Phytochemical Bioactivity of Ulmus Species
Summary
Ulmus species, commonly known as elms, have long been prized in traditional medicine for their bark, root and leaf extracts. Phytochemical investigations have revealed a rich array of flavan-3-ols, notably catechins and their glycosides, as well as phenolic acids and triterpenoids. These compounds confer a broad spectrum of bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects. Recent work has also highlighted anticancer and antiviral potential, while hepatoprotective and neuroprotective actions suggest wider therapeutic applications. Anatomical and chemical profiles vary among species and geographical origins, prompting efforts to standardise extracts for commercial use. Advances in chemotaxonomy and metabolomic fingerprinting are improving species authentication and guiding the discovery of novel bioactive constituents. Together, these studies underline the global significance of Ulmus phytochemicals for drug development and functional ingredients.
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Phytochemical Bioactivity of Ulmus Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phytochemical bioactivity of ulmus species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Flavan-3-ols: A subclass of flavonoids, including catechins, characterised by a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-3-ol core structure.
Catechin glycosides: Compounds in which a sugar moiety is covalently bound to a catechin aglycone, often modulating solubility and bioactivity.
Chemotaxonomy: The classification of plants based on the presence and concentration of characteristic chemical constituents.
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death involving regulated biochemical pathways, distinct from necrosis.
References
- Anatomical and Chemical Characterization of Ulmus Species from South Korea. Plants (2021).
- Chemotaxonomic significance of catechin 7-O-beta-D-apiofuranoside in Ulmus species native to Asia. Forest Science and Technology (2024).
- Ulmus davidiana var. japonica Extracts Suppress Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Apoptosis Through Intracellular Calcium Modulation in U937 Macrophages. Frontiers in Energy Research (2022).
- Anti-Inflammatory Screening of Ulmus pumila L ethanolic extract. Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2022).
- Anticancer and Antiviral Estimation of Three Ulmus pravifolia Extracts and their Chemical Constituents. Oriental Journal Of Chemistry (2015).
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