A review of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of plants of the Maytenus genus.

Plants belonging to the genus Maytenus (Celastraceae) are routinely used in folk medicine in Brazil and other countries to treat a variety of illnesses, the most common of which are gastric disorders. Several studies have reported on the importance of these biological effects, and the chemical substances, mostly terpenoids and flavonoid glycosides, responsible for them. This review summarizes the ethnopharmacological, chemical and pharmacological knowledge of plants of the Maytenus genus, with particular emphasis on those growing in Brazil.