Species of the Genus Agastache J.CLAYTON Ex Gronov.: Distribution, Use, Degree of Knowledge (Review)

Abstract

The review summarizes information from the literature on the distribution, systematics, study of the composition and biological activity of metabolites, total extracts of plants of the genus Agastache J.Clayton ex Gronov. To date, 22 species of the genus are known, most of them are endemic to North America. Only one species – Agastache rugosa is grows in Asia and Russian Far East. Only 7 species of this genus are known to be used in ethnomedicine. In the world's official medicine, species of the genus are not used, with the exception of A. rugosa, which is a means of traditional Chinese medicine and is part of several well-known, often prescribed herbal remedies. The most studied composition of metabolites and pharmacological properties of .Agastache rugosa, A. foeniculum, A.mexicana. There is no information in the literature about A.eplingiana, A. breviflora, A. cusickii, A.mearnsii, A. pallida, A. pallidiflora, A. palmeri. Over 90 substances related to terpenoids, fatty acids, phenolcarboxylic acids, tannins, vitamins, lignans, sterols, amino acids, flavonoids, macro- and microelements and etc. Total extracts and individual compounds of the studied species in the experiment have a wide range of pharmacological activity: anxiolytic, antidepressant, antihypertensive, antinociceptive, antibacterial, insecticidal, immunotropic, antiviral, antimutagenic, cytotoxic. The information provided in the review shows that plants of the genus Agastache, are promising for further study and use in various industries.
 Fragmentation and lack of information on the composition of metabolites, pharmacological activity of most species of the genus Agastache opens up great opportunities for researchers from different areas of scientific knowledge.