Ethnobotanical Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Application of Plantago lanceolata L.

Abstract

The medicinal benefits of P. lanceolata L. have been acknowledged worldwide for hundreds of years. The plant is now distributed worldwide, especially in temperate zones. This review gives an overview of ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and other potential application of P. lanceolate L. Several effective chemical constituents such as polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, iridoid glycosides, fatty acids, and polysaccharides are found in P. lanceolata L., which contribute to its exerting specific therapeutic effects. Correspondingly, studies have found that P. lanceolata L. has different biological activities, including antioxidant, antibacterial, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antiulcerogenic activity. The plant also treats various diseases related to the skin, respiratory organs, digestive organs, reproduction, circulation, cancer, pain relief, and infections. The plant has many applications in cosmetics such as lotion and creams; it is also used as an excellent indicator to know the presence and absence of heavy metals and the accumulation in industrial and urban areas. The plant suppresses soil nitrogen mineralization in agriculture due to allelochemicals such as aucubin. The biological activities, medicinal properties, and industrial application of P. lanceolata mainly depend on the activities of the responsible, active chemical constituents. However, this field still needs more study to determine the exact mechanisms and the main bioactive compound activity accountable for these activities. Also, most of the studies have been performed in vitro, so further in vivo studies are recommended for the future.

Studies Regarding the Pharmaceutical Potential of Derivative Products from Plantain

“…The antioxidant activity of the PF fraction is due to the presence of compounds such as luteolin and hyperoside derivatives compounds, rutin, chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, cynaroside, caffeic acid, and kaempferol [ 39 ] all evidenced by HPTLC analysis. These results are in agreement with results obtained by Abate and collab [ 40 ] who reported that the methanolic extract of Plantain leaves may contain 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, (+)-catechin, pyrocatechol, vanillin, verbascoside, epicatechin, taxifolin, hesperidin, rosmarinic acid, pinoresinol, eriodictyol, and kaempferol. The same authors report that in the alcoholic extract there exists significant levels of kaempferol (43.64 mg/g), luteolin (5.35 mg/g), apigenin (8.27 mg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (149.46 mg/g), 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (16.20 mg/g), proto-catechuic acid (103.48 mg/g), vanillic acid (411.52 mg/g), gallic acid (212.01 mg/g), apigenin (184.38 mg/g), (cymaroside) luteolin-7-O-glucoside (119.15 mg/g), and quercetin-3-O-glucoside (34.67 mg/g) [ 40 ] Regarding the flavonoidic compounds, in the same study the existence of compounds such as luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, luteolin, apigenin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-D-galactopyranoside, 3, 5, 7, 4-tetrahydroxyflavonol, apigenin-6,8-di-C-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and 7-O-glucuronide-3′-glucoside, as well as quercetin-3-rutinoside, 7-O-glucuronide, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside was reported.…”

“…Regarding the elemental unit contents of the PP fraction, Lukova and collab [ 12 ] in studies performed on polysaccharidic fractions obtained from Plantago lanceolata , found that the fractions soluble in water contained as major units GalA (70.58%), Ara (29.42%), and traces of Rha. Another study performed by Kardosova in 1992 [ 40 ] indicates that the mucilages obtained from dry leaves of Plantago lanceolata contain D-Glc (21.9%), D-Gal (35.8%), L-Ara (26%), uronic acid (6.9%), D mannose (D-Man) (4.6%), and L-Rha (4.6%). Zhang and collab [ 42 ] found that the polysaccharides obtained by extraction with hot water at 80 °C from Plantago sp.…”

“…Regarding the mechanism of action, other studies indicate that under the action of flavonoids (i.e., kaempferol) the activation of p53 is stimulated, and the level of proapoptotic proteins such as Bax and Bcl-2 is upregulated, favoring the beginning of apoptosis processes in leukemic cells [ 51 , 52 ]. The biological activity of PI products is due probably to iridoid glycosides such as aucubin, catalpol, or its derivatives, for which antimicrobial activities were reported against bacteria and fungi [ 20 , 40 , 46 ]. Other studies performed on catalpol and aucubin reported antimicrobial activities of these two compounds against E. coli , E. faecalis (MIC 512 μg/mL), P. aeruginosa , S. aureus (MIC = 256 μg/mL), C. albicans (MIC = 128 μg/mL and 256 μg/mL, respectively), C. krusei and C. parapsilopsis (MIC = 256μg/mL) [ 40 , 46 ].…”

“…The biological activity of PI products is due probably to iridoid glycosides such as aucubin, catalpol, or its derivatives, for which antimicrobial activities were reported against bacteria and fungi [ 20 , 40 , 46 ]. Other studies performed on catalpol and aucubin reported antimicrobial activities of these two compounds against E. coli , E. faecalis (MIC 512 μg/mL), P. aeruginosa , S. aureus (MIC = 256 μg/mL), C. albicans (MIC = 128 μg/mL and 256 μg/mL, respectively), C. krusei and C. parapsilopsis (MIC = 256μg/mL) [ 40 , 46 ]. These compounds exhibit cytotoxicity in K562 cell lines by inhibiting proliferation due to phase G1 from the cell cycle.…”

Medicinal Plants of the Flora of Kazakhstan Used in the Treatment of Skin Diseases

“…Various parts of the plant, including mature seeds, leaves, and juice, are used for medicinal purposes. Plantain leaves have been employed in the treatment of numerous diseases, including digestive, reproductive, and circulatory ailments, as well as inflammatory skin disorders [145] and urogenital and infectious diseases [146]. Moreover, plantain has been utilized for pain relief and to reduce fever [147].…”