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Review
. 2022 Feb 14;11(4):519.
doi: 10.3390/plants11040519.

Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Biological, and Nutritional Properties of Genus Crepis-A Review

Natale Badalamenti  1 , Francesco Sottile  2   3 , Maurizio Bruno  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Biological, and Nutritional Properties of Genus Crepis-A Review

Natale Badalamenti et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

The genus Crepis L., included within the Asteraceae family, has a very wide distribution, expanding throughout the northern hemisphere, including Europe, northern Africa, and temperate Asia. This genus has a fundamental value from biodynamic and ecological perspectives, with the different species often being chosen for soil conservation, for environmental sustainability, and for their attraction towards pollinating species. Furthermore, various species of Crepis have been used in the popular medicine of several countries as medicinal herbs and food since ancient times. In most cases, the species is consumed either in the form of a decoction, or as a salad, and is used for its cardiovascular properties, as a digestive, for problems related to sight, for the treatment of diabetes, and for joint diseases. This literature review, the first one of the Crepis genus, includes publications with the word 'Crepis', and considers the single metabolites identified, characterised, and tested to evaluate their biological potential. The various isolated compounds, including in most cases sesquiterpenes and flavonoids, were obtained by extracting the roots and aerial parts of the different species. The secondary metabolites, extracted using traditional (solvent extraction, column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography, preparative HPLC, vacuum liquid chromatography), and modern systems such as ultrasounds, microwaves, etc., and characterised by mono- and bi- dimensional NMR experiments and by HPLC-MS, have a varied application spectrum at a biological level, with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antitumor, antiviral, antiulcer, phytotoxic, and nutritional properties having been reported. Unfortunately, in vitro tests have not always been accompanied by in vivo tests, and this is the major critical aspect that emerges from the study of the scientific aspects related to this genus. Therefore, extensive investigations are necessary to evaluate the real capacity of the different species used in food, and above all to discover what the different plants that have never been analysed could offer at a scientific level.

Keywords: Asteraceae; Crepis ssp.; Guiaianes; biological properties; ethnopharmacology; secondary metabolites; sesquiterpenes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Some of the Crepis ssp. present in Sicily, Italy: (A) C. bursifolia L., (B) C. bivoniana (Rchb.) Soldano & F. Conti, (C) C. leontodontoides All., (D) C. vesicaria L., and (E) C. sancta (L.) Bornm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews, which includes database and register searches only.
Figure 3
Figure 3
4,15,10,14,11,13-dehydro guaianolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 4
Figure 4
10,14,11,13-dehydro guaianolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 5
Figure 5
4,15,10,14-dehydro guaianolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 6
Figure 6
10,14-dehydro guaianolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Hypocretenolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Lactucin type guaianolides from Crepis taxa.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Other sesquiterpenoids from Crepis taxa.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Flavonoids from Crepis taxa.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Other metabolites from Crepis taxa.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Other metabolites from Crepis taxa.
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