A review of phytoconstituents and biological activities of genus Phalaris

Abstract

Phalaris is a genus in the family Poaceae, which contains around 21 species. The members of this genus are used in traditional folk medicine in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. The review aims to collect the previous phytochemistry and biological activities of the extracts. The data of the literature collected revealed the presence of different chemical classes such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, diterpenes, fatty acids, and sterols that contribute to antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-Alzheimer, anti-obesity, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic activities, etc. Further studies are needed to investigate other species of Phalaris, isolate chemical compounds and study their biological activities.