Belonging to the Asteraceae family, Tessaria (Ruiz & Pavon, 1753) is a genus of shrubs or small trees distributed in various habitats located from Argentina to the southwestern United States of America. The taxa are composed of five confirmed species, which have been previously reported for their ethnopharmacological uses as hypocholesterolemiant, hypoglycemic, antitussive, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and abortifacient agent; it also has been used in hepatic, renal, pulmonary, and rheumatic diseases. Up to the present, T. absinthioides, T. ambigua, T. dodoneifolia, T. fastigiata and T. integrifolia have been chemically analyzed. While decoctions, infusions, methanolic, and hydromethanolic extracts are the most studied botanical compounds, its most recognized phytochemical constituents are caffeoylquinic acid, eupatorin, naringenin, protocatechuic, and quercetin. Scientifically, several biomedical properties such as virucidal, antibacterial, leishmanicidal, insecticidal, gastroprotective, antiasthmatic, hypoglycemic, and antiatherogenic were attributed to the genus. Concerning oncologic research, the chemicals produced by Tessaria have antitumor activities interfering with carcinogenesis, cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. In addition, the natural extracts obtained from Tessaria species have biological activities closely related to cancer, acting as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. In particular, it has been reported that T. absinthioides resulted cytotoxic against several cancer cell lines and acts as an antitumoral compound in murine models. Due to the aforementioned antecedents, the Tessaria species are considered undervalued within the oncological field; the goal of the current systematic review is to summarize the information available on the genus, relevant for cancer research and treatment.

Melanoma is one of the deathliest cancers worldwide and its incidence is reaching epidemic proportions. It is characterized by intrinsic chemo-resistance, low response rates to treatment and high metastatic potential. Because of this, new therapeutic options are permanently required. Tessaria absinthioides (Hook. & Arn.) DC. is a traditional medicinal plant, with antioxidant, selective cytotoxicity and anti-colorectal cancer evidence-based properties. This study aims to demonstrate the antitumoral and antimetastatic effects of T. absinthioides decoction (DETa), correlating in vitro and in vivo activities in a murine melanoma model. DETa was assayed on B16F0 murine non-metastatic cells to determine cytotoxicity and clonogenicity; while, in the B16F10 metastatic siblings, adhesion, wound healing migration and Boyden chamber invasion were studied. The ex vivo intestinal-sac model was used to quantify DETa bioavailability. Meanwhile, in C57BL6/wt mice, DETa was orally administered to evaluate its antitumoral and antimetastatic activities. DETa induced cytotoxicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, affecting the long-term clonogenic survival, as well as the processes of adhesion and migration. Then, the intestinal absorption of DETa phenolics was proven, while the systemic anti-tumoral and anti-metastatic activities of DETa were confirmed. Results demonstrated that DETa has antimelanoma activity promoting this botanical compound as a relevant agent for cancer research and treatment.