Phytochemistry and Biological Profile of Gaultheria procumbens L. and Wintergreen Essential Oil: From Traditional Application to Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets.

ABSTRACT: Gaultheria procumbens L. is a medicinal plant whose aerial parts (leaves, stems, and fruits) and methyl salicylate-rich essential oil (wintergreen oil) are used in phytotherapy to treat inflammation, muscular pain, and infection-related disorders. This overview summarises the current knowledge about ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, molecular mechanisms, biocompatibility, and traditional use of G. procumbens and the wintergreen oil distilled from different plant organs. Over 70 hydrophilic compounds, including methyl salicylate glycosides, flavonoids, procyanidins, free catechins, caffeoylquinic acids, and simple phenolic acids, have been identified in G. procumbens plant parts. Moreover, aliphatic compounds, triterpene acids, and sterols have been revealed in

SUBMITTER: Michel P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10778675 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature