Phytobioactive Compounds As Therapeutic Agents for Human Diseases: A Review

Overview

Journal Food Sci Nutr

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2023 Jun 16

PMID 37324906

Authors

Muhammad Riaz

Ramsha Khalid

Muhammad Afzal

Fozia Anjum

Hina Fatima

Saadiya Zia

Ghulam Rasool

Chukwuebuka Egbuna

Andrew G Mtewa

Chukwuemelie Zedech Uche

Muhammad Aamir Aslam

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Phytobioactive compounds are plant secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds abundantly present in medicinal plants and have remarkable therapeutic potential. Oxidative stress and antibiotic resistance are major causes of present-day ailments such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and inflammation. The data for this review were collected from Google Scholar, PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and Science Direct by using keywords: "Medicinal plants, Phytobioactive compounds, Polyphenols, Alkaloids, Carotenoids etc." Several studies have reported the pharmacological and therapeutic potential of the phytobioactives. Polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes, and polysaccharides isolated from medicinal plants showed remarkable antioxidant, anticancer, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. This literature review was planned to provide comprehensive insight into the biopharmacological and therapeutic potential of phytobioactive compounds. The techniques used for the extraction and isolation of phytobioactive compounds, and bioassays required for their biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities, have been discussed. Characterization techniques for the structural elucidation of phytobioactive compounds such as HPLC, TLC, FTIR, GC-MS/MS, and NMR have also been discussed. This review concludes that phytobioactive compounds may be used as potential alternative to synthetic compounds as therapeutic agents for the treatment of various diseases.

Citing Articles

Structural analysis and treatment of acute liver injury of polysaccharides from the .

Ding Z, Ying Q, Lei J, Zhang N, Xia Y, Du Y Front Pharmacol. 2025; 16:1544302.

PMID: 40066337 PMC: 11891217. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1544302.

seed proteins effect on snake venom enzymes with antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Tahir W, Fatima S, Moin S, Moin M, Waheed H J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2025; 20(1):81-88.

PMID: 40034741 PMC: 11875155. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2025.01.005.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors from Plants and Their Potential in Alzheimer's Treatment: Systematic Review.

ALNasser M, Alboraiy G, Alsowig E, Alqattan F Brain Sci. 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 40002547 PMC: 11852592. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci15020215.

The role of resveratrol in delivering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic defense against nephrotoxicity generated by titanium dioxide.

Basak F, Kusat T, Kahraman T, Ersan Y Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2025; .

PMID: 39992422 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-025-03885-7.

Exploring the anti-inflammatory effects of phytochemicals in attenuating interstitial cystitis-a literature review.

Anjum I, Nasir A, Naseer F, Ibrahim A, Rehman B, Bashir F Front Pharmacol. 2025; 16:1483548.

PMID: 39974737 PMC: 11836544. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1483548.

References

Riaz M, Khalid R, Afzal M, Anjum F, Fatima H, Zia S . Phytobioactive compounds as therapeutic agents for human diseases: A review. Food Sci Nutr. 2023; 11(6):2500-2529. PMC: 10261751. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3308. View

Mou L, Liao L, Zhang Y, Ming D, Jiang J . Ursolic acid ameliorates Nthy-ori 3-1 cells injury induced by IL-1β through limiting MALAT1/miR-206/PTGS1 ceRNA network and NF-κB signaling pathway. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021; 238(4):1141-1156. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05761-7. View

Wang X, Dong W, Bi S, Pan Z, Yu H, Wang X . Protective effects of osthole against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Int J Mol Med. 2013; 32(2):365-72. DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2013.1386. View

Shahid M, Bukhari S, Gul Y, Munir H, Anjum F, Zuber M . Graft polymerization of guar gum with acryl amide irradiated by microwaves for colonic drug delivery. Int J Biol Macromol. 2013; 62:172-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2013.08.018. View

Sultana S, Munir N, Mahmood Z, Riaz M, Akram M, Rebezov M . Molecular targets for the management of cancer using Curcuma longa Linn. phytoconstituents: A Review. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021; 135:111078. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.111078. View

Mioc M, Milan A, Malita D, Mioc A, Prodea A, Racoviceanu R . Recent Advances Regarding the Molecular Mechanisms of Triterpenic Acids: A Review (Part I). Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(14). PMC: 9322890. DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147740. View

Chang L, Shi R, Wang X, Bao Y . Gypenoside A protects ischemia/reperfusion injuries by suppressing miR-143-3p level via the activation of AMPK/Foxo1 pathway. Biofactors. 2020; 46(3):432-440. DOI: 10.1002/biof.1601. View

Mecocci P, Tinarelli C, Schulz R, Polidori M . Nutraceuticals in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Front Pharmacol. 2014; 5:147. PMC: 4066843. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00147. View

Sridhar K, Charles A . In vitro antioxidant activity of Kyoho grape extracts in DPPH and ABTS assays: Estimation methods for EC using advanced statistical programs. Food Chem. 2019; 275:41-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.040. View

10.

Ashraf A, Sarfraz R, Rashid M, Shahid M . Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, and cytotoxic activities of an important medicinal plant (Euphorbia royleana) from Pakistan. J Food Drug Anal. 2017; 23(1):109-115. PMC: 9351760. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2014.05.007. View

11.

Nguyen L, Nguyen U, Kim Y, Shin H, Yang I . Astragali Radix and its compound formononetin ameliorate diesel particulate matter-induced skin barrier disruption by regulation of keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018; 228:132-141. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.09.025. View

12.

Shahid M, Riaz M, Talpur M, Pirzada T . Phytopharmacology of Tribulus terrestris. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2016; 30(3):785-788. View

13.

Romano B, Lucariello G, Capasso R . Topical Collection "Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants". Biomolecules. 2021; 11(1). PMC: 7828774. DOI: 10.3390/biom11010101. View

14.

Yen H, Liu C, Yeh C . Naringenin suppresses TPA-induced tumor invasion by suppressing multiple signal transduction pathways in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Chem Biol Interact. 2015; 235:1-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2015.04.003. View

15.

Grybinik S, Bosakova Z . An overview of chiral separations of pharmaceutically active substances by HPLC (2018-2020). Monatsh Chem. 2021; 152(9):1033-1043. PMC: 8382579. DOI: 10.1007/s00706-021-02832-5. View

16.

Shimizu M, Shirakami Y, Sakai H, Tatebe H, Nakagawa T, Hara Y . EGCG inhibits activation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/IGF-1 receptor axis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cancer Lett. 2008; 262(1):10-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2007.11.026. View

17.

Zuo Y, Liu Y, Cheng C, Yang Y, Xie Y, Luo P . Isovaleroylbinankadsurin A ameliorates cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury through activating GR dependent RISK signaling. Pharmacol Res. 2020; 158:104897. DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104897. View

18.

Guo W, Xu B, Wang X, Zheng B, Du J, Liu S . The Analysis of the Anti-Tumor Mechanism of Ursolic Acid Using Connectively Map Approach in Breast Cancer Cells Line MCF-7. Cancer Manag Res. 2020; 12:3469-3476. PMC: 7237111. DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S241957. View

19.

Riaz T, Abbasi M, Rehman A, Siddiqui S, Shahid M, Fatima H . Enzyme inhibitory, Antifungal, Antibacterial and hemolytic potential of various fractions of Colebrookia oppositifolia. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017; 30(1):105-112. View

20.

Yuyun X, Xi C, Qing Y, Lin X, Ke R, Bingwei S . Asiatic acid attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced injury by suppressing activation of the Notch signaling pathway. Oncotarget. 2018; 9(19):15036-15046. PMC: 5871095. DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24542. View