Summary
In Argentina Lippia integrifolia (Verbenaceae) grows in the Northwestern region including the provinces of La Rioja, Catamarca, Salta, Tucumán, San Luis, Cordoba and San Juan. The infusion of the aerial parts is used in the treatment of digestive disorders, and as a diuretic, emmenagogue, stomachic and tonic agent. Some of these actions could be due to the presence of africanene in the essential oil, a sesquiterpene lactone with antiinflammatory and hypotensive action.

PARTE UTILIZADA =Used part: Gajos.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA =Pharmacological action: Diurético, emenagogo, estomacal.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA =Chemical composition: Chemical investigations on the essential oil of Lippia integrifolia performed by column chromatography, HPLC, GC-MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy led to the identification of 78 components. A new sesquiterpene alcohol, trans-africanan-1alpha-ol (4), was characterized as a significant component of the oil. Additionally, six samples obtained at monthly intervals through the annual cycle of the shrub (November-April) were studied. The oil was characterized by large amounts of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (53.3-69.4%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (14.3-27.9%), along with small amounts of monoterpenoids (1.4-2.9%). Lippifoli-1(6)-en-5-one (2), african-5-en-1alpha-ol (3), beta-caryophyllene oxide, 4,5-seco-africanan-4,5-dione (10), trans-africanan-1alpha-alphal (4), humulene epoxide II, integrifolian-1,5-dione (1) and lippifoli-1(6)-en4beta-ol-5-one (7) were the main oxygenated constituents. Although the qualitative composition appeared to be constant, there were large quantitative variations in the content of most components through the studied period. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA =Geografical zone: Argentina.

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Farmacodinamia - Acciones farmacológicas
Actividad digestiva, Actividad antimicrobiana,
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Enfermedad o síntoma

Cálculos en la vesícula
Dolor de hígado
Granos

Parte utilizada
Hoja y tallo

Forma de preparación
Infusión

Modo de administración
Vía oral
Lavado (cara)

Origen
Tucumán, Argentina

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín. Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica. Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur, 1980, p.135.

2) CORONEL, A., et al. Chemical composition, seasonal variation and a new sesquiterpene alcohol from the essential oil of Lippia integrifolia. Flavour and Fragrance Journal. 2006, vol.21, nº5, p.839-847.

3) Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina. Bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud / Jorge Alonso y Cristian Jorge Desmarchelier. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Corpus Libros Médicos y Científicos, 2015.

4) Ceballos, Sergio J.; Perea Mario C./ Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, vol 13, no 1, 2014. - p. 47 - 68