Culcitium canescens Humb. & Bonpl. (Asteraceae): an ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological and phytochemical review

Abstract

Background: The use of plants for therapeutic purposes is a common practice in Peru and the world; however, there is little systematization of ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological and toxicological information, especially if it is about native plants of countries where there is inadequate sanitary control. Culcitium canescens is a plant species typical of high Andean areas, widely used for its medicinal properties. This plant has five scientific names and 17 accepted common names; situation that increases the risk of confusion with other plants; even more so if there is no systematized source of information. Therefore, this review aims to gather, order and analyze the relevant information on all aspects involved in phytotherapy.

Methods: The information available in the databases Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed and the virtual library of CONCYTEC was analyzed; Furthermore, to exhaust the search for available information, academic Google was used. The search terms were “Culcitium canescens”, “Senecio canescens” or “vira vira”.

Results: Valuable information was obtained from this plant, framed in ethnobotanical, atnopharmacological and phyto-constituent aspects; however, there are still scientific gaps that prevent us from knowing, with certainty, the safety and efficacy of its use.

Conclusions: The information available on Culcitium canescens in the databases was gathered and analyzed; structuring them in botanical, synonymy, ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological and phytochemical aspects. Finally, due to the scarcity of toxicological information and the efficacy in people, future research should focus on these issues and thus contribute with validated information for the correct and safe use of the medicinal plant.

Keywords: Senecio canescens; Culcitium rufescens; Asteraceae; turn turn; flee, flee; respiratory conditions; medicinal plants; Phytotherapy; ethnobotany; ethnopharmacology.