Cuphea Genus: A Systematic Review on the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology

Species from the Cuphea genus (Lythraceae) have wide usage in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Cuphea comprises about 260 species distributed worldwide among five continents. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the information available about the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Cuphea spp. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, with a search in the scientific databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, using keywords, such as “Cuphea”, “sete-sangrias”, “Cuphea” and “polyphenols”, “Cuphea” and “flavonoid”, “Cuphea” and “pharmacology”, “Cuphea” and “traditional uses”, “Cuphea” and “toxicology”, and all references found were analyzed. Among 1438 publications identified in the initial screening, 86 studies were included based on eligibility criteria. The chemical composition of Cuphea spp. is mainly polyphenols related to therapeutic use, especially as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumoral, anti-inflammation, and antihypertensive. In summary, this systematic review provides an overview of the active compounds responsible for the pharmacological actions of the genus, often linked to traditional use. However, its safety and potential toxicology need to be further studied, along with the bioactive mechanisms and discussion of the structure-activity relationship, besides future clinical studies for novel drug development.