Glasswort (Salicornia spp) As A Source of Bioactive Compounds and Its Health Benefits: A Review

Abstract

Glasswort (Salicornia spp) belonging to (Chenopodiaceae) family is widely distributed in salt marshes on beaches and among mangroves. It shows great biotechnological potential as a saltwater irrigated crop. Glasswort has been prescribed in traditional medicines to treat a variety of diseases like nephropathy, hepatitis, intestinal ailments, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and cancer. A variety of pharmacological experiments have revealed that glasswort solvent extract has anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory activities. Many bioactive compounds have been isolated from Salicornia such as tungtungmadic acid, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside and betalain. Due to easy collection of the plant and its remarkable biological activities, this genus has been used nearly worldwide as food and folk medicine. The present review focuse on bioactive compounds isolated from Salicornia species and its pharmacological aspects.

Comparative evaluation of Salicornia bigelovii oil planted under different treatments

“…Salicornia fruticose lipid analysis revealed the presence of 11 fatty acids such as palmitic acid (32.4%) and linoleic acid (14.16%) (Radwan et al, 2007). Salicornia bigelovii is very rich in linoleic acid (about 70%) with a fatty acid profile that is similar to sunflower oil (Gouda & Elsebaie, 2016). The seed contains about 26-33% oil (similar to safflower oil), 35% protein, and salt content of about 3% (Garcia, 2010).…”

From salt pan to saucepan: Salicornia, a halophytic vegetable with an array of potential health benefits

“…Traditionally, this plant is consumed as food for centuries and is also one of the raw materials in traditional soda-lime glass production (Gunning, 2016). Apart from those benefits, this plant has been used in folk medicine to treat a wide range of diseases and disorders such as constipation, nephropathy, hepatitis, diarrhea, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic inflammation, and hemorrhoids (Gouda & Elsebaie, 2016;S. Kim et al, 2021;Ksouri et al, 2012).…”

“…Traditionally, this plant is consumed as food for centuries and is also one of the raw materials in traditional soda‐lime glass production (Gunning, 2016). Apart from those benefits, this plant has been used in folk medicine to treat a wide range of diseases and disorders such as constipation, nephropathy, hepatitis, diarrhea, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic inflammation, and hemorrhoids (Gouda & Elsebaie, 2016; S. Kim et al., 2021; Ksouri et al., 2012). However, recently, Salicornia has emerged as an important cash crop due to the recent discoveries of its potential to use in diverse applications in various industries including food, feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biofuel (Ahn et al., 2011; Giordano et al., 2022; Gunning, 2016; Ishikawa et al., 2002; J. T. Lee et al., 2002; Kumar et al., 2018; ShenavaeiZare et al., 2021).…”

Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species (NUS) from the Apulia Region Worthy of Being Rescued and Re-Included in Daily Diet

“…Going deeper into the phytochemistry of Salicornia spp., some studies have also evidenced the presence of: (i) saponins (in S. europea and S. bigelovii); (ii) lipids, with a prevalence of palmitic acid (e.g., in S. ramosissima) or α-linolenic acid (e.g., in S. europea) [46]; (iii) steroid compounds, such as spinasterol and stigmasterol (in S. europea, S. herbacea, S. fruticosa, and S. bigelovii); (iv) alkaloid derivatives, saliherbine, and salicornin [47]; (v) flavonoids (mainly favanones and flavone derivatives) and phenolic acids in methanolic extracts from S. europea [47]. Due to the presence of sterols, triterpenoids saponins, and polyphenolic compounds, beneficial properties have been associated with Salicornia extracts, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hypolipidemic, and hypoglycemic effects [46][47][48][49][50].…”