Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, and Toxicology of the Subfamily Gomphrenoideae (Amaranthaceae): A Comprehensive Review.

The subfamily Gomphrenoideae is composed of about 480 accepted species, many of which have been historically used as medicinal plants, reason why they have been studied in terms of chemical profile, biological activity, and safety. This review consolidates the advances in research on this subfamily over the past 47 years, emphasizing its promising biotechnological potential and justifying the development of research in species that remain unstudied; additionally, it presents new perspectives based on the current knowledge, including the study of in vitro cultures and co-cultures of the members of this subfamily as a sustainable approach to standardizing their chemical profiles and, consequently, enhancing their biotechnological potential. The information was collected from scientific databases such as Wiley Online Library, PubMed, Springer Link, Scielo, and Nature Research for 4 years. Verification of the scientific names and affiliations of the plants was carried out using the databases Global Biodiversity Information Facility (www.gbif.org), Plants of the World Online (www.plantsoftheworldonline.org), and The Plant List (www.theplantlist.org). To date, 512 chemical compounds have been reported for this subfamily, evidencing a wide diversity of chemical structures. It was also shown that the extracts, fractions, isolated pure compounds, and nanoparticles of this subfamily present antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antihyperglycemic activity, among others. Likewise, it is evident that the members of this subfamily do not present toxicity.