Buddleja globosa Hope

It has not been cultivated at industrial scale but only at home gardens and is generally collected from the wild. Average net productivity of the plant reaches about 3.5 kg per individual, fresh weight reaching per hectare 350 kg fresh weight per hectare.

No figures are available for total domestic consumption. However, Ximena Polanco (Dresden Street 4640, San Miguel, Santiago de Chile) uses 50 kg/year for preparing creams, dermatological preparations and homeopathic remedies. Laboratorios Knop (Alameda 1671, Santiago Chile) purchases about 2000 kg/year.

No data is available (The Chilean Customs Office does not distinguish this commodity; exports of this species are recorded under the general umbrella of medicinal plants).

1.5 US$ per kg of dry weight leaves

B. globosa is wild harvested. Leaves are collected from wild plants and from those cultivated in home gardens. Due to overexploitation it is now rare in the wild and its genetic variability is reduced (Jeldres 2002; Vogel et al. 2002).

B. globosa is endemic to Chile, Peru and Argentina and only grows in the Andes Mountains (Montenegro, 2000).

In Chile its distribution is between the Choapa Province (IV administrative region) and Chiloe Province (X region) (Montes and Wilkomisky, 1985). It is common in Central Chile becoming more frequent towards the South and rarer towards the North (Hoffmann et al., 1992).

It grows in ravines and damp places, preferring moist and well drained soils (Vogel and Berti, 2003). It is commonly found in open Matorral or disturbed areas, including those with a marine influence (Hoffmann et al., 1992; Jeldres, 2002). It is highly frost tolerant.

Crude and semi processed (usually in extracts that contain extracts from several different species).

Under Chilean drug Legislation the Public Health Institute regulates trade and authorizes the distribution of active substances through pharmacies (www.ispch.cl).

Propagation from seed is relatively easy using a mixed soil and sand substrate. Vegetative reproduction can be easily obtained. Studies carried out on vegetative reproduction (Vogel et al., 2002, Doll et al., 2003), show that B. globosa roots easily. However the application of indolebutyric acid to the base of the cuttings encourages and enhances rooting. Best results are obtained by immersing cuttings in a solution of indolebutyric acid at a concentration between 1,000 and 3,000 ppm for 30 seconds prior to placing them in a well drained inert substrate such as perlite or vermiculite. The type of cutting is also important. Best results are obtained with apical cuts. The recommended density of plants is 20,000 to 30,000 plants/hactares (Vogel and Berti, 2003).

Further information can be had from the follwoing contacts:

• Salushaus and Salus Chile organic farming (www.saluschile.cl)
• Perama S. A.
• Puelche (www.puelchesa.cl)

The leaves are harvested at the beginning of the flowering season. They have a higher flavonoid content at maturity and are light green in colour in comparison with young leaves which are grey (Vogel &Berti 2003). Post harvesting, leaves are kept in a dark place at 7° C.

Keep the products in a dry place with moderate temperatures.

Aqueous extracts and hidroalcoholic extracts

Aqueous extracts and hidroalcoholic extracts are used in homeopathic products such as topical creams and oral drops for gastric ulcers.

In the Mapuche culture it used for wound healing, for pain, itching and syphilis. The macerated bark is mixed with urine and then fermented (Hoffmann et al., 1992). It is used also for ulcers treatment as a cicatrizing agent for internal wounds (Montenegro, 2000). The leaves of B. globosa are used as a poultice in wound healing and contusions in Chile, an infusion of the leaves is used to cure ulcers while the resin is used to heal scratches (Muñoz et al., 2001).

The aqueous extract of B. globosa was reported to show activity against hypanosomes and amoebic diseases. The ethanol extracts of leaves show inhibition of the Staphylococcus aureus growth (Caceres Samayoa, 1989) and anti-hepatoxic effects (Houghton and Hikino, 1989).

B. globosa contains a variety of compounds including flavonoids, phenylethanoid esters, terpenoids including iridoids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and saponins. The terpenoids isolated from B. globosa include the nine carbon iridoid aucubin, catalpol and related compounds which are found in higher concentrations in the leaves. The stem and root bark has been found to contain caryophyllene sesquiterpenes and abietane diterpenes including the bisditerpene maytenone. The triterpenoids β-amyrin and lupeol have been isolated from the leaves and flowers respectively (Lopez et al., 1979; Muñoz et al., 2001).

The presence of numerous glandular trichomes on the leaves and sepals is characteristic. The trichomes are short with multicellular stalks and a bowl-shaped head composed of 12 to 16 cells containing small, single crystals of calcium oxalate.

When ingested it can produce diarrhoea and other problems in the intestine.

No clinical or in vivo studies have been carried out to validate the traditional uses of B. globosa but some in vitro investigations have been conducted which give some support to its ethnopharmacology, particularly its use in wound healing. Wound healing is a complex process which can be accelerated by compounds which stimulate the proliferation of fibroblasts. Additionally B. globosa may act by reducing unwanted aspects of wound healing such as inflammation, or may act against factors which adversely affect the wound healing process such as microbial infections and attack by oxygen free radicals. A recent study tested an aqueous extract of B. globosa leaves for action as a growth stimulant of cultured fibroblasts and for protection of the cell line against oxygen free radical attack induced by hydrogen peroxide. A weak but not statistically significant increase in growth was observed at concentrations of the leaf extract below 1µg/ml but concentrations above 10 µg/ml inhibited growth and appeared to be cytotoxic. The results for antioxidant activity were more significant (Sampson et al., 2000).

There are no interaction reported with other drugs

As homeopathic medicines as a monodrug