Evaluation of Multiple Functions of Polygonum Genus Compounds

For thousands of years, traditional medicinal plants have been used to control several diseases, based on traditional knowledge and experience. Nevertheless, many potential medicinal plants have not attracted attention to their useful pharmacological properties and remain to be discovered. In recent years, a number of plants from various genera, species and families have been scientifically studied for their pharmacological potential. Among them, the genus Polygonum contains 300 species worldwide. Many document reported various studies of phytochemical and pharmacological potential of crude extracts and compounds isolated from several Polygonum species.

Aims: The present review describes some traditional uses from the Polygonum genus, the phytochemistry, the pharmacological effects, the pharmacokinetics, the toxicology and the known potential phytoconstituents of therapeutic importance that have been isolated.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon and Centro de Analises Proteômicas e Bioquimicas, Pós-Graduação em Ciencias Genomicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica de Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil, between September 2012 and September 2013.

Methodology: A review of literature was carried out using several resources such as scientific papers, classical books, pubmed, Scifinder, Sirus, the web of Science and ethnobotanical information.

Results: Plants from Polygonum are widely distributed in the world and used as traditional medicine. Several compounds including phenolic compounds (flavonoids, chalcones, stibenes, coumarins and others) have been isolated and characterized from these plants and some of them are used as the effective pre-clinical to control various diseases in the world.

Conclusion: The present review covers many medicinal properties of some species from the Polygonum genus, setting out further mechanism of actions and toxicity yet to be established. Studies on Polygonum plant extracts could be targeted to develop novel anticancer, anti allergic agents, potential antiplasmodial and anti-inflammatory drugs, from the active compounds. Apart from this, a new approach could be developed for preparing this herbal product, as well as in combination with other plants. Other pharmacological properties for use in artherosclerosis, neurological disorders, diabetes, hypertension and immunomodulatory effects should be evaluated.