Jun 2026· Marine Drugs· Vol 24, pp. 229· 0 citations· 58 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Clinical evidence remains limited, particularly regarding long-term efficacy, dose standardisation, and bioavailability in humans, and future work should prioritise adequately powered intervention trials and standardised characterisation of marine halophyte bioactives to clarify their evidence-based role in functional food development and future precision nutrition applications.
Abstract
Marine halophytes are gaining attention as a source of plant-derived bioactive compounds with potential applications across nutraceuticals, functional foods, and preventive nutrition. Among them, Salicornia europaea L. is a coastal succulent whose adaptation to hypersaline environments shapes a distinctive phytochemical profile of pharmacological interest. This narrative review integrates current evidence on the bioactive composition, mechanistic activities, and translational relevance of S. europaea and related Salicornia species. Their secondary metabolome includes flavonols, isorhamnetin glycosides, hydroxycinnamic acids, oleanane-type triterpene saponins, fermentable polysaccharides, carotenoids, and a mineral-rich ionic matrix. Reported activities span antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vascular-protective, anti-adipogenic, glycaemic-modulating, antimicrobial, and microbiome-related effects, mediated through pathways involving NF-κB, PPAR-γ, endothelial nitric oxide signalling, and short-chain fatty acid production. Beyond its individual phytochemical components, the matrix as a whole may also support sodium-reduction strategies in food formulation, providing a complementary nutritional rationale for its incorporation as a functional ingredient. Despite a coherent body of mechanistic and preclinical findings, clinical evidence remains limited, particularly regarding long-term efficacy, dose standardisation, and bioavailability in humans. Future work should prioritise adequately powered intervention trials and standardised characterisation of marine halophyte bioactives to clarify their evidence-based role in functional food development and future precision nutrition applications.
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the phytochemical composition, biological activities, and bioeconomic potential of five selected woody species occurring in the Karditsa region and identifies future research directions for the sustainable exploitation of selected woody flora from the Karditsa region.
Christos Chiolos, V. Athanasiadis, Ekaterini Koura et al.· Applied Sciences· 0 citations
Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) is a valuable source of nutrition comprising various bioactive compounds. The seeds of this legume plant are a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, vitamins and unsaturated fats. They also contain phenolic acids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carotenoids and other phytochemicals. The bioactive compounds found in chickpeas are promising due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, anticarcinogenic and gastroprotective effects. Researchers have proved the ability of chickpeas to improve glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as intestinal function and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. So that, this legume product can be considered a functional food with a noteworthy impact on human health, particularly in the prevention of chronic diseases. However, the processing methods, including soaking, germination, cooking, roasting, fermentation, and milling, can significantly affect the composition and content of phytochemicals. Despite the existing data on the impact of C. arietinum on human health, it is necessary to conduct further studies. In particularly, the need for deep understanding of the physiological effects. Besides, it needs to be analyzed the impact of most common processing technologies on the chemical composition of chickpeas.
Ramesh K Lakshmaiah, Shivakumar Venkataramaiah, Devaraja Sannaningaiah· Advanced International Journ...· 0 citations
Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br. leaves represent a promising natural resource for the development of food and non-food products owing to their diverse bioactive constituents. This review aimed to synthesize current knowledge on the morphology, phytochemical profile, biological activities, and development prospects of A. scholaris leaves. A narrative literature review was conducted using publications retrieved from Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Scopus, focusing on studies published between 2015 and 2025. The reviewed literature indicates that the leaves are rich in monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and steroids. Experimental studies have demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, antifungal, and renoprotective activities against diabetic nephropathy. Direct applications have primarily been limited to herbal tea, antioxidant gel formulations, and the exploration of bioactive compounds as pharmaceutical candidates, whereas their utilization as functional foods, nutraceuticals, herbal cosmetics, and natural preservatives remains largely prospective. Future research should emphasize raw material standardization, extraction optimization, toxicological evaluation, and preclinical and clinical validation to facilitate the development of safe, effective, standardized, and sustainable products.
Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):SDG 3: Good Health and Well-beingSDG 9: Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureSDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Dikianur Alvianto, Nuzlul Musdalifah, Nova Solina Purba et al.· AJARCDE | Asian Journal of A...· 0 citations
Antioxidant-rich plant-derived compounds are increasingly investigated for their role in preventing oxidative stress and managing metabolic disorders.
Centaurea pungens
Pomel, an underexplored Saharan species, represents a potential source of dietary bioactive compounds with functional properties.
This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition and nutraceutical potential of
C. pungens
through integrated chemical, biological, and in silico approaches.
The ethanolic extract was characterized using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, revealing a diverse phytochemical profile comprising flavonoids and phenolic acids, with major constituents including curcumin, beta-carotene, and myricetin derivatives. The extract exhibited notable antioxidant activity, with 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging (IC50 = 0.0706 ± 0.006 mg/mL) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging (IC50 = 0.1789 ± 0.083 mg/mL), alongside moderate metal-chelating capacity. The extract exhibited significant in vitro alpha-amylase inhibitory activity. Molecular docking and 300 ns molecular dynamics simulations further suggested that myricetin 3-arabinoside may contribute to the observed inhibitory effect through stable interactions with the catalytic pocket of human pancreatic alpha-amylase. In addition, the extract showed antimicrobial activity, indicating its potential for applications related to food safety and preservation.
However, the predominant nutritional relevance lies in its high polyphenol content and associated antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory properties. Overall, these findings suggested that
C. pungens
represents a promising source of bioactive phytochemicals deserving further nutritional investigation. Further quantitative phytochemical analysis, together with bioavailability, safety, and in vivo efficacy studies, is warranted before practical dietary applications can be recommended.
Unknown authors· Frontiers in Nutrition· 0 citations
Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (chayote), a neglected and underutilized Cucurbitaceae crop widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, has drawn growing interest as a source of health-promoting food components. This review critically synthesizes studies published between 2000 and 2026 on its botanical features, genome characterization, nutritional value, phytochemistry, bioactivities, safety, and food-industry applications, based on literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library. Different plant parts (fruits, leaves, seeds, tuberous roots, and peels) contain diverse bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, cucurbitacins, pectin polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Reported bioactivities include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antiproliferative, and geroprotective effects, mediated in part through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signaling and sirtuin (SIRT1/3/5/6) upregulation. Notably, a systematic meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in serum glucose (MD = −20.56; 95% CI: −29.35 to −11.77) and HbA1c following three months of chayote intake in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Industrially, chayote has been developed into fermented products, starch- and peel-derived bioactive films, ultrasound-extracted pectin, α-amylase inhibitory seed protein isolates, and probiotic encapsulation systems. Recent genomic work has further revealed a chromosome-level genome assembly, whole-genome duplication events, and a domestication history tracing to Mexico’s Oaxaca region. Collectively, this evidence positions chayote as a promising underutilized resource for food, nutraceutical, and biomedical use, while highlighting key gaps: the need for standardized clinical trials, bioavailability studies, and comprehensive safety evaluation.
Muhammad Bilal, Asad Abbas, Ralf Weiskirchen et al.· Foods· 0 citations
The family Orchidaceae is one of the most taxonomically diverse groups of angiosperms, recognized for their ornamental significance and their content of pharmacologically relevant secondary metabolites. This review critically evaluates the phytochemical diversity, bioactivities, and potential of Orchidaceae species as natural sources for the development of functional food products. This review is based on a comprehensive literature survey of 32 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and PubMed through April 2025, which reports the presence of diverse bioactive compounds-mainly phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and anthocyanins in various orchid species and plant tissues. These compounds exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-aging, photoprotective, and neuropharmacological effects. The concentration and composition of these metabolites depend on species differences, plant organ specificity, and extraction methods. Cumulative evidence underscores the underutilized potential of orchids as phytochemical reservoirs for nutraceutical applications. However, further translational research on bioavailability, safety, and functional stability in complex food systems is essential to enable their practical application in consumer health products. This review advocates intensive multidisciplinary research on Orchidaceae to open up new opportunities in the functional food and health-promoting bioactive industries.
Syntiya Inanda Khoidir, Deksa Aldebaran, Nur Aniza Aprilia et al.· Current Applied Science and...· 0 citations
