Amaranthaceae plants of Israel and Palestine: Medicinal activities and unique compounds

Abstract

Amaranthaceae plant family is one of the largest and most diverse in the plant kingdom. While some of the plants of this family have important nutritional value, others are considered toxic and/or hazardous weeds that many efforts were investigated in controlling them. But both categories were used by humans for traditional medicinal purposes, and some of them were extensively studied by modern science. In this review article, we will present some ethnomedicinal uses of the plants of this family, along with comprehensive literature survey of medicinal, biological and other activities. Information will be presented in tables for the convenience of readers, and many figures of natural products structures are introduced. The extensive discussion section will focus mainly (but not only) on studies of active compounds production. To the best of our knowledge, this review article is the most extensive that was ever published about plants of this family in general, and the first about Amaranthaceae plants of our region, which grow all over the world, part. Conclusions and future research recommendations are presented for the benefit of interested scholars.