Pilocarpus spp.: a survey of its chemical constituents and biological activities

Abstract

Pilocarpus species have been exploited as the only source of the imidazole alkaloid pilocarpine (used in glaucoma treatment), since its isolation up to the present. Almost all Pilocarpusspecies are native from Brazil. Because of the medicinal importance of pilocarpine, several of them are in the path of extinction. Other secondary metabolites, such as coumarins, flavonoids and terpenes, were described for Pilocarpusspecies. In this review the secondary metabolites, other than pilocarpine, isolated from Pilocarpusspecies and their biological activities were compiled. Although the variety of structures and the importance of the biological activities described in literature for Pilocarpusspecies this is an unexploited field of research in Natural Products and Pharmacology.