A Comparative Review of Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Ten Species of the Genus Salsola (Amaranthaceae)

Abstract

Salsola (genus of Amaranthaceae) also known as the Russian thistle, or saltworth, is a group of halophytic and xerophytic shrubs that are essential in arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Although the taxonomy has a complicated structure and morphological similarity among species is elevated, the genus is well known in terms of its traditional medicinal properties and great pharmacological potential. The present comparative review is a systematic analysis of the available scientific literature on ten of these species, S. arabica, S. cyclophylla, S. imbricata, S. tetragona, S. villosa, S. collina, S. kali, S. soda, S. oppositifolia. The main objectives included the profiling and comparison of their species-specific phytochemical profiles and reported pharmacological activities, assessment of the evidence behind their traditional applications, and analysis of the possibility of the connection between their severe ecological conditions and specific production of secondary metabolites. A rigorous literature survey of key databases was performed, focusing on the phytochemical and pharmacological investigations in connection with anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities. The phytochemical analysis indicates a rich and diverse phytochemical composition in the genus containing flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic that is linked to a wide range of reported bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial effects. The review identifies the most promising species from a pharmacological standpoint as well as gaps in the literature as the need for more comprehensive in vivo studies and clinical trials. It proposes a plan for future interdisciplinary research to maximize the pharmaceutical and agrochemical value of these resilient halophytes while identifying limitations such as potential language bias and the heterogeneous quality of evidence available in the literature.

Keywords: Salsola species, Phytochemistry, Secondary metabolites, Pharmacological activities,Antioxidant and anticancer properties.