Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jul 8;25(13):7501. doi: 10.3390/ijms25137501.
While conventional medicine has advanced in recent years, there are still concerns about its potential adverse reactions. The ethnopharmacological knowledge established over many centuries and the existence of a variety of metabolites have made medicinal plants, such as the stinging nettle plant, an invaluable resource for treating a wide range of health conditions, considering its minimal adverse effects on human health. The aim of this review is to highlight the therapeutic benefits and biological activities of the edible (UD) plant with an emphasis on its selective chemo-preventive properties against various types of cancer, whereby we decipher the mechanism of action of UD on various cancers including prostate, breast, leukemia, and colon in addition to evaluating its antidiabetic, microbial, and inflammatory properties. We further highlight the systemic protective effects of UD on the liver, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and digestive systems. We present a critical assessment of the results obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials to highlight the gaps that require further exploration for future prospective studies.
尽管近年来传统医学取得了进步，但人们仍对其潜在的不良反应感到担忧。经过数百年的发展，药用植物已经积累了丰富的民族药理学知识，并且存在多种代谢产物，这些都使它们成为治疗各种健康问题的宝贵资源，因为它们对人体健康的副作用极小。本综述的目的是强调食用（UD）植物的治疗功效和生物活性，重点介绍其对各种癌症的选择性化学预防特性，我们在此解析 UD 对前列腺癌、乳腺癌、白血病和结肠癌等多种癌症的作用机制，同时评估其抗糖尿病、抗微生物和抗炎特性。此外，我们还强调了 UD 对肝脏、生殖、排泄、心血管、神经和消化系统的全身性保护作用。我们对体外和体内研究以及临床试验的结果进行了批判性评估，以突出需要进一步探索的空白领域，为未来的前瞻性研究提供参考。
