ABSTRACT
Genus Blumea DC. is one of the largest genera of Asteraceae, comprising approximately 100 species distributed throughout the tropics, with the highest diversity in tropical Asia and a few species in Australia and Africa. Blumea species are prized for their medicinal values, and are used in traditional medicinal systems across the globe. Several species of this genus are being used in folklore, as well as in patented herbal formulations to treat various types of cancer, cold dysentery, influenza, cardiovascular diseases, gynecological diseases, pulmonary infection, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatitis and eczema, acute renal failure, viral infections, migraine, microbial and fungal infections, and neurological disorders. The folklore principles have been verified by phytochemical investigations, which revealed the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites—viz. flavonoids, coumarins, xanthenes, terpenes and terpenoids—as major components. The crude extracts, as well as their isolated constituents, display multifaceted biological activities including anticancer, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiplasmodial, anti-obesity and hepatoprotective activities. Further, the essential oil of various Blumea species is reported to possess promising bioactivities. Owing to extreme medicinal importance, this chapter discusses and collates the fragmented information available in the literature regarding brief morphology, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry and pharmacology of various medicinally important species belonging to the genus Blumea.
