Abstract

The species Mikania glomerata and Mikania laevigata, which are commonly known as guaco, are medicinal plant species widely employed for the treatment of respiratory diseases. In traditional medicine, both species have a long history of use. Currently, the medical use of these plants is widespread because pre-clinical studies have demonstrated their hypo-allergenic, antiasthmatic and antiulcerogenic properties. In recent decades, many studies have been conducted with the aim of isolating and identifying the metabolites of guaco from distinct extracts. Overall, making a correlation between a particular extract and its metabolic profile is difficult, because the reports from the literature are extensive and scattered. The present work provides an overview of the metabolic profiles of the guaco species, including extraction procedures, yields, analytical methods and the therapeutic potential of the main guaco metabolites. This review will contribute to the field by providing the historical context of the guaco species, which will be useful for guiding the design of new studies.

Key words: Mikania glomerata, Mikania laevigata, guaco, review, metabolites, coumarin.