Phytochemistry and medicinal properties of Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae).

Teucrium polium L. (family Lamiaceae) is a wild-growing flowering plant, found abundantly in South-Western Asia, Europe and North Africa. Traditionally, T. polium has been used for different pathological conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, inflammations, diabetes and rheumatism. In traditional Iranian medicine (TIM), the tea of T. polium is used for treating many diseases such as abdominal pain, indigestion, common cold and type 2 diabetes. Based on this background, many studies have been followed for scientific confirmation of the above-mentioned properties. In this review, 100 articles published from 1970 to 2011 in the area of phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of extracts and compounds isolated from T. polium have been evaluated. During the past 40 years, different classes of compounds have been isolated from various parts of T. polium of which the main groups are terpenoids and flavonoids. It has been found that these compounds possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects including antioxidant, anticancer, antiinflammatory, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antibacterial and antifungal. The results of data analyses on the chemical, pharmacological and toxicological characteristics of T. polium support the view that this plant has beneficial therapeutic properties. However, further studies to identify the active components and further verify their relevant pharmacological activities are warranted.