Phytochemical Properties and Pharmacological Role of Plants: Secondary Metabolites

Abstract

Over the past decades, there has been increasing attention tothe study of medicinal plants that contain many phytochemicals beneficial for human health. A number of secondary metabolites derived from various plants have been used as drug components to treat several human disorders since ancient times. The traditional therapeutic applications of secondary metabolites have been reported in the whole world. Numerous bioactive phytochemicals constituents have been identified and isolated using many advanced techniques. These bioactive phytochemicals are responsible for many pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-allergic, and antimicrobial infection. These secondary metabolites are not only beneficial for human health but also protect plants themselves from biotic and abiotic stress. These secondary metabolites are classified into many subclasses like terpenoids, alkaloids and phenolics. Each class of secondary metabolites has its pharmacological activities, which is required to be studied thoroughly for better use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and other industries. Therefore, this review paper represents many medicinal plants that contain bioactive secondary metabolites and show pharmacological activities, which provides an opportunity to utilize them for improvement of human health and discover new herbal medicines.

The organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of innovative high-fiber khalas date-based bar

“…Khalas date-based bar had sustainable TPC, TF, and TFL contents and DPPH and ABTS free RSAs. Khalas date may boost phytochemicals and bioactive substances because of its high phenolic content (Kaushik et al, 2021); the bioactive components of dates correlate with antioxidant activity in several experiments (Fernández-López et al, 2022;Yeh et al, 2009). Al Harthi et al (2015) recorded lower TPC content in four varieties of dates ranging from 32.24 mg to 35.84 mg caffeic acid equivalent to 100 g -1 FW.…”

Determination of the Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties of Pomegranate Peel Extract Obtained by Ultrasound on HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cell Line

“…This is attributed to the presence of primary and secondary plant metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins, etc. [29]. Of particular interest, pomegranate has been shown to have several therapeutic properties and plays a role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, reproductive disorders, and arthritis [13].…”

Storage and time course effects on the quality of oil extracted from Phyllanthus amarus Schumach and Annona muricata Linn and their antidiabetic potentials

“…Phytocomponents, such as phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanidins, and various plant or herbal extracts, have been reported as radical scavengers and inhibitors of oxidative stress (Kaushik et al, 2021 ). It is reasonable to assert that the health benefits of a plant depend on its chemical constituents, shelf-life, and storage period, which produce specific physiological actions in the human body (Singh, 2015 ).…”