Alternanthera sessilis: Uncovering the nutritional and medicinal values of an edible weed

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Weeds are often considered undesirable as they interfere with the habitat of native plants, and therefore they are underestimated and underutilised. In fact, some edible weeds have beneficial nutritional and medicinal values. Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Br. ex DC., an edible medicinal weed is a species of the Amaranthaceae family that consists of two cultivars: green and red. Local communities in different regions have traditionally consumed the plants as food and medicine, with the green cultivar being applied to relieve pain, treat wound healing, dysentery, asthma and hypertension, while the red cultivar is applied to prevent cardiovascular and liver diseases in general.

Aim of the study: The present review intends to provide an in-depth discussion and scientific basis of A. sessilis green and red's health-promoting properties in relation to their ethnobotanical use, nutritional components and bioactive compounds.

Materials and methods: The literature search was conducted using relevant keywords on scientific search engines such as the Web of Science, Google Scholar, Medline and Scopus.

Results: A. sessilis shows potent antioxidant activity as a result of its diverse phytochemical constituents, such as polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloid and carotenoids in addition to its nutritional components: vitamin C, E and unsaturated fatty acids, which contribute to its various bioactive properties: anti-microbial and anthelmintic, anti-diabetic, lipid lowering, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, anti-cancer and other biological activities. Toxicity evaluation revealed the absence of adverse effect of A. sesslis extracts.

Conclusion: A. sessilis has a great potential to be used as complementary medicine and ingredients for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and functional foods, instead of being regarded as a pest. Prospects for enhancing the development and commercialisation of this edible medicinal weed as a high value health-promoting product are suggested.

Keywords: Alternanthera sessilis; Edible medicinal weed; Health-promoting properties; Nutritional components; Phytochemical compounds; Sessilis joyweed.