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An updated review of genus Cistus L. since 2014: traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties

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Abstract

Genus Cistus L. (Cistaceae) occurs mainly in the Mediterranean region. Many plants of this genus have been used in different folk medicines since ancient times, mainly against peptic ailments and skin disorders, such as burns, wounds, and infections. Over the last years, Cistus species have attracted great interest due to the variety of their bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities. Comprehensive research of previously published literature was performed for the collection of the available data on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of the genus Cistus since 2014, using electronic databases with several key search words. A total of 66 published scientific studies was examined. Over the last years, 111 secondary metabolites have been described in Cistus taxa. In vitro and in vivo studies, as well as a clinical study are included, highlighting the interesting pharmacological aspects of these plants. This review summarizes and discusses the current knowledge of the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of Cistus plants, revealing the uncharted scientific territory and may provide critical information for future perspectives on these plants.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of this work by the project “Infrastructure of Microbiome Applications in FoodSystems-FOODBIOMES” (MIS 5047291), which is implemented under the Action “Regional Excellence in R&D Infrastructures”, funded by the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” (NSRF 2014-2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund). Also, by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Operational Program “Epirus 2014-2020”, NSRF 2014-2020 [ACRONYM: EPIRUSCOSMECEUTICALS, Grant Number: 5033143]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece

    Ekaterina-Michaela Tomou, Krystalia Lytra, Stylianos Rallis & Helen Skaltsa

  2. Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece

    Andreas G. Tzakos

  3. Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), 45110, Ioannina, Greece

    Andreas G. Tzakos

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  1. Ekaterina-Michaela Tomou
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  2. Krystalia Lytra
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  4. Andreas G. Tzakos
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Conceptualization: EMT and HS; Literature survey and Manuscript writing: EMT, KL, SR, AGT and HS All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Helen Skaltsa.

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Tomou, EM., Lytra, K., Rallis, S. et al. An updated review of genus Cistus L. since 2014: traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties. Phytochem Rev 21, 2049–2087 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-022-09827-y

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