Extraction and chromatographic determination of phenolic compounds from medicinal herbs in the Lamiaceae and Hypericaceae families: A review

Identification of compounds from Origanum compactum and Origanum elongatum using HPLC/UV-ESI-MS and comparative analysis of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticoagulant, and antidiabetic properties

The aim was to assess the phytochemical composition, phenolic component levels, and biological properties of the flowering tops of Origanum compactum and Origanum elongatum. The study employed phytochemical assays, spectrophotometric techniques for quantitative analysis of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins, and compound identification using HPLC/UV-ESI-MS. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and antidiabetic properties were examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the O. compactum extract had significantly high levels of total polyphenols, measuring 47.368 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram, and flavonoids, measuring 14.839 mg quercetin equivalents per gram. The phytochemical examination of O. compactum revealed that lithospermic acid accounted for 36.82 % of the chemicals detected, followed by salvianolic acid C at 12.57 % and ros-marinic acid at 6.01 %. The main constituents of O. elongatum are salvianolic acid C (14.46 %), luteolin-3-O-glucuronide (13.51 %), salvianolic acid B (12.24 %), rosmarinic acid (7.83 %), and rutin (6.18 %). The results demonstrated different levels of effectiveness against the investigated microorganisms, with the extract from O. compactum exhibiting better activity, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, certain yeasts, and the fungus Aspergillus niger. The aqueous extracts of both Origanum species demonstrate significant antioxidant activity. O. compactum has a higher total antioxidant capacity (IC50 of 35.083 μg/mL) compared to O. elongatum (IC50 of 77.080 μg/mL). However, O. elongatum has a higher reducing power (35.697 μg/mL) compared to O. compactum (42.563 μg/mL). In vivo evaluations revealed that the aqueous extracts of O. compactum and O. elongatum possess significant antihyperglycemic and anticoagulant properties. The extracts demonstrated a marked reduction in blood glucose levels during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in Wistar rats and effectively prolonged both prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), highlighting their ability to inhibit coagulation pathways. Moreover, their comparable efficacy to standard antihyperglycemic medications and absence of severe toxicity, even at high doses, underscore their therapeutic potential for safe and effective treatment applications. Between the two species, O. compactum exhibited superior efficacy in key biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticoagulant properties, making it a strong candidate for therapeutic applications. This study underscores the value of Origanum species as a rich source of bioactive compounds, offering significant potential in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and agri-food industries. The findings pave the way for further exploration of their diverse applications.

Aerobiology of the Family Lamiaceae: Novel Perspectives with Special Reference to Volatiles Emission

Lamiaceae is a botanical family rich in aromatic species that are in high demand such as basil, lavender, mint, oregano, sage, and thyme. It has great economical, ecological, ethnobotanical, and floristic importance. The aim of this work is to provide an updated view on the aerobiology of species from the family Lamiaceae, with an emphasis on novelties and emerging applications. From the aerobiology point of view, the greatest interest in this botanical family is related to the volatile organic compounds emitted by the plants and, to a much lesser extent, their pollen. Research has shown that the major volatile organic compounds emitted by the plants from this botanical family are monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The most important monoterpenes reported across studies include α-pinene, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, menthol, limonene, and γ-terpinene. Most reports tend to cover species from the subfamily Nepetoideae. Volatile oils are produced by glandular trichomes found on aerial organs. Based on general morphology, two main types are found in the family Lamiaceae, namely peltate and capitate trichomes. As a result of pollinator-mediated transfer of pollen, Lamiaceae species present a reduced number of stamens and quantity of pollen. This might explain the low probability of pollen presence in the air from these species. A preliminary synopsis of the experimental evidence presented in this work suggests that the interplay of the organic particles and molecules released by these plants and their environment could be leveraged for beneficial outcomes in agriculture and landscaping. Emerging reports propose their use for intercropping to ensure the success of fructification, increased yield of entomophilous crops, as well as in sensory gardens due to the therapeutic effect of volatiles.

Chemical Analysis of Various Tea Samples Concerning Volatile Compounds, Fatty Acids, Minerals and Assessment of Their Thermal Behavior

Tea is the most consumed drink worldwide due to its pleasant taste and various beneficial effects on human health. This paper assesses the physicochemical analysis of different varieties of tea (leaves, flowers, and instant) after prior drying and fine grinding. The thermal decomposition behavior of the tea components shows that the tea has three stages of decomposition, depending on temperature. The first stage was attributed to the volatilization of water, while the second stage involved the degradation of volatiles, polyphenols, and fatty acids. The degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content occurs at the highest temperature of 400 °C in the third stage. A total of 66 volatile compounds, divided into eight classes, were identified in the tea samples. The volatile compounds were classified into nine odor classes: floral, fruity, green, sweet, chemical, woody, citrus, roasted, and alcohol. In all flower and leaf tea samples, monounsaturated (MUFAs), polyunsaturated (PUFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were identified. A high content of omega-6 was quantified in acacia, Saint John's Wort, rose, and yarrow, while omega-3 was found in mint, Saint John's Wort, green, blueberry, and lavender samples. The flower and leaf tea samples studied could be a good dietary source of polyphenolic compounds, essential elements. In instant tea samples, a low quantity of polyphenols and major elements were identified. The physicochemical analysis demonstrated that both flower and leaf teas have high-quality properties when compared to instant tea.

A novel simultaneous quantitative method for differential volatile components in herbs based on combined near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy

A novel method based on GC-MS, near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics was established to simultaneously analyze differential volatile components (DVCs) of herb samples. Herein, Florists Chrysanthemum was adopted as the representative sample. Through the introduction of Automatic data analysis workflow (AntDAS) and one-class partial least squares discriminant analysis (O-PLSDA) model, five kinds of terpenes and five kinds of alcohols were efficiently screened as DVCs. By using the selected NIR-MIR spectra sections combined with O-PLSDA, it could achieve the accurate identification of Florists Chrysanthemum from Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. What's more, since the selected spectra sections were closely related to the structural and content of DVCs, they could be further used for simultaneous quantitative analysis of DVCs combined with optimized variable-weighted least-squares support vector machine based on particle swarm optimization (PSO-VWLS-SVM). This method only adopted the same NIR-MIR sections for multiple component accurate quantification, highlighting its convenience.

Therapeutic Potential of Phenolic Compounds in Medicinal Plants-Natural Health Products for Human Health

Phenolic compounds and flavonoids are potential substitutes for bioactive agents in pharmaceutical and medicinal sections to promote human health and prevent and cure different diseases. The most common flavonoids found in nature are anthocyanins, flavones, flavanones, flavonols, flavanonols, isoflavones, and other sub-classes. The impacts of plant flavonoids and other phenolics on human health promoting and diseases curing and preventing are antioxidant effects, antibacterial impacts, cardioprotective effects, anticancer impacts, immune system promoting, anti-inflammatory effects, and skin protective effects from UV radiation. This work aims to provide an overview of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as potential and important sources of pharmaceutical and medical application according to recently published studies, as well as some interesting directions for future research. The keyword searches for flavonoids, phenolics, isoflavones, tannins, coumarins, lignans, quinones, xanthones, curcuminoids, stilbenes, cucurmin, phenylethanoids, and secoiridoids medicinal plant were performed by using Web of Science, Scopus, Google scholar, and PubMed. Phenolic acids contain a carboxylic acid group in addition to the basic phenolic structure and are mainly divided into hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Hydroxybenzoic acids are based on a C6-C1 skeleton and are often found bound to small organic acids, glycosyl moieties, or cell structural components. Common hydroxybenzoic acids include gallic, syringic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, gentistic, and salicylic acids. Hydroxycinnamic acids are based on a C6-C3 skeleton and are also often bound to other molecules such as quinic acid and glucose. The main hydroxycinnamic acids are caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids.

Thymus hirtus Willd. ssp. algeriensis Boiss. and Reut: A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry, Bioactivities, and Health-Enhancing Effects

Members of the Lamiaceae family are considered chief sources of bioactive therapeutic agents. They are important ornamental, medicinal, and aromatic plants, many of which are used in traditional and modern medicine and in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. In North Africa, on the Mediterranean side, there is the following particularly interesting Lamiaceous species: Thymus hirtus Willd. sp. Algeriensis Boiss. Et Reut. The populations of this endemic plant are distributed from the subhumid to the lower arid zone and are mainly employed as ethnomedicinal remedies in the following Maghreb countries: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. In fact, they have been applied as antimicrobial agents, antispasmodics, astringents, expectorants, and preservatives for several food products. The species is commonly consumed as a tea or infusion and is used against hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, respiratory ailments, heart disease, and food poisoning. These medicinal uses are related to constituents with many biological characteristics, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic, insecticidal, and anti-inflammatory activities. This review aims to present an overview of the botanical characteristics and geographical distribution of Thymus algeriensis Boiss. Et Reut and its traditional uses. This manuscript also examines the phytochemical profile and its correlation with biological activities revealed by in vitro and in vivo studies.

Chemical Components of Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa Induce Apoptotic-Type Cell Death of Caco-2 Cells

Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa plant is used in traditional Mongolian medicine. However, its chemical composition and biological properties are poorly explored. In this study, the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids as well as antioxidant activity were verified in plant extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by spectrometric (6.62 mg GAE/g and 10.32 mg QE/g) and chromatographic (17,598 mg/kg and 17,467 mg/kg) assays. The antioxidant potential was investigated by DPPH assay and yielded IC₅₀ at 18.76 µg/mL. Twelve phenolic compounds were identified as components of O. pseudoglandulosa extract. Kaempferol-3-O-robinosyl-7-O-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3-(p-coumaroyl)-rutinosyl-7-rhamnoside made up 80% of determined components and were found to be the major polyphenolic compounds. The biological properties of O. pseudoglandulosa extracts were determined in vitro using human epithelial adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cell line. Low concentrations of extract (0–30 µg/mL) exhibited protective effects against cell damage caused by chemically induced oxidative stress. Elevated concentrations, on the other hand, resulted in apoptotic-type cell death induction. Metabolic failure, ROS elevation and membrane permeabilization observed in cells upon incubation with extract dosages above 50 µg/mL allowed us to conclude on O. pseudoglandulosa being predominantly a necrosis inducer.

Potential Antioxidant and Antiviral Activities of Hydroethanolic Extracts of Selected Lamiaceae Species

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are potential sources of natural bioactive phytochemical compounds of an incredible worth for the food industry, such as polyphenols. Lamiaceae medicinal and aromatic plants from Granada’s high plateau, concretely Origanum bastetanum, Thymus zygis gracilis, Thymus longiflorus, Thymus membranaceus and Ziziphora hispanica, were evaluated under different conventional solid–liquid extraction conditions to obtain extracts enriched in bioactive compounds. Phenolic profile was detected by HPLC-QTOF-MS, identifying a high abundance of bioactive constituents. Furthermore, antioxidant and antiviral activities of the mentioned plants were studied as biological properties of interest for the improvement of food shelf-life. Thus, Origanum bastetanum showed the highest antioxidant potential for all assays. Antiviral activity was also tested against some important foodborne viruses, feline calicivirus (FCV), murine norovirus (MNV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), with the highest activity obtained for Ziziphora hispanica, Thymus longiflorus and Origanum bastetanum. This research proposes the studied plants as rich sources of bioactive compounds with potential use as preservatives in the food industry.

Study on the mechanism of laccase-catalyzed polydopamine rapid dyeing and modification of silk

Research on the polymerization of dopamine and its modification on the surface of materials has received extensive attention. In this work, the process of laccase catalyzing the rapid polymerization of dopamine and in situ dyeing of silk fabric were studied. The results showed that laccase catalyzed dyeing for 3 h under acidic conditions could achieve the dyeing effect of 24 h under an alkaline environment, and the enzyme catalyzed polydopamine showed better deposition uniformity on the substrate surface. According to molecular simulation analysis, dopamine oligomers were easily combined with the amorphous regions of silk fibroin, and dopamine oligomers and amino acids of silk fibroin could form hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. Dopamine oligomers could form intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds through amino groups and hydroxyl groups. In addition, dopamine oligomers would aggregate in the process of binding to silk fibroin and adsorbed to the surface of silk fibroin in the form of aggregates, and Michael addition reaction would also occur between dopamine oligomers and silk fibroin. Finally, the silk fabrics loaded with polydopamine were reacted with different kinds of metal salt solutions to form particles with different morphologies and crystal structures on the surface of the silk fibers, and the modified silk fabrics showed good hydrophobicity.

Dopamine oligomers are easily combined with amorphous regions of silk fibroin, they can form hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions, and undergo Michael addition reactions. The oligomers will aggregate in the process.

Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa Plant of Mongolian Origin

Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa is used in Mongolian traditional medicine due to its numerous reported health-promoting effects. To date, there are very few scientific reports that describe this species. In this article, its volatile oil composition, lipid extract composition, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antibacterial and allergenic properties are elucidated for the first time. Hexadecanoic acid, fokienol and tricosane were determined as the most notable components of the volatile oil, at 13.13, 11.46 and 5.55%, respectively. Methyl benzoate was shown to be the most abundant component of lipid extract at 40.69, followed by (E)-prop-2-enoic acid, 3-phenyl- and benzenepropanoic acid, at 18.55 and 9.97%. With a TPC of 6.620 mg GAE g⁻¹ and TFC of 10.316 mg QE g⁻¹, the plant extract of O. pseudoglandulosa indicated good antioxidant activity measured by IC₅₀ at 18.761 µg mL⁻¹. Of the 12 tested microorganisms, B. subtilis and S. cerevisiae were the shown to be most susceptible to the plant extract, with MIC at 2.081 and 0.260% (v/v), respectively. Bet v 1—a major birch pollen allergen found in plant-based foods—was determined to be at 192.02 ng g⁻¹ with ELISA. Such a wide spectrum of biological activity indicated by O. pseudoglandulosa lends credence for its application in food industry. Its exerted antioxidant and antimicrobial effects could improve preservation of low-processed food dedicated for consumers afflicted with allergies. Hexadecanoic acid supplemented in foods with dietary plant extracts could add to the potential anti-inflammatory impact. The analysis of lipid makeup suggests O. pseudoglandulosa extract could also be considered as natural pesticide in organic farming.

Green extraction and characterization of leaves phenolic compounds: a comprehensive review

Although containing significant levels of phenolic compounds (PCs), leaves biomass coming from either forest, agriculture, or the processing industry are considered as waste, which upon disposal, brings in environmental issues. As the demand for PCs in functional food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic sector is escalating day by day, recovering PCs from leaves biomass would solve both the waste disposal problem while ensuring a valuable "societal health" ingredient thus highly contributing to a sustainable food chain from both economic and environmental perspectives. In our search for environmentally benign, efficient, and cost-cutting techniques for the extraction of PCs, green extraction (GE) is presenting itself as the best option in modern industrial processing. This current review aims to highlight the recent progress, constraints, legislative framework, and future directions in GE and characterization of PCs from leaves, concentrating particularly on five plant species (tea, moringa, stevia, sea buckthorn, and pistacia) based on the screened journals that precisely showed improvements in extraction efficiency along with maintaining extract quality. This overview will serve researchers and relevant industries engaged in the development of suitable techniques for the extraction of PCs with increasing yield.

A Study of Phytochemistry, Genoprotective Activity, and Antitumor Effects of Extracts of the Selected Lamiaceae Species

This study was designed to evaluate the genoprotective, antigenotoxic, as well as antitumor potential of methanolic, ethanolic, and aqueous extracts of Melissa officinalis, Mentha × piperita, Ocimum basilicum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Satureja montana (Lamiaceae), in different model systems. The polyphenols in these extracts were quantified both spectrophotometrically and using HPLC-DAD technique, while DPPH assay was used to assess the antioxidant activity. The genoprotective potential was tested on pUC19 Escherichia coli XL1-blue, and the antigenotoxicity on Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 and human lung fibroblasts, while the antitumor activity was assessed on colorectal cancer cells. Rosmarinic acid, quercetin, rutin, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside were among the identified compounds. Methanolic extracts had the best DPPH-scavenging and SOS-inducing activities, while ethanolic extracts exhibited the highest antigenotoxicity. Additionally, all extracts exhibited genoprotective potential on plasmid DNA. The antitumor effect was mediated by modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) production, and exhibition of genotoxic effects on tumor cells, especially with O. basilicum ethanolic extract. Generally, the investigated extracts were able to provide antioxidant protection for the acellular, prokaryotic, and normal human DNA, while also modulating the production of ROS and NO in tumor cells, leading to genotoxicity toward these cells and their decrease in proliferation.

Extraction Processes Affect the Composition and Bioavailability of Flavones from Lamiaceae Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Lamiaceae plants are a widespread family of herbaceous plants with around 245 plant genera and nearly 22,576 species distributed in the world. Some of the most representative and widely studied Lamiaceae plants belong to the Ocimum, Origanum, Salvia, and Thymus genera. These plants are a rich source of bioactive molecules such as terpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. In this sense, there is a subgroup of flavonoids classified as flavones. Flavones have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic potential; thus, efficient extraction techniques from their original plant matrixes have been developed. Currently, conventional extraction methods involving organic solvents are no longer recommended due to their environmental consequences, and new environmentally friendly techniques have been developed. Moreover, once extracted, the bioactivity of flavones is highly linked to their bioavailability, which is often neglected. This review aims to comprehensively gather recent information (2011–2021) regarding extraction techniques and their important relationship with the bioavailability of flavones from Lamiaceae plants including Salvia, Ocimum, Thymus, and Origanum.

Six Common Herbs with Distinctive Bioactive, Antioxidant Components. A Review of Their Separation Techniques

Rosemary, oregano, pink savory, lemon balm, St. John’s wort, and saffron are common herbs wildly grown and easily cultivated in many countries. All of them are rich in antioxidant compounds that exhibit several biological and health activities. They are commercialized as spices, traditional medicines, or raw materials for the production of essential oils. The whole herbs or the residues of their current use are potential sources for the recovery of natural antioxidant extracts. Finding effective and feasible extraction and purification methods is a major challenge for the industrial production of natural antioxidant extracts. In this respect, the present paper is an extensive literature review of the solvents and extraction methods that have been tested on these herbs. Green solvents and novel extraction methods that can be easily scaled up for industrial application are critically discussed.

Influence of Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis and Vitex angus-castus on the organism of rats fed with excessive fat-containing diet

Plant food additives are becoming more and more popular and broadly applied products, though the information on risks they poses to the organism is limited and contradictive. Obesity and overeating are some of the commonest health issues around the world, and people are increasingly consuming workability-enhancing preparations as a simple and fast method of weight control. The plant-based preparations are considered less harmful than the synthetic chemical ones. Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Melissa officinalis L. and Vitex angus-castus L. are broadly used as food additives and medicinal plants, despite the fact that their complex physiological assessment on model animals in the conditions of obesity has not yet been performed. We carried out a 30-day experiment on white male rats. All the animals were given high-fat diet, and the experimental animals, in addition to this diet, received 5% crumbled dry herbs of L. angustifolia, M. officinalis or V. angus-castus. Taking into account the overall amount of consumed food, the mean daily gain in body weight; at the end of the experiment, we determined the index of the weight of the internal organs, biochemical and morphological blood parameters. At the beginning and the end of the experiment, the rats were examined for motor and orienting activities, and emotional status. Rats on high-fat diet gained up to 112% body weight by the end of the experiment, while rats that had received V. angus-castus gained up to 119%, M. officinalis – 135%, L. angustifolia – 139%, compared with the initial body weight. Addition of medicinal plants to the diet led to increase in average daily weight increment, significantly and reliably after consuming lavender and lemon balm, less significantly and unreliably after eating Vitex. L. angustifolia and M. officinalis reduced the relative brain weight, and ingestion of L. angustifolia and M. officinalis caused notable decrease in the relative mass of the thymus (down to 58% and 47% of the relative weight of thymus in animals of the control group respectively). Also, these plants decreased the motor and orienting activities of the rats by the end of the experiment. As for the biochemical parameters of blood, the activity of alkaline phosphatase significantly increased to 406% following consumption of Melissa, to 350% after consuming lavender, and to 406% after Vitex, compared to the control group. Furthermore, all the groups were observed to have increased AST and ALT activities. Intake of lavender led to increases in cholesterol (to 125%) and LDL cholesterol (to 228%), whereas the groups that consumed lemon balm were observed to have decreases in urea nitrogen (to 79%), totalbilirubin (to 63%) and triglycerides (to 63%). Addition of Vitex led to increase in the index of aterogenecity against the background of notable fall in HDL cholesterol (to 52% of the control group). The medicinal plants also contributed to the normalization of the glucose level. Morphological analysis of blood revealed no significant changes, except heightened content of monocytes in blood, which is characteristic of all groups, including the control. Effects of L. angustifolia, M. officinalis and V. angus-castus on the organism of rats on excessive-fat diet require additional histological, histochemical and immunological surveys.

Romero (Rosmarinus officinalis L.): su origen, importancia y generalidades de sus metabolitos secundarios

El presente trabajo, es una revisión que muestra el impacto que tiene el uso de las plantas medicinales en la salud humana. Desde la antigüedad, por tradición, se extendió el uso mayoritario de algunas familias vegetales como la Lamiaceae que destaca por sus propiedades aromáticas y aplicación culinaria en numerosas culturas, así como en el tratamiento y prevención de una gran variedad de enfermedades y malestares. Dentro de las especies pertenecientes a esta familia se encuentra el romero (Rosmarinus officinalis), planta que ha ganado importancia en el campo de la investigación por sus diversos atributos biológicos como: antiinflamatorio, antimicrobiano, antioxidante y anticancerígeno, entre otros; resultados que debe a sus metabolitos secundarios como: el ácido carnósico, el carnosol, el ácido rosmárico y  el alcanfor, entre otros más, aunado a un potencial efecto cuando es aplicado. También se mencionan algunas metodologías que buscan la extracción de los componentes biológicamente activos del romero.

Dihydro-furanones from Hyptis species: Chemical correlations and DFT-NMR/ECD calculations for stereochemical assignments

Dihydro-furanones are bioactive compounds isolated from various plants, marine fungi, and sponges. The present investigation describes the isolation by recycling HPLC and structural characterization by NMR of four previously undescribed 2(5H)-furanones, monticofuranolide A and pectinolides N-P, one phenylpropanoid, rosmarinic acid, and five known flavonoids, in addition to the undescribed natural flavonoid, 2R,3R-dihydrogossipetin or 5,7,8,3',4'-pentahydroxy flavanonol, from collections of H. monticola Mart. ex Benth and Hyptis pectinata (L.) Poit. Chemical correlations, resembling the biogenetic relationship of the isolated 2(5H)-furanones with their 5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one precursors, were accomplished to confirm their absolute configuration. Density functional theory-NMR/ECD calculations have been used to solve the absolute configuration for this type of compounds.

A review of medicinal plant of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as source in tuberculosis drug discovery

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that affects one-third of the world's population. Although currently available TB drugs have many side effects, such as nausea, headache and gastrointestinal discomfort, no new anti-TB drugs have been produced in the past 30 years. Therefore, the discovery of a new anti-TB agent with minimal or no side effects is urgently needed. Many previous works have reported the effects of medicinal plants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). However, none have focused on medicinal plants from the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region. This review highlights the effects of medicinal plants from the MENA region on TB. Medicinal plants from the MENA region have been successfully used as traditional medicine and first aid against TB related problems. A total of 184 plants species representing 73 families were studied. Amongst these species, 93 species contained more active compounds with strong anti-MTB activity (crude extracts and/or bioactive compounds with activities of 0-100 µg/ml). The extract of Inula helenium, Khaya senegalensis, Premna odorata and Rosmarinus officinalis presented the strongest anti-MTB activity. In addition, Boswellia papyrifera (Del) Hochst olibanum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh leaves (river red gum), Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds and genus Cymbopogon exhibited anti-TB activity. The most potent bioactive compounds included alantolactone, octyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, thymoquinone, piperitone, α- verbenol, citral b and α-pinene. These compounds affect the permeability of microbial plasma membranes, thus kill the mycobacterium spp. As a conclusion, plant species collected from the MENA region are potential sources of novel drugs against TB.