Phytochemical Composition and Therapeutic Potential of Bistorta major Gray: A Review

Abstract

B. major is an edible medicinal plant, which aqueous and hydroethanolic rhizome extracts are used in folk medicine for the relief of diarrhea and more gastrointestinal disorders, hemorrhages, inflammations, respiratory and other infections, wounds, etc. The progress on the bistort extract research enables the discovery of new bioactive compounds, evaluation of their therapeutic potential and safety for the treatment of modern socially significant diseases. Therefore, the present review aimed to analyze the therapeutic potential of B. major extracts with an emphasis on their active molecules, and the toxicological risk of bistort use. The antioxidant phenolics are among the most investigated phytochemicals in the plant, as two new flavonoids with anti-inflammatory properties have been discovered. The herb is a source of chlorogenic, gallic acids, catechins, procyanidins, and derivatives of caffeic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin and apigenin. Some triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, tannins, and fatty acids are among the elucidated physiologically active compounds in the extracts. They are responsible for their antibacterial, antioxidant, hemostatic, immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, and anticancer effects. Particularly, 5-glutinen-3-one and tannic acid are promising anti-rheumatic and hepatoprotective agents, respectively. However, the role of polysaccharides in the bioactivity of the aqueous extracts is not studied. It seems that by decreasing the polarity of the extragent it can increase the possible toxic effects of the extract on the basis of toxicological studies. Considering the biological and pharmacological investigations with bistort extracts, their biomedical potential deserves to be tested in malignant, infectious, chronic inflammatory, liver, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.