Chemistry and biological activity of steroidal glycosides from the Lilium genus

Abstract

Plants from the Lilium genus are a rich source of chemical diversity and have been the focus of natural products chemistry research for over twenty years. This manuscript provides a background on the chemistry and nomenclature of steroidal glycosides, as well as a chronological account of the progress between the years of 1989 up to 2014, with respect to their isolation and characterization from the genus. This review highlights the traditional use of lilies, as both food and medicine, and brings attention to the fact that the genus contains 110 accepted species of which the chemistry and biological activity of the steroidal glycosides from the majority have not been investigated to date. Thus, making the genus a relatively untapped resource that contains a potential treasure trove of chemical diversity waiting to be discovered.

Complete chloroplast genome sequences of Lilium: insights into evolutionary dynamics and phylogenetic analyses

“…Many Lilium species, ornamental cultivars and hybrids (such as Oriental hybrid, LA-hybrid, OT-hybrid, Asiatic hybrid, LO-hybrid, Longiflorum, and Aurelian & Trumpet), are cultivated for their esthetic value. In addition, both the flowers and bulbs are regularly consumed as both food and medicine in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia 5 . Presently, the “medicine food homology” values of Lilium plants have received considerable attention with respect to their great commercial prospects.…”

Genome Size Diversity in Lilium (Liliaceae) Is Correlated with Karyotype and Environmental Traits

“…In addition, the flowers and bulbs of these plants are regularly consumed as both food and medicine in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia. At present, the “medicine food homology” value of Lilium plants is receiving considerable attention with respect to their great commercial prospects (Munafo and Gianfagna, 2015). …”

Variation of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacities in Different Organs of Lilium pumilum

“…Evaluations of the chemical composition and biological activities of edible Lilium have been an active area of research in recent years [2]. Different compounds have been reported in this genus, such as carbohydrates [3], proteins, fats, amino acids, vitamins [4], alkaloids [5], phenolics [2], flavonoids [6], carotenoids [7], sterols [8], steroidal saponins [1], and steroidal glycoalkaloids [9]. The Lilium genus comprises about 110 species, with a wide geographical distribution.…”

“…And Lilium Bulb has been used to treat coughs, bronchitis, insomnia and restlessness, and convulsions experienced in association with high fever. Although plants belonging to the family Liliaceae are rich sources of bioactive chemicals, few studies have focused on L. pumilum [1,2,6,12,15]. In addition, phenolic compounds can provide attributes, such as color, texture, bitterness, astringency and functional properties to plants.…”