Phytochemical and biological diversity of genus Ludwigia: A comprehensive review

Document Type : Mini reviews

Authors

1 Pharmacognosy Department- Faculty of pharmacy-Egyptian Russian University

2 Pharmacognosy Department- faculty of pharmacy-Helwan university

Abstract

Onagraceae is common as willowherb or evening primrose family which is divided into two subfamilies; Ludwigioideae (mainly Ludwigia genus) and Onagroideae. Genus Ludwigia belonging to the family Onagraceae is an important aquatic plant-including genus and characterized by its myriad traditional uses as treatment of hormonal imbalances, urinary complaints, promoting prostate health, and antimicrobial potential. This review focuses on the secondary metabolites and biological significance of various Ludwigia species. Different databases were searched to collect data about such important genus such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Ludwigia species were reported to contain a large variety of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, saponins, and volatile/fixed oils. Several health benefits and biological activities were reported for Ludwigia plants including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial. Genus Ludwigia is an extremely important genus with various phytochemical compositions related to its pharmacological importance and hence its commercial and economic value.

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