Diverse alkaloids and biological activities of Fumaria (Papaveraceae): An ethnomedicinal group.

Ruifei Zhang, Qiang Guo, Edward J Kennelly, Chunlin Long, Xingyun Chai

Journal: Fitoterapia 2021;146():104697

PMID: 32739338

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Fumaria species, commonly known as fumitory or earth smoke, are considered weeds in many regions. However, several Fumaria species have long been used in folk medicine, such as F. capreolata L., F. densiflora DC., F. indica (Hausskn.) Pugsley, F. officinalis L., F. parviflora Lam., and F. vaillantii Loisel. as well. The ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of 24 Fumaria species have been investigated. Phytochemical studies on Fumaria species revealed the presence of numerous alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and terpenoids. Phthalideisoquinolines (PTIs), protoberberines, and spirobenzylisoquinolines (SBIs) are the major alkaloids in the genus Fumaria. The plants biosynthesize a diverse group of biologically active isoquinoline alkaloids, and these may help to explain the use of various Fumaria species in folk medicine. Pharmacological studies revealed a broad spectrum of bioactivities such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor activities. We found 159 articles published from 1969-2019 by searching the keyword "Fumaria" using databases such as SciFinder, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Based on our reading of these papers, Fumaria species appear to be a source of bioactive isoquinoline alkaloids and ethnomedicines. The lack of studies on pharmacological mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, quality control, and toxicology are discussed in this review. There is great potential for broader medicinal applications of this genus.

Address: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.; State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; PhD Program in Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2020.104697

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MeSH Terms: Alkaloids, Berberine Alkaloids, Fumaria, Isoquinolines, Medicine, Traditional, Molecular Structure, Phytochemicals