ABSTRACT
Teucrium polium L., which belongs to the Lamiaceae family, is found mainly in the Mediterranean region and Middle East and has been used widely as a traditional medicine to treat various conditions such as gastrointestinal diseases and diabetes. The plant is known as felty germander in English and has local names such as Jaad, Jaadeh, Jeada, Ja’ada and Maryam-nokhodi in the Middle East. Aerial parts of the plant are rich in essential oil and polyphenols. The studies performed on the plant showed therapeutic potential of T. polium in health problems such as pain, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, microbial infections, inflammation, and cancer. Essential oil and extracts from aerial parts of T. polium were screened for their effects in several cancer cell lines and found to inhibit cell proliferation and colony formation. Despite its traditional use, T. polium could cause some side effects such as hepatitis, vomiting, changes in kidney function, and allergic responses.
