Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Biological Activity of Extracts and Non-Volatile Compounds from Lantana camara L....

Lantana camara L., commonly known as pigeon berry, is a herbaceous plant of growing scientific interest due to the high medicinal value. In fact, despite being categorized as an invasive species, it has been used for a long time to treat different diseases thanks to the many biological activities. Triterpenes, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and iridoid glycosides are the bioactive compounds naturally occurring in L. camara that have demonstrated anticancer, antifilarial, nematocidal, antibacterial, insecticidal, antileishmanial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this review is to update the information concerning the chemistry and biological activity of L. camara extracts and their constituents, including semisynthetic derivatives, revising the literature until June 2024. We believe that the data reported in this review clearly demonstrate the importance of the plant as a promising source of medicines and will therefore stimulate further investigations.