Comparison of Metabolic Profiles of Fruits of Arctium lappa, Arctium minus, and Arctium tomentosum

Metabolites of the edible and medicinal plant Arctium have been shown to possess beneficial activities. The phytochemical profile of Arctium lappa is well-explored and its fruits are known to contain mainly lignans, fatty acids, and sterols. But the fruits of other Arctium species have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study compares the metabolic profiles of the fruits of A. lappa, Arctium tomentosum, and Arctium minus. Targeted metabolomics led to the putative identification of 53 metabolites in the fruit extracts, the majority of these being lignans and fatty acids. Quantification of the major lignans showed that the year of collection had a significant effect on the lignan content. Furthermore, A. lappa fruits contained lesser amounts of arctigenin but greater amounts of arctigenin glycoside than A. minus fruits. Regarding the profile of fatty acids, A. minus fruits differed from the others in the presence of linolelaidic acid.

Arctium lappa (Burdock): Insights from ethnopharmacology potential, chemical constituents, clinical studies, pharmacological utility and nanomedicine

Arctium lappa L. is a medicinal edible homologous plant, commonly known as burdock or bardana, which belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is widely distributed throughout Northern Asia, Europe, and North America and has been utilized for hundreds of years. The roots, fruits, seeds, and leaves of A. lappa have been extensively used in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). A. lappa has attracted a great deal of attention due to its possession of highly recognized bioactive metabolites with significant therapeutic potential. Numerous pharmacological effects have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo by A. lappa and its bioactive metabolites, including antimicrobial, anti-obesity, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-allergic, antiviral, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities. Additionally, A. lappa has demonstrated considerable clinical efficacies and valuable applications in nanomedicine. Collectively, this review covers the properties of A. lappa and its bioactive metabolites, ethnopharmacology aspects, pharmacological effects, clinical trials, and applications in the field of nanomedicine. Hence, a significant attention should be paid to clinical trials and industrial applications of this plant with particular emphasis, on drug discovery and nanotechnology.