DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

Alstroemeria (Liliales) has two layers of petaloid tepals, in which the often spotted narrow inner tepals can be distinguished easily from the wider outer tepals. In order to explore this floral morphol. in Alstroemeria, we investigated the tepal morphol. and the expression patterns of three class B genes, whose homologs in eudicots have been shown previously to be involved in petal and stamen development. The two DEF-like genes (AlsDEFa and AlsDEFb) and the one GLO-like gene (AlsGLO) of Alstroemeria ligtu were isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Northern hybridization, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization analyses indicated that AlsDEFb and AlsGLO were expressed in whorls 1, 2 and 3 (outer tepals, inner tepals and stamens, resp.), whereas AlsDEFa expression was detected only in whorls 2 and 3. These results suggest that in A. ligtu, AlsDEFb and AlsGLO would participate in detg. the organ identity of the two-layered petaloid tepals and stamens, which is in support of the modified ABC model. Addnl., the distinctive expression patterns of AlsDEFa and AlsDEFb might be related to morphol. differences between the two-layered tepals. 

PARTE UTILIZADA=Used part: Toda la planta. 

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Emoliente. 

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Dermatitis in 8 female nursery workers handling Alstroemeria ligtu cultivars has been proven/proved in 6 cases to be of allergic origin. Epicutaneous tests with cut flower extracts as well as with the isolated and purified sensitizer were positive. Successful animal experiments corroborated the sensitising capacity of Alstroemeria cultivars. The responsible but unstable contact allergen, alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone (tulipalin A), was found in short ether extracts of flower petals in concentrations up to 18%. Due to its instability, subsequent extractions were performed with methanol, yielding the sensitising constituent after purification in the glucosidic form (tuliposide A). This could be stored at room temperature for longer periods without loss of activity. Tuliposide A was determined in specimens of Alstroemeria ligtu cultivars of 14 different origins of various colours; its content varied between 1 and 2%. Direct testing of the plant material in human patients carries the risk of false positive reactions and active sensitisation, as the threshold for both forms of the allergen is very high. Only a concentration of 0.01% can be considered safe. 

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: S. de Chile y Argentina. 

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Usos medicinales: El chuno extraido de las raices se usa contra inflamaciones del tubo digestivo y como alimento ligero para personas convalecientes.

Distribución: Regiones Valparaiso, Metropolitana de Santiago, O’Higgins, Maule, Nuble, Biobio, Araucania.

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín. Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica. Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur, 1980, p.3.

2) HAUSEN, BM; PRATER, E; SCHUBERT, H. The sensitizing capacity of Alstroemeria cultivars in man and guinea pig. Remarks on the occurrence, quantity and irritant and sensitizing potency of their constituents tuliposide A and tulipalin A (alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone). Contact Dermatitis.1983, Vol.9, nº1, p.46-54.
 
3) HIRAI, Masayo; KAMIMURA, Taichi; KANNO, Akira. The expression patterns of three class B genes in two distinctive whorls of petaloid tepals in Alstroemeria ligtu. Plant and Cell Physiology. 2007, Vol.48, nº2, p.310-321.

4) Plantas silvestres comestibles y medicinales de Chile y otras partes del mundo/Cordero R., Sebastián; Abella A., Lucía; Galvez L. Francisca; Corporación chilena de la madera: Concepción, 2017 . -- 292 p.