Chemical and pharmacological aspects of the genus Cecropia

The Cecropia genus consists of about 60 species distributed throughout Latin America, mostly in Brazil. These species are widely used in traditional medicine to treat cough, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure, inflammation, heart disease, and as a diuretic. In recent years, there has been an increase in research on Cecropia species, with several phytochemical and pharmacological reports. Concerning its chemical composition, C-glycosylflavonoids and proanthocyanidins have been described as the main constituents of C. glaziovii, C. hololeuca and C. pachystachya, while terpenoids and steroids have been reported in several species, including C. adenopus and C. pachystachya. Among the pharmacological properties described for the genus, the most frequently reported are hypoglycemic activity for C. obtusifolia and C. peltata, and hypotensive and central nervous system activity for C. glaziovii. The present review compiles the information available on this genus because of its ethnopharmacological relevance and the potential therapeutic uses of these species.