Plants: A Key Emphasis to Its Pharmacological Potential.

Bahare Salehi, Esra Capanoglu, Nabil Adrar, Gizem Catalkaya, Shabnum Shaheen, Mehwish Jaffer, Lalit Giri, Renu Suyal, Arun K Jugran, Daniela Calina, Anca Oana Docea, Senem Kamiloglu, Dorota Kregiel, Hubert Antolak, Ewelina Pawlikowska, Surjit Sen, Krishnendu Acharya, Zeliha Selamoglu, Javad Sharifi-Rad, Miquel Martorell, Célia F Rodrigues, Farukh Sharopov, Natália Martins, Raffaele Capasso

Journal: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 2019;24(10):1854

PMID: 31091784

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Abstract

genus has received a renowned interest in the last years. This plant species, native to the Americas, has served worldwide folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal diseases and intestinal parasites, among other clinical conditions. These pharmacological effects have been increasingly correlated with their nutritional and phytochemical composition. Among those chemical constituents, carotenoids, tocopherols, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, sterols, fatty acids, and functional carbohydrates and polysaccharides are those occurring in higher abundance. However, more recently, a huge interest in a class of triterpenoids, cucurbitacins, has been stated, given its renowned biological attributes. In this sense, the present review aims to provide a detailed overview to the folk medicinal uses of plants, and even an in-depth insight on the latest advances with regards to its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer effects. A special emphasis was also given to its clinical effectiveness in humans, specifically in blood glucose levels control in diabetic patients and pharmacotherapeutic effects in low urinary tract diseases.

Address: Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam 44340847, Iran. [email protected].; Faculty of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering, Food Engineering Department, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, Turkey. [email protected].; Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale et d'Ethnobotanique, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia 06000, Algérie. [email protected].; Faculty of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering, Food Engineering Department, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Maslak, Turkey. [email protected].; Department of Plant Sciences, LCWU, Lahore 54000, Pakistan. [email protected].; Department of Plant Sciences, LCWU, Lahore 54000, Pakistan. [email protected].; G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India. [email protected].; G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India. [email protected].; G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development Garhwal Regional Centre, Srinagar 246174, India. [email protected].; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania. [email protected].; Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania. [email protected].; Mevsim Gida Sanayi ve Soguk Depo Ticaret A.S. (MVSM Foods), Turankoy, Kestel, 16540 Bursa, Turkey. [email protected].; Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland. [email protected].; Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland. [email protected].; Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland. [email protected].; Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India. [email protected].; Department of Botany, Fakir Chand College, Diamond Harbour, West Bengal 743331, India. [email protected].; Molecular and Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India. [email protected].; Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Ömer Halisdemir University, Campus, 51240 Nigde, Turkey. [email protected].; Zabol Medicinal Plants Research Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol 61615-585, Iran. [email protected].; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepcion, Concepcion 4070386, Chile. [email protected].; LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal. [email protected].; Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Avicenna Tajik State Medical University, Rudaki 139, Dushanbe 734003, Tajikistan. [email protected].; Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal. [email protected].; Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. [email protected].; Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy. [email protected].

DOI: 10.3390/molecules24101854

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MeSH Terms: Anti-Infective Agents, Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic, Antioxidants, Blood Glucose, Cucurbita, Cucurbitacins, Ethnopharmacology, Humans, Medicine, Traditional, Plant Extracts