The Modern Use of an Ancient Plant: Exploring the Antioxidant and Nutraceutical Potential of the Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium Coccineum L.)

Abstract

In the continuous scientific search for new safe and effective drugs, there has recently been a rediscovery of natural substances as a potential reservoir of innovative therapeutic solutions for human health, with the prospect of integrating with and sometimes replacing conventional drugs. Cynomorium coccineum subsp. coccineum is a holoparasitic plant well known in ethnopharmacology, although its current use as a curative remedy is reported only in some ethnic groups of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Often known as ‘Maltese mushroom’ due to its unique appearance and the absence of chlorophyll, C. coccineum is present in almost all of the Mediterranean Basin. It is only recently that a few research groups have begun to look for confirmation of some of its traditional uses to highlight previously unknown biological activities. Here, we review the recent scientific findings on the plant’s phytochemistry and the most significant descriptions of some of its antioxidant and biological activities (antimicrobial, anticancer, pro-erectile, and anti-tyrosinase enzyme) both in vivo and in vitro. Some of these may be promising from the perspective of food and cosmetic formulations. The purpose of this review is to provide an initial impetus to those who, in the foreseeable future, will want to increase the knowledge and possible applications of this plant full of history, charm, and mystery.

Absence of Polyphenol Oxidase in Cynomorium coccineum, a Widespread Holoparasitic Plant

“…Moreover, CC is a plant that is strongly adapted to grow in harsh environmental conditions characterized by arid soil, high salinity, high temperature, and scarcity of water. In many areas of the southern Mediterranean, CC grows close to sub-desert areas [ 24 ].…”

“…This plant grows in sandy and rocky soils, usually in desert or sub-desert habitats. The stems emerge from the ground in April–May, typically associated with host plants belonging to the Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cistaceae, and some other plant families [ 24 ]. The concomitant absence of chloroplasts, the presence of phenolics [ 25 ], and the growth in an arid environment make C. coccineum a good candidate to investigate any presence and distribution of the PPO enzyme in this plant.…”

The Doctrine of Signatures in Israel—Revision and Spatiotemporal Patterns

“…Colchicum tunicatumFeinbrun [103] (p. 73), [104] (p. 168) The inflorescence resembles the human male organ Cynomorium coccineum L. [104] (p. 107), [105] (p. 2)…”

Sisymbrium officinale, the Plant of Singers: A Review of Its Properties and Uses

“…Not only glucosinolates are vital: alcohols, aldehydes, fatty acids, and corresponding esters had confirmed antimicrobial properties and could therefore contribute to the antimicrobial effect of the plant [12]. Unfortunately, in this paper, only the disc diffusion method has been applied: this approach (more straightforward) is typically used in the first stages of plant extract characterization [14], but confirmation with a more standardized and reliable method would be desirable. This consideration is even more important taking into account the fact that the only paper reporting an MIC determination of an aqueous SO extracts [15] showed no antimicrobial activity up to 1 mg/mL.…”