Phytomedicine Plus (May 2022)
A review on phytochemical, pharmacological attributes and therapeutic uses of Allium hookeri
Abstract
Background: : Allium hookeri is a wild perennial herb within the genus Allium and having immense beneficial medicinal properties including anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-ulcer, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory activity reported in various in vitro and in vivo experimental animals including clinical trial. It is also reported to induce reflux esophagitis and protection against Necrotic enteritis in broiler chicken, causing bodyweight increment when used as chicken feed. Because of the beneficial effects, it is consumed on a large scale by the people of Southeast Asian countries, including the people of Northeast Indian states of Manipur and Meghalaya, as a functional food. Method: : In preparation of this review article, an intense research was carried out for updated information on the scientific evaluation of the beneficial properties of Allium hookeri against various diseases and also the phytochemical constituents responsible for its beneficial effects till 2021. A literature review was performed on various platforms such as Google Scholar, Scifinder, PubMed and Science Direct. The data and interpretation of different publications were analyzed to achieve the objectives, organized with tables and pictorial illustrations and presented. Results: : Thirty references were found to list various traditional uses and results of investigations on scientific validation of the claim on the health benefits of A.hookeri from the literature review till 2021. Based on the phytochemical investigation, different authors identified 10 organosulphur volatile compounds, 11 organosulphur non-volatile compounds, and 42 other volatile compounds. 13 chemical constituents have been reported from the essential oil of A.hookeri. The other isolated compounds are linoleic acid, catechin, sinapic acid and ferulic acid. Along with the phytoconstituents, the diverse biological activities of different solvent extracts and fractions of this plant are also summarized in this review. Conclusions: : The different beneficial medicinal properties such as anti-fungal, anti-ulcer, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, reflux esophagitis activity of A. hookeri are well documented through various scientific investigation. However, very few phytoconstituents have been isolated and purified from this plant to be tested for their role individually and in combination. Future research may be directed towards isolation, purification, characterization and identification of the chemical constituents responsible for the various beneficial effects of the plant.
