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Ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and biotechnological applications of Eclipta prostrata

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Abstract

Eclipta prostrata belongs to a family of medicinal plants (Asteraceae) and plays a role in the treatment of several diseases, including infectious hepatitis, snake venom poisoning, gastritis, and respiratory diseases such as a cough and asthma. A number of compounds, including thiophene derivatives, steroids, triterpenes, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, polypeptides, and coumestans, have been isolated from E. prostrata. The plant functional compounds can act as reducing agent in the field of nanoparticle synthesis. The extracts of E. prostrata are widely used for green biosynthesis of various metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, nanoparticles, which showed a potential for pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and biomedical applications. Establishment of a efficient in vitro regeneration and genetic transformation method of E. prostrata is a vital prerequisite for application of biotechnology in order to improve secondary metabolite yields. The present mini-review discusses its pharmacological profile, chemical constituents, biotechnological, and ethnomedical uses, mainly focusing on antimyotoxic, antihemorrhagic, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antitumor, antihyperglycemic, antidementia, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, antivenom, anti-HIV, and larvicidal activities, so that the pharmaceutical potential of the plant can be better evaluated. The mini review, providing up-to-date phytochemical and other information on E. prostrata, will serve a reference for further studies.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by the KU Research Professor Program of Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. This work was supported by a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen21 Program (Center for Nutraceutical & Pharmaceutical Materials no. PJ01180902), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

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  1. Department of Applied Bioscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea

    Ill-Min Chung, Govindasamy Rajakumar, Ji-Hee Lee, Seung-Hyun Kim & Muthu Thiruvengadam

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  1. Ill-Min Chung
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  2. Govindasamy Rajakumar
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  3. Ji-Hee Lee
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  4. Seung-Hyun Kim
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I.M.C., G.R., and M.T. conducted a literature review and wrote the manuscript. J.H.L. and S.H.K significantly contributed the revising of the MS.

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Correspondence to Muthu Thiruvengadam.

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Chung, IM., Rajakumar, G., Lee, JH. et al. Ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and biotechnological applications of Eclipta prostrata . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 101, 5247–5257 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8363-9

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