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- Title
Halophytes as Medicinal Plants against Human Infectious Diseases.
- Authors
Ferreira, Maria João; Pinto, Diana C. G. A.; Cunha, Ângela; Silva, Helena
- Abstract
Halophytes have long been used for medicinal purposes. However, for many decades, their use was entirely empirical, with virtually no knowledge of the bioactive compounds underlying the different applications. In recent decades, the growing problem of antibiotic resistance triggered the research on alternative antimicrobial approaches, and halophytes, along with other medicinal plants, regained attention as an underexplored pharmacological vein. Furthermore, the high nutritional/nutraceutical/pharmacological value of some halophytic species may represent added value to the emerging activity of saline agriculture and targeted modification of the rhizosphere, with plant-growth-promoting bacteria being attempted to be used as a tool to modulate the plant metabolome and enhance the expression of interesting metabolites. The objective of this review is to highlight the potential of halophytes as a valuable, and still unexplored, source of antimicrobial compounds for clinical applications. For that, we provide a critical perspective on the empirical use of halophytes in traditional medicine and a state-or-the-art overview of the most relevant plant species and metabolites related with antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial activities.
- Subjects
MEDICINAL plants; HALOPHYTES; PLANT growth; COMMUNICABLE diseases; PLANT metabolites; DRUG resistance in bacteria
- Publication
Applied Sciences (2076-3417), 2022, Vol 12, Issue 15, p7493
- ISSN
2076-3417
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/app12157493