The medicinal potential of plants from the Adenostemma genus

Adenostemma is a genus in the Asteraceae family consisting of more than 20 species distributed in tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, America, and the Pacific Islands. They have been used in folk medicine as remedies for diseases such as fever, inflammation, edema, digestive disorders, and lung injury. This review aims to provide information about Adenostemma species, the traditional uses of these species, chemical constituents, and therapeutic potential based on scientific evidence. The literature search was conducted through Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and KNApSAcK using several search terms. It was revealed in our studies that Adenostemma plants have various secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, fatty acids, saponins, and tannins. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimelanogenic, antitumor, and antiviral activities have been shown by scientific evidence of its extracts and isolated compounds. Adenostemma species were demonstrated by this investigation to offer a prospective source for the development of new drugs. However, phytochemical and pharmacological data are currently limited and require further studies.