Plantago media L.—Explored and Potential Applications of an Underutilized Plant

Abstract

The search of valuable natural compounds should be directed towards alternative vegetal resources, and to the re-discovery of underutilized plants. Belonging to the Plantaginaceae family, the hoary plantain (Plantago media L.) represents one of the lesser studied species from the Plantago genus. The literature study revealed the under-utilization of the hoary plantain, a surprising aspect, considering its widespread. If the composition of Plantago media L. is rather well established, its applications are not nearly studied as for other Plantago species. The goal of the present paper is to summarize the findings regarding the applications of P. media, and, having as starting point the applications of related species, to propose new emerging areas of research, such as the biomedical applications validation through in vivo assays, and the evaluation of its potential towards industrial applications (i.e., development of food or personal care products), pisciculture or zootechny, phytoremediation and other environmental protection applications, or in the nanotechnology area (materials phytosynthesis). The present work constitutes not only a brief presentation of this plant’s present and potential applications, but also an invitation to research groups world-wide to explore the available vegetal resources.

Ethnomedicinal and Ethnobotanical Survey in the Aosta Valley Side of the Gran Paradiso National Park (Western Alps, Italy)

“…Polysaccharides and flavonoids with wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects [42] Arnica montana 76.40% 53 72 Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue Sesquiterpene lactones of helenalin and dihidrohelenalin type, essential oil, flavonoids, phenolic acids [43] with anti-inflammatory activity [44,45] Juniperus communis 72.50% 50 80 Digestive system Flavonoids, essential oil and coumarins with hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities [46], as well as digestive properties [47] Some of the most important medicinal plants are depicted in Figure 2A-G. Peucedanum ostruthium (Figure 2A) is not included among species with high FL, because it is used to treat several categories of diseases, including respiratory, digestive, muscular, skin and genitourinary problems.…”

A New Glucosyl Flavone with Inhibitory Activity of Cancer Cell Viability and Other Bioactive Constituents from the Traditional Kurdish Plant Plantago loeflingii L.

“…Plantago plants have been used since ancient times as diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and asthmatic drugs in Asia and Europe. The ethnobotanical uses, chemical constituents, and applications of Plantago taxa have been described in a few reviews [ 12 , 13 ], with P. lanceolata , P. major , P. ovata , and P. media having received the greatest attention from scientists [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Comparative Study of Plantago media Extracts in the Treatment of Acanthamoeba sp. Trophozoites

“…Plantago media L., the horary plantain, belongs to the Plantaginaceae family, and is a representative of the genus Plantago L., which contains 242 species of herbaceous plants, or, less often, semi-shrubs, characterized by a cosmopolitan occurrence [1,2]. P. media (the leaves were the commonly used part) had several applications in folk medicine in the past and, now, many of its medical activities have been scientifically proven, such as its antioxidant, antitumoral, cytotoxic, anti-allergenic, mycostatic, anti-inflammatory, and tyrosine kinase inhibitor properties [3]. Several other Plantago species are known medicinal plants, such as P. major, P. asiatica, P. lanceolata, and P. ovata [4], and some of them have monographs in pharmacopoeias, e.g., P. lanceolata, and P. ovata [5].…”