Phytochemical analysis and pharmacological study of Ulex gallii Planch. (Fabaceae) and Dianthus hyssopifolius L. (Caryophyllaceae), medicinal plants from Galicia (Spain)

Abstract

Medicinal plants are defined as those whose parts or extracts are used for treating pathologies. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds, including primary metabolites like nucleic acids, amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates, which are essential for their vital process, and secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, terpenes or alkaloids, which serve to defend against external factors, among other functions. Many of these compounds have pharmacological activity. Currently, there is renewed interest in obtaining new metabolites from plants. It is estimated that around 25% of pharmaceutical products prescribed worldwide are derived from plants. Traditional medicinal knowledge has been essential in the development of these pharmaceutical products. Recent advances in “omics” technologies, combined with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis, provide a powerful tool that significantly enhances the detection and identification of new metabolites from medicinal plants. Galicia (Spain) is considered a rich reservoir of medicinal plants with bioactive metabolites.