traditional uses of Teucrium taxa are also reported.
Key words
Teucrium
- Lamiaceae - ethnopharmacology - essential oil - biological properties