| Summary: | <i>Tragia</i> L. is a genus of plants belonging to the <i>Euphorbiaceae</i> family with worldwide intertropical distribution, composed of more than 150 species. In this literature review, 26 species of the genus used as medicinal plants were found, mainly in East Africa and the Indian subcontinent, with a variety of uses among which antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and reproductive health are most common. Research has been done on a few of the species, mostly those of the Old World, with emphasis on four of them: <i>Tragia involucrata</i> Linn., <i>Tragia spathulata</i> Benth., <i>Tragia benthamii</i> Baker and <i>Tragia plukenetii</i> Radcl.-Sm., confirming several ethnomedicinal claims. Moreover, a variety of active phytochemicals have been isolated, mainly ethers, hydrocarbons, flavonoids and sterols. There is ample field for the evaluation of the activity of <i>Tragia</i> extracts and essential oils and the identification of their active compounds, particularly of the New World species, for which there is still very little research.
|
|---|