Abstract
The genus Echium L. from the Boraginaceae family consists of 67 recognised species. The genus is widely distributed in the Mediterranean, having been documented in the traditional medicine of the area since 300 B.C. Current pharmacological studies have validated early ethnomedicinal properties showing that Echium spp. possesses antioxidant, analgesic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. Nevertheless, only limited papers report specifically on the phytochemistry of this genus. Furthermore, the potential of utilising extracts from Echium species as natural antioxidant preparations has been significantly neglected. For the first time, this review comprehensively describes and discusses the presence of recorded Echium species with ethnomedicinal uses, their antioxidative properties in vitro and in vivo when available, and major phytochemical components recognised as potent antioxidants, as well as the possibilities and opportunities for future research.
Highlights
The genus Echium L. (Boraginaceae) consists of 67 recognised species, which are native toNorth Africa, mainland Europe, and the Macaronesia region, where they are found to be annual, biennial, or perennial flowering plants [1].Interestingly, 70% of species endemic to the Macaronesian archipelagos are found to be woody shrubs [2], while continental species are mostly herbaceous
This review will focus on the antioxidant activity of Echium spp., which are documented to be valuable in a variety of pathological conditions and disease processes
RP-HPLC—reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography, HPCE—high-performance capillary electrophoresis; UPLC-MS—ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry; TLC—thin layer chromatography; 1 H-NMR—nuclear magnetic resonance; FAB-MS—fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry; UV—ultraviolet; HPLC—high-performance liquid chromatography; HPLC-pulsed amperometric detector (PAD)-MS—high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode-array detection coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry; diode-array detector (DAD)—diode array detection; ESI-MS—electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry; CZE—capillary zone electrophoresis; CC—column chromatography; UHPLC/Q-ToF MS—ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Summary
The genus Echium L. (Boraginaceae) consists of 67 recognised species, which are native to. They are hardy plants that adapt well to harsh environments Due to their ability to grow and thrive in austere environments, they have thrived in Australia, South Africa, and America, out-competing native plant species and, are considered invasive [9,10,11]. In regards to their phytochemistry, a variety of the biologically active constituents have been isolated from Echium species, such as naphthoquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenols [12], which. This review will focus on the antioxidant activity of Echium spp., which are documented to be valuable in a variety of pathological conditions and disease processes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
