A review on Arum palaestinum: phytochemical and biological aspects

Abstract

Arum palaestinum is a wild edible, parietal, unisexual, perennial plant that grows in various parts of the Middle East, and frequently used in traditional Arabic Palestinian herbal medicine. The present review summarises information concerning Arum palaestinum including background information, historical records, phytochemical components, and biological activity which represents an important tool for further research studies. Arum palaestinum is thought to contain a wealth of rich bioactive compounds, such as terpinoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Long-term research on these compounds has demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Its aerial parts yielded the identification of over 180 chemicals, whereas its flowering part's GC/MS study revealed the presence of twelve compounds. Its leaf extracts demonstrated toxicity against various cancer cell lines. Extracts from its flowers demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects. The potential of GZ17-6.02, a promising combinatorial drug made from plant components, for clinical cancer treatment is still being investigated.

Keywords: Arum palaestinum; Black Calla; cytotoxicity; phytochemicals.