Phytochemical and biological profiles of the genus Phragmites (Family Poaceae): A review
Omnia Yehia Farouk, John Refaat Fahim, Eman Zekry Attia, Mohamed Kamel
Abstract
• Phragmites plants are used in traditional medicine for a range of health disorders. • Several chemically diverse metabolites have been reported from Phragmites species. • Flavonoids , nitrogenous compounds , and terpenoids are the major identified classes. • These plants showed varied biological and therapeutic effects on various body systems. • A detailed phytopharmacological exploration of all Phragmites species is recommended. Phragmites (reed) is a small genus of four species belonging to the common grass family Poaceae and the subfamily Arundinoideae. It is one of the most widespread genera of wetland plants in the world and plays an essential role in maintaining the ecological balance in these environments. Besides their ecological value, plants of the genus Phragmites have been also employed in traditional medicine against several health disorders. To date, research studies on some Phragmites species revealed the presence of varied groups of phytochemicals that comprised nitrogenous compounds, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, quinones, terpenoids, steroids, as well as fatty acids and their esters, among others. Moreover, various organic extracts of different organs of these plants have been reported to show a range of biological and pharmacological properties, such as analgesic, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and hepatoprotective activities, while the available toxicological data have suggested the safety of Phragmites species studied so far. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive account on the phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of the genus Phragmites , outlining the present gaps and future research perspectives in order to help expand its therapeutic applications and possible contribution to the pharmaceutical field.