Current knowledge on genus Bassia All.: a comprehensive review on traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, and nonmedical applications

Bassia All. is a genus from the Amaranthaceae family, which was created by merging selected species belonging to the former Bassia and Kochia genera with those classified to Chenolea, Londesia, Kirilowia and Panderia. The reorganised Bassia genus currently comprises around 20 species, which are annual herbs or perennial subshrubs native to Eurasia and Africa. Bassia plants are well known for their therapeutic applications in folk medicine and traditional medical systems, and they are also used for nonmedical purposes. Some members of this genus, such as Bassia scoparia (syn. Kochia scoparia) is of great medical importance and economic value. The plant is cultivated in some regions of Asia as a crop to collect Kochiae fructus, which is used for both curative and food purposes. Phytochemical studies carried out on Bassia species indicate that these plants synthesize metabolites belonging to different groups of compounds (e.g., triterpene saponins, sterols, flavonoids, fatty acids, lignanamides, alkaloids, organic acids). Some of the structures are rarely found in the plant kingdom. Biological activity studies carried out on Bassia plants revealed various effects exerted by extracts and isolated compounds, including anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, anti-obesity, etc. Modern research explained some of the mechanisms of action. This review covers literature from 1935 to 2022, and assembles and discusses data on phytochemistry, biological activity, as well as medical and nonmedical use of the representatives of the genus Bassia. In this review we present the current state of knowledge about the plants of the genus.