Centre for Research in Medical Pharmacology, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Centre for Research in Medical Pharmacology, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Jun 28;220:94-116. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.03.025. Epub 2018 Mar 26.
Tithonia diversifolia (TD) is widely valued in several cultures for its medicinal properties. A comprehensive review of the current understanding of this plant species is required due to emerging concerns over its efficacy, toxicity and allergenic potential.
We critically summarized the current evidence on the botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety of TD, with the view to provide perspectives for developing more attractive pharmaceuticals of plant origin, but also to lay a new foundation for further investigations on this plant.
A preliminary consultation of search engines such as Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect and other published/unpublished resources provided an overview of extant literature on TD. Then, we meticulously screened all titles, abstracts and full-texts to establish consistency in the application of inclusion criteria. Studies were considered for inclusion if they dealt with taxonomy, global distribution, local and traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, toxicity and biological effects.
1856 articles were retrieved among which 168 were revised and included. Several studies conducted on cell lines and animals provided supporting evidence for some ethnomedicinal claims of extracts from TD. Short-term use of Tithonia extracts were effective and well-tolerated in animals when taken at lower doses. Both the toxic and therapeutic effects were attributed to bioactive principles naturally occurring in this species including sesquiterpene lactones, chlorogenic acid and flavonoids.
T. diversifolia is a valuable source of bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic implications and favourable safety index. However, more rigorously designed investigations are needed to recommend the whole plant or its active ingredients as a medication, and should focus on understanding the multi-target network pharmacology of the plant, clarifying the effective doses as well as identifying the potential interactions with prescribed drugs or other chemicals.
Tithonia diversifolia（TD）因其药用特性而在多种文化中被广泛重视。由于对其疗效、毒性和致敏潜力的担忧不断增加，需要对这种植物物种的现有认识进行全面审查。
我们批判性地总结了 TD 的植物学、传统用途、植物化学、药理学和安全性方面的现有证据，以期为开发更具吸引力的植物源药物提供新的视角，但也要为进一步研究这种植物奠定新的基础。
初步咨询 Web of Science、PubMed、ScienceDirect 等搜索引擎以及其他已发表/未发表的资源，对 TD 的现有文献进行了概述。然后，我们仔细筛选了所有标题、摘要和全文，以确保纳入标准的应用一致性。如果研究涉及分类学、全球分布、当地和传统知识、植物化学、毒性和生物学效应，则将其视为纳入研究。
共检索到 1856 篇文章，其中 168 篇经过修订后被纳入。对细胞系和动物进行的几项研究为 TD 提取物的一些民族医学用途提供了支持证据。在较低剂量下，短期使用 Tithonia 提取物对动物有效且耐受性良好。毒性和治疗作用都归因于该物种中天然存在的生物活性物质，包括倍半萜内酯、绿原酸和类黄酮。
T. diversifolia 是具有重要治疗意义和良好安全性指数的生物活性化合物的宝贵来源。然而，需要进行更严格设计的研究，以推荐整株植物或其活性成分作为药物，并应侧重于了解植物的多靶标网络药理学，阐明有效剂量以及识别与处方药或其他化学物质的潜在相互作用。
