Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Anti-Microbial, and Pharmaceutical Properties of Sumac (<i>Rhus coriaria</i> L.) and Its Genetic Diversity
Anna Perrone,
Sanaz Yousefi,
Boris Basile,
Giandomenico Corrado,
Antonio Giovino,
Seyed Alireza Salami,
Alessio Papini,
Federico Martinelli
Affiliations
Anna Perrone
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Sanaz Yousefi
Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65167-38695, Iran
Boris Basile
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Giandomenico Corrado
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Antonio Giovino
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Plant Protection and Certification (CREA-DC), SS 113 Km 245,5, 90011 Bagheria, Italy
Seyed Alireza Salami
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran
Alessio Papini
Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
Federico Martinelli
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Rhus coriaria L., commonly known as sumac, is a shrub of the Anacardiaceae family present in various subtropical and temperate regions of the world. Considering the rich array of functional and nutraceutical ingredients, sumac extracts are an underutilized source of health-promoting dietary ingredients. For example, sumac is a spice with remarkable antioxidant activity thanks to the high presence of phenolic compounds. In addition, sumac extracts also possess antimicrobial activity and exhibit antidiabetic and hypoglycemic properties. Based on the scientific records retrieved in reliable citation databases (Scopus and Web of Science), this review comprehensively offers research results on sumac with a focus on the phytochemical profiles, the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the extracts, the pharmaceutical uses, and the genetic diversity. We discuss that the use of sumac as a climate-resilient tree should be promoted to diversify the food basket by leveraging on its multiple health benefits and also to reverse the abandonment of marginal lands under low irrigation.
