Ethnomedical use, phytochemistry and biological activity of the Andean plant Buddleja incana Ruiz & Pav. (Scrophulariaceae)

Background: Buddleja incana Ruiz & Pav. (Scrophulariaceae) is an ancestral medicinal plant from the South American Andes used in traditional medicine since the Inca culture, but little studied in its chemical components at present. The aim of this review is to gather all the scientific information about this plant in order to use it in alternative medicine and at the same time to stimulate its study in research groups in the Andean countries. Materials and methods: Several electronic search engines and specialized reference tools were used, such as Google, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, publication sites and electronic databases (Pubmed, Springer, Wiley and Science Direct). Results: Phytochemical studies have found the following chemical components:flavonoids, steroids, saponins, leukoanthocyanidins, triterpenes, phenols, tannins, reducing sugars, coumarins, alkaloids, terpenes and verbascosides. This plant is used to treat several diseases and pathological conditions, having demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antispasmodic, antibacterial, antifungal and febrifuge effects, in the following conditions. wounds, neuralgias, cutaneous and gastrointestinal ulcers, papillomatosis, skin cancer, photosensitization, immunomodulator. Conclusions: Buddleja incana was a sacred and medicinal plant of the Incas. Nowadays it is used for the treatment of hepatic, bronchial and urogenital diseases. It has diuretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antirheumatic, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, wound regenerating effects, for the treatment of warts, skin ulcers, antiproliferative, and for its photoprotective effect on the skin. In veterinary medicine it is used to treat skin photosensitization in sheep, in bovine warts and in oral canine papillomatosis.