Phytochemical constituents and biological activity of selected genera of family Crassulaceae: A review
Marwa H. A. Hassan, Ahlam Elwekeel, Abeer Moawad, Naglaa Afifi, Elham Amin, Dalia El Amir
Abstract
Family Crassulaceae is a large family of dicotyledonous angiosperms characterized by its unique form of photosynthesis. Although plants of this family are used mainly as ornamental plants, many reports are found discussing the chemical content and biological efficacy of many members of this family. Phenolic compounds are among the most prevalent chemical moieties. On the other hand, many biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, anticancer and antidiabetic are recorded for several species. The present study reviews the phytochemical content and the biological activities of forty species belonging to nine genera of the family Crassulaceae; Aeonium, Crassula, Echeveria, Hylotelephium, Jovibarba, Orostachys, Sedum, Sempervivum and Sinocrassula during the last ten years. The isolation of 189 compounds of phenolics, flavonoids, sterols, triterpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds and other miscellaneous compounds is reported. Moreover, the biological activities of these genera are reviewed. This study indicates that several species have not been adequately studied in terms of their chemical content or biological effect. Hence, it provides a source for selecting species for phytochemical or biological exploration. The provided information may inspire new biomedical application for different species of the selected genera.