Comparative Anatomical Study on Argentine Species of Lippia Known As “Poleo”

Abstract

Nine species belonging to the genus Lippia - Verbenaceae - are used in Argentine folk medicine. Four of them are known under the trivial name "poleo": L. turbinata Griseb., L. fissicalyx Troncoso, L. integrifolia (Griseb.) Hieron. and L. grisebachiana Mold. Mainly, their leaves are employed as digestive, stomaquique, tonic, nervine, diuretic and emenagoge. The Argentine Pharmacopoeia includes a monography of "poleo", restricted only to L. turbinata and L. fissicalyx . Because of possible sustitutions of the official species with the others, due to their common names, an anatomical comparative research was performed to determine which features could provide a start point to distinguish them. The results of this survey show that hairs not only are different in size and shape within the species but also in their density. Thus, they are a useful feature to identify each one. When transverse sections are compared, some differences in their shape, the number of palisade layers and the presence of fibers can provide other start points to distinguish these species among them.

Volatile constituents from aerial parts ofAloysia gratissima (Gillies & Hook.) Tronc. var.gratissima growing in Corrientes, Argentina

“…In addition, the infusion prepared using flowers and leaves is used in Bolivia as a carminative, stomachic and sedative, but as an antispasmodic in Paraguay and Uruguay. 3 Previous results have reported 1,8-cineole and limonene, 6 sabinene, β-pinene, β bisabolene and copaenol, 7 pulegone, limonene, spathulenol, α-pinene, β-thujone and pinocamphone, 8 dihydrocarvone and menthone, 9 α-pinene 4 as the main constituents of the essential oil obtained from samples of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, respectively.…”

“…; Verbenaceae] is frequently found in the central and northern provinces of Argentina, but also in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and in the southern regions of North America and Mexico. 2 This species is popularly known as, 'niño rupá', 'arrayán del campo', 'azahar del campo', 'cuna del niño', 'poleo del monte', 3 'usillo', 'cedrón del monte', 'palo amarillo', 4 'oreganillo' and 'muña del monte' 5 in northeastern Argentina. It is a tall and spiny shrub that grows wild on sandy soils and flowers in December, giving little spikes of white and slightly citric-scented flowers.…”

Chemical Analysis of the Essential Oils from Three Populations of Lippia dulcis Trevir. Grown at Different Locations in Southern Ecuador

“…According to different authors, the genus Lippia includes from 140 [2] to 200 [3] species widely distributed from the southern United States to the South and Central America regions and Tropical Africa territories [10], with the highest concentration of species in Brazil and Paraguay [13].…”

Chemical composition, seasonal variation and a new sesquiterpene alcohol from the essential oil of Lippia integrifolia

“…Hieronymus, commonly known as 'incayuyo' or 'té del inca', is a woody aromatic shrub native to central and northern Argentina, where infusions of the aerial parts are widely used in traditional medicine as a soft diuretic, emmenagogue, stomachic and nervine. 3,4 It is also used in Paraguay against asthma and as an abortive. 4 L. integrifolia has been shown to be a rich source of uncommon sesquiterpenoids.…”

“…3,4 It is also used in Paraguay against asthma and as an abortive. 4 L. integrifolia has been shown to be a rich source of uncommon sesquiterpenoids. The unique ketones integrifolian-1,5dione (1), lippifoli-1(6)-en-5-one (2) and closely related derivatives, 5-10 together with sesquitepenoids based on the rare africanane [11][12][13] and asteriscane 12,13 skeletons, constitute the bulk of its essential oil.…”