Chemotaxonomy of Ballota Species

Ballota nigra L. – an overview of pharmacological effects and traditional uses

Ballota nigra, also known as black horehound is a common medical herb used in folk medicine around the world. First reported mentions of its medical properties and use goes as far as the 13th century. The use of black horehound depends on regions and countries. It is used mostly to treat e.g. mild sleep disorders, nervousness, upset stomach, wound healing. It can be used as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antifungal drug. Moreover, it has been reported as a potential cancer drug. This extensive usage is particularly interesting for us. The aim of this review is to present available data on B. nigra pharmacological effects and known traditional uses gathered from a wide range of scientific articles published in 1997–2020.

GC and GC-–MS Analysis of Volatile Compounds From Ballota nigra subsp. uncinata Collected in Aeolian Islands, Sicily (Southern Italy)

In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils from aerial parts of Ballota nigra subsp. uncinata (Bég.) Patzak collected in Sicily was evaluated by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry. The main components of the oil were ( E)-phytol (20.0%), α-pinene (9.0%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (5.7%), and α-selinene (5.1%). Cluster analysis of the essential oil compositions of all the taxa belonging to B. nigra s.l. group was performed.

A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the genus Ballota

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Ballota L. (Lamiaceae) comprises 33 to 35 species distributed mainly in temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Some species have been used in folk medicine as antiemetic, antispasmodic, sedative agents, vermifuge, antihemorrhoid and also in treatment of cough, etc. AIM OF THIS REVIEW: This review article aims to provide organized information on the available traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological studies of the genus Ballota, and to obtain new insights for further researches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic databases, including Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Springer Link were used as information sources. General web searches were carried out using Google and Yahoo search engines by applying related search terms. Additional information was derived from books and journals in English, Latin and Persian, and also Ph.D. theses and M.Sc. dissertations.

RESULTS

Terpenoids (particularly furanolabdane diterpenoids) and flavonoids were the main phytochemical classes identified in the extracts of Ballota species. Furanolabdane diterpenoids, e.g. ballonigrin, dehydrohispanolone, and hispanolone were reported in many species of Ballota. β-Caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and germacrene D were found as the most common major compounds isolated from the essential oils of the genus Ballota. Sixty-four pharmacological studies conducted on cell lines, microorganisms, and animals were included in this review. Some species of Ballota exhibited various pharmacological activities, including promising antidepressant, anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic, and antitussive activities in animal models. The pharmacological activities can be attributed to bioactive phytochemicals.

CONCLUSION

The genus Ballota is a valuable source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential in different diseases. Some pharmacological studies showed incomplete methodologies and ambiguous findings. Thus, the research designs of pharmacological studies based on traditional uses of Ballota species are strongly needed in cell lines and animal models. More in vitro and in vivo animal studies are required to confirm the safety, clarification of the effective doses, bioactive compounds, and the mechanisms of actions before future clinical studies.

Radical quenching activity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, and ferrous ion-chelating capacity of 16 Ballota species and their total phenol and flavonoid contents

The ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of 16 Ballota species (Family Lamiaceae)-Ballota acetabulosa, Ballota antalyanse, Ballota cristata, Ballota glandulosissima, Ballota inaequidens, Ballota larendana, Ballota latibracteolata, Ballota macrodonta, Ballota nigra ssp. anatolica, B. nigra ssp. foetida, B. nigra ssp. nigra, B. nigra ssp. uncinata, Ballota pseudodictamnus ssp. lycia, Ballota rotundifolia, Ballota saxatilis ssp. brachyodonta, and B. saxatilis subsp. saxatilis-were screened for their 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical quenching, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, and ferrous ion-chelating capacity at 1mg/mL. Hispanolone, a major diterpene found in the Ballota genus, was also tested in the same manner. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined by Folin-Ciocalteau and AlCl(3) reagents, respectively. The extracts showed insignificant quenching activity against DPPH radical, but they had moderate antioxidant activity (0.597 ± 0.03 to 1.342 ± 0.01) in the ferric-reducing test compared to chlorogenic acid (the reference compound) (3.618 ± 0.01). All of the extracts (ranging from 65.1 ± 0.64% to 96.3 ± 0.09%) and hispanolone (97.31 ± 0.30%) exerted a remarkable ferrous ion-chelating effect. The highest total phenol (gallic acid equivalent) and flavonoid (quercetin equivalent) contents were found in the ethyl acetate extract of B. glandulosissima (393.7 ± 3.03 and 140.6 ± 1.97 mg/g of extract, respectively). Therefore, Ballota species could be a good source of natural preservatives in foodstuffs.

Essential Oil Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Ballota nigra L. ssp Foetida

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Ballota nigra L. ssp foetida obtained from the flowering aerial parts was analyzed by GC/MS. From the 37 identified constituents of the oil, β-caryophyllene (20.0%), germacrene D (18.0%) and caryophyllene oxide (15.0%) were the major components. The oil was active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as against three Candida species.

Occurrence and Distribution of the Flavone Tricetin and its Methyl Derivatives as Free Aglycones

This paper presents a review of the occurrence of tricetin and its methyl ethers, with respect to their occurrence in the free state. In addition to literature data, our tabulated survey also includes a dozen unpublished results. The review indicates that 5,7,3′,4′,5′-pentahydroxyflavone and its methyl derivatives are more widespread than was known so far. Their presence as aglycones has been proved in a good number of plant species belonging to unrelated families.