Study of puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris L.), and the important roles of its chemical ingredients

Abstract

Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris L.) is an annual to perennial herb belonging to family Zygophyllaceae. Different parts of this plant are known to have variety of chemical components that are of great medicinal importance such as alkaloids, glycosides, steroidal saponins, flavanol, and number of flavonoid derivatives. The surveys of interest were indexed in “PubMed”, “SciFinder”, “Elsevier”, and “Web of Science”. The present review aims to present the most up-to-date findings and results regarding the pharmaceutical advantages and health benefits of Tribulus terrestris in an organic life. This review presents the most important phytochemical and pharmacological data with an emphasis on the prominent information related to the pharmacological studies, chemical composition, mechanisms of action, and toxicological data. This plant possesses strong aphrodisiac, anthelmintic, hypolipidemic, immunomodulatory, diuretic, and hepatoprotective potentials along with significant antibacterial, antiinflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiurolithic, and cardiotonic properties. T. terrestris products are particularly popular in sport. It can also boost the capacity of absorption and effectiveness of the central nervous system. Due to its pharmacological activities Tribulus terrestris is a high potential medicinal herb and the suggestion is to increases by doing research in safety and efficacy.

Keywords

• alkaloids
• anti-cancer activity
• anti-diabetic property
• antioxidant activity
• puncture vine
• saponins