PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Corteza, hojas, bellotas.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Astringente (hojas y corteza), laxante (bellotas).

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Corteza: Especialmente rica en taninos tales como el ácido cuercitánico y otros. La mayor concentración se encuentra en los ejemplares jóvenes, aproximadamente entre los 15 y 20 años de edad. También se han aislado los ácidos gálico y elágico, flobafeno, cuercinita, cuercita, levulina, pectinas y diversos azúcares. Bellotas: Contienen alrededor de un 50% de fécula, con diferentes azúcares, y pequeñas cantidades de grasa y taninos. Agallas: ácidos gálico y tánico en concentraciones cercanas al 30%.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Uruguay. FOTO DE LA PLANTA: http://mail.fq.edu.uy/~biblioteca/fotosplantas/quercus_ilex.jpg

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

Background and Aims Quercus suber and Q. ilex are distantly related and their distributions partially overlap. They hybridize occasionally, but the complete replacement of Q. suber chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) by that of Q. ilex was identified in two specific geographical areas. The objective of this study was to determine whether the contrasting situation reflected current or recent geographical interspecies gene flow variation or was the result of ancient introgression. Methods cpDNA PCR-RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) and variation at ten nuclear microsatellite loci were analysed in populations of each species, in 16 morphologically intermediate individuals and the progeny of several of them. Interspecies nuclear introgression was based on individual admixture rates using a Bayesian approach with no a priori species assignment, and on a maximum-likelihood (ML) method, using allele frequencies in the allopatric populations of each species as controls. Gene flow was compared specifically between populations located within and outside the specific areas. Key Results High interspecies nuclear genetic differentiation was observed, with twice the number of alleles in Q. ilex than in Q. suber. According to Bayesian assignment, approx. 1 of individuals had a high probability of being F1 hybrids, and bidirectional nuclear introgression affected approx. 4 of individuals in each species. Hybrid and introgressed individuals were identified predominantly in mixed stands and may have a recent origin. Higher proportions including allospecific genes recovered from past hybridization were obtained using the ML method. Similar rates of hybridization and of nuclear introgression, partially independent of cpDNA interspecies transfer suggestive of gene filtering, were obtained in the populations located within and outside the areas of complete cpDNA replacement. Conclusions The results did not provide evidence for geographical variation in interspecies gene flow. In contrast, historical introgression is supported by palynological records and constitutes the more reliable origin of cpDNA replacement in specific regions.

Origin

The Himalayas, from the Sutlej valley westwards and in Kashmir at altitudes of 900 – 2,600 m.

Action:

Leaves—antioxidant.

1) GONZALEZ, Matías ; LOMBARDO, Atilio ; VALLARINO, Aida. Plantas de la medicina vulgar del Uruguay. Montevideo : Talleres Gráficos,1937, p. 56.

2) ALONSO, Jorge R. Tratado de fitomedicina : bases clínicas y farmacológicas. Buenos Aires : ISIS, 1998, p. 474-475.

3) LUMARET, R. ; JABBOUR-ZAHAB, R. Ancient and current gene flow between two distantly related Mediterranean oak species, Quercus suber and Q. ilex. Annals of Botany. 2009, vol.104, nº4, p.725-736.

4) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p 533.