Biology Reference
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ornamental plants and in traditional med-
icine (Falcao et al. , 2006). The aerial parts of
these plants are used in Chile owing to their
analgaesic, digestive and diuretic proper-
ties (Sacchetti et al. , 1999), and as an anti-
microbial in stomach treatment (Sacchetti
et al. , 1999; Garbarino et al. , 2004). Some
species of this genus have substances with
potential use as: insecticides (Khambay;
Jewess, 2000), against tuberculosis
(Woldemichael et al. , 2003) and as growth
inhibitors of TA3 tumour cells and meth-
otrexate resistant TA3 cells (Morello et al. ,
1995). Flavonoids, glucophenylpropanoids
and diterpenes were identified in Calceolaria
(Wollenweber et al. , 1989; Di Fabio et al. ,
1995; Nicoletti et al. , 1998; Garbarino et al. ,
2000). There are around 86 species growing
in Chile (Marticorena et al. , 1985) and only
15% of them have been phytochemically
characterized.
Calceolaria talcana Grau & C. Ehrhart
(Calceolariaceae: Scrophulariceae), an
endemic from Chile, belongs to the
Calceolaria integrifolia sensu lato com-
plex. The latter comprises nine species:
Calceolaria andina, Calceolaria angusti-
folia, Calceolaria auriculata, Calceolaria
georgiana, Calceolaria integrifolia s.str,
Calceolaria rubiginosa, Calceolaria tal-
cana, Calceolaria verbascifolia and Calceo-
laria viscosissima . Each one of these
species has its own characteristic distribu-
tion pattern, which correlates with ecolog-
ical and weather factors (Ehrhart, 2005).
Growing between the VII to VIII region
together with other species of Calceolaria,
C. talcana (Table 15.1), commonly known
as 'zapatito de doncella' or 'capachito de
hoja larga', is a strong erect shrub, 150 cm
tall or smaller with fragile ascending
branches, internodes of 2-8 cm, and the
inflorescence and distal parts of stems are
glutinous or velutinous with erect hairs
(Fig. 15.1a) (Ehrhart, 2005).
The phytochemical study of the extracts
of the C. talcana species has led us to find a
relationship between them and the extracts
of Penstemon gentianoides and Penstemon
campanulatus ; they are also Scrophular-
iaceae and the phytochemicals found can
contribute to chemotaxonomy studies of
this species. P. campanulatus is an ever-
green shrub that grows throughout high
mountains in Guatemala, Mexico and the
southern states of the USA. Its leaves and
roots have been used therapeutically for
anti-inflammation, and we have some
reports about this activity (Dominguez et al. ,
2010) and antioxidant activity, among
others (Dominguez et al ., 2005). Thus, in a
parallel manner, identical phenylethanoids,
iridoids and flavonoids to those in Calceolaria
have been identified from its aerial
parts (Dominguez et al. , 2007; Muñoz
et al. , 2013).
15.3
Condalia microphylla
Condalia microphylla Cav. (Rhamnaceae)
is known in Chile and Argentina as
'Piquilin' (Fig. 15.1b). This densely
branched shrub occurs on arid lands in
central Argentina ('Montane grasslands
and shrublands') and in the foothills of
north-central Chile ('Mediterranean for-
ests woodlands and shrublands'). It grows
to approximately 2 m tall. Although this
shrub has not been studied in our country,
the presence of hydrocarbons and fatty
acids has been reported in the Condalia
montana species complex (Zygadlo et al. ,
1991, 1992).
Condalia microphylla causes 'el mal
del piquilin' in cattle, a neurotoxic or hepa-
totoxic disease (Bedotti et al. , 2006). The
toxicological activity of Condalia species
has also been reported by Delgado et al.
(2011). Additionally, the use of aerial parts
(bark, leaves and stems) induces the accu-
mulation of long-chain n -alkanes, produc-
ing ataxia and 'paraffin-liver' in cattle
Table 15.1. Taxonomy of Calceolaria talcana.
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Calceolaria
Species
Calceolaria talcana
 
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