Systematic Review on Chemical Diversity and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from the Genus Blumea (Asteraceae)

Essential oils from plants have been widely used in the prevention and treatment of numerous human diseases in many parts of the world for thousands of years.. Plants of the genus Blumea comprise about 80 species and are distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Oceania; thirty of which are distributed in the southern provinces of China. The genus has been used locally in the treatment of bronchitis, blood diseases, fevers, and to alleviate a burning sensation. Over the last years, Blumea species have attracted great interest due to the variety of their essential oils, bioactive compounds, and pharmacological activities. This work provides comprehensive information regarding the essential oils from Blumea species concerning their medicinal uses, chemical composition, and bioactivities. The relevant information about the genus Blumea was gathered through electronic databases from 1989 to 2022, including Pubmed, SciFinder, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Based on existing studies of the genus Blumea, a total of eighteen species have been reported on the composition of the essential oil. The essential oils are mainly composed of beta-caryophyllene, germacrene D, and borneol as the most abundant components. Moreover, essential oils also possess a wide spectrum of pharmacology such as larvicidal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, and fumigant toxicity. As a source of traditional folk medicine, the Blumeagenus has high medicinal value, and they are widely used in medicine. Therefore, further systematic, and comprehensive research on the genus Blumea is still required to provide a scientific basis for its clinical applications