Exploring the bioactive-based therapeutic and culinary potential of Madhuca longifolia flower and delineating the research gaps in terms of scientific validation.
{"title":"Exploring the bioactive-based therapeutic and culinary potential of <i>Madhuca longifolia</i> flower and delineating the research gaps in terms of scientific validation.","authors":"Shukla Sameeksha, Gandhi Puneet, Gothalwal Ragini","doi":"10.1007/s13197-025-06348-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The flower of <i>Madhuca longifolia</i> (family Sapotaceae) has a long history of traditional use in treating fever, inflammation, rheumatism, ulcers, impotence, skin ailments and heart diseases across Southeast Asia. In India, the flower is commonly consumed as a regular food item and is also used as a tonic, appetizer, galactagogue and carminative agent, particularly among rural populations residing near plantations. There are ethnopharmacological claims about several therapeutic properties and antidiabetic activities of the flower, but no scientific evidence is available on this aspect. This review aims to explore the traditional, nutraceutical and pharmacological properties of <i>M. longifolia</i> flowers while identifying the research gaps for establishing its therapeutic use. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2000 to 2025. Only research and review articles were considered for analysis. Our findings present that the major bioactive compounds identified in the flower include rutin, quercetin, Mi-saponin A & B, madhucoside A & B, gallic acid and ascorbic acid. In vitro studies indicate that it has strong antioxidant activity, while <i>in-vivo</i> studies on animal models document hepatoprotective, anti-dyslipidemic and antidepressant properties, but these studies are miniscule. Till date no clinical trials have been conducted on the therapeutic efficacy of the flower. Although the flower is naturally rich in several bioactive compounds, its potential therapeutic properties have not been scientifically validated. Focused research is needed to extract and quantify all the key bioactives of the flower. Additionally, studies involving human participants to assess the flower's therapeutic properties are needed to bridge the gap between traditional use and modern pharmacology.</p>","PeriodicalId":16004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science and Technology-mysore","volume":"62 8","pages":"1399-1406"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12214108/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Food Science and Technology-mysore","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-025-06348-2","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/6/11 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The flower of Madhuca longifolia (family Sapotaceae) has a long history of traditional use in treating fever, inflammation, rheumatism, ulcers, impotence, skin ailments and heart diseases across Southeast Asia. In India, the flower is commonly consumed as a regular food item and is also used as a tonic, appetizer, galactagogue and carminative agent, particularly among rural populations residing near plantations. There are ethnopharmacological claims about several therapeutic properties and antidiabetic activities of the flower, but no scientific evidence is available on this aspect. This review aims to explore the traditional, nutraceutical and pharmacological properties of M. longifolia flowers while identifying the research gaps for establishing its therapeutic use. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2000 to 2025. Only research and review articles were considered for analysis. Our findings present that the major bioactive compounds identified in the flower include rutin, quercetin, Mi-saponin A & B, madhucoside A & B, gallic acid and ascorbic acid. In vitro studies indicate that it has strong antioxidant activity, while in-vivo studies on animal models document hepatoprotective, anti-dyslipidemic and antidepressant properties, but these studies are miniscule. Till date no clinical trials have been conducted on the therapeutic efficacy of the flower. Although the flower is naturally rich in several bioactive compounds, its potential therapeutic properties have not been scientifically validated. Focused research is needed to extract and quantify all the key bioactives of the flower. Additionally, studies involving human participants to assess the flower's therapeutic properties are needed to bridge the gap between traditional use and modern pharmacology.
长叶麻瓜(仙人掌科)的花在东南亚地区有着悠久的传统用途,用于治疗发烧、炎症、风湿病、溃疡、阳痿、皮肤病和心脏病。在印度,这种花通常被作为一种常规食物食用,也被用作补品、开胃菜、催乳剂和驱泻剂,特别是在居住在种植园附近的农村人口中。有一些民族药理学声称花的一些治疗特性和抗糖尿病活性,但没有科学证据可在这方面。本文综述了长叶橐吾的传统、营养和药理特性,并对其药用价值的研究进行了综述。检索了谷歌Scholar、PubMed、ScienceDirect、ResearchGate、Scopus、Web of Science等网站2000 - 2025年的文献。仅考虑研究和综述文章进行分析。我们的研究结果表明,从花中鉴定出的主要生物活性化合物包括芦丁、槲皮素、米皂苷A和B、麦冬苷A和B、没食子酸和抗坏血酸。体外研究表明,它具有很强的抗氧化活性,而动物模型的体内研究表明,它具有保护肝脏、抗血脂异常和抗抑郁的特性,但这些研究都很少。到目前为止,还没有对花的治疗效果进行临床试验。虽然这种花天然富含几种生物活性化合物,但其潜在的治疗特性尚未得到科学证实。需要有针对性的研究来提取和量化花的所有关键生物活性。此外,需要人类参与者参与的研究来评估花的治疗特性,以弥合传统用途和现代药理学之间的差距。
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Food Science and Technology (JFST) is the official publication of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India (AFSTI). This monthly publishes peer-reviewed research papers and reviews in all branches of science, technology, packaging and engineering of foods and food products. Special emphasis is given to fundamental and applied research findings that have potential for enhancing product quality, extend shelf life of fresh and processed food products and improve process efficiency. Critical reviews on new perspectives in food handling and processing, innovative and emerging technologies and trends and future research in food products and food industry byproducts are also welcome. The journal also publishes book reviews relevant to all aspects of food science, technology and engineering.