Ethnobotanical Research and Compilation of the Medicinal Uses in Spain and the Active Principles of Chiliadenus glutinosus (L.) Fourr. for the Scientific Validation of Its Therapeutic Properties

Abstract

The species Chiliadenus glutinosus (L.) Fourr. has a large number of therapeutic uses reported in the traditional Spanish medicine. The growing interest in preserving the ethnopharmacological knowledge related to the botanical diversity existing in Spain and the interest in achieving scientific validation of the therapeutic properties of medicinal species has led to the development of this study. To do it, all the known medicinal uses of Ch. glutinosus in Spain were compiled, then an exhaustive bibliographic research on its chemical composition was carried out, and finally, an in silico validation of the bioactive phytochemicals present in a higher proportion in the essential oil of Ch. glutinosus: camphor, borneol, lucinone, glutinone, quercetin, kutdtriol, and kaempferol; in an attempt to justify the reported traditional uses of the species. It was found that much of the traditional medicinal uses of Ch. glutinosus, along with the biological activity of its phytochemicals, are supported by scientific evidence. The results place this species in a prominent position to initiate possible lines of research to develop new, more effective drugs and improve therapies to treat conditions and diseases that affect the different organic systems of the human being.