A Review on Phytochemicals and Biological Properties of Golden Chamomile (Matricaria aurea)

Golden chamomile (Matricaria aurea) is widely distributed in Europe and Asia and is commonly used as an alternative to M. chamomilla in traditional medicine in some countries. This review aimed to summarize the reports on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical content, biological, and pharmacological activities of M. aurea. Additionally, a brief mention of the biological activities of M. chamomilla was also included. The literature research was conducted using authentic search engines, including Web of Science, Google Scholar, Pub Med, and Scopus, without time restrictions with keywords such as Matricaria genus, Matricaria aurea, essential oil, phytochemical, biological, and pharmacological activity. Studies on phytochemicals and biological properties were mainly conducted in countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The chemical composition of essential oil was found to vary depending on the geographical zone of the plant collection site. Sesquiterpenes such as bisabolol oxide, α-bisabolol, and farnesene were identified as common constituents of the essential oil. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds such as chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, apigenin, and luteolin were reported. Ethnopharmacological studies have shown that the plant was used for the treatment of abdominal pain, flatulence, colds, flu, inflammation, cough, asthma, and insomnia. Additionally, M. aurea has demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. In conclusion, biological and pharmacological effects of M. aurea and M. chamomilla have many similarities. This supports the idea that M. aurea could be used as an alternative to M. chamomilla. However, further investigations on the possible mechanisms of action and adverse effects of M. aurea are suggested.