The genus Arrabidaea, consisting of ~170 species, belongs to the family Bignoniaceae, distributed around the Neotropics and temperate zone. The center of diversity of the family is in Brazil, where 56 genera and about 340 species exist. Most species of the genus Arrabidaea are traditionally utilized as diuretics and antiseptics, as well as for treating intestinal colic, diarrhea, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis, wounds, and enterocolitis. The genus is chemically diverse with different substance classes; most of them are triterpenes, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, and they exhibit valuable pharmacological properties, such as antitumor, antioxidant, leishmanicidal, trypanocidal, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. This review presents information on the chemical constituents isolated from seven Arrabidaea species, and the pharmacological activities of the extracts, fractions and pure substances isolated since 1994, obtained from electronic databases. The various constituents present in the different species of this genus demonstrate a wide pharmacological potential for the development of new therapeutic agents, however its potential has been underestimated.
Keywords: Arrabidaea; Cerrado; chemical composition; pharmacological activity.