PHARMACOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC IMPORTANCE OF ECHIUM ITALICUM- A REVIEW

Echium italicum contained naphthoquinone pigments such as alkannin and shikonin derivatives. However, nine shikonin pigments: shikonin, acetylshikonin, propionylshikonin, isobutyrylshikonin, tiglylshikonin, 3,3-dimethylacrylshikonin, angelylshikonin, 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin and isovalerylshikonin were isolated from the root epidermis of Echium italicum. The total phenolic content of the herb and root of Echium italicum was 11.46 ± 0.08 mg GA/g. The chemical analysis of three different stages (early, middle and late stage) of maturity of the seeds of Echium italicum from Turkey revealed that they contained total oil 15.22, 26.25 and 28.78 g/100 consisted of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, α- linolenic, ϒ-Linolenic, heneicosanoic acids, while stigmasterol and brassicasterol were recorded only in the last stage. pharmacological studies showed that the plant possessed anxiolytic, sedative, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and other effects. The current review discussed the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Echium italicum. Keywords: pharmacology, medicinal plant, chemical constituents, Echium italicum