Phytoconstituents, Traditional Uses, and Biological Potential of Edgeworthia genus

Edgeworthia genus (family Thymelaeaceae) plants are used traditionally for high-quality paper manufacturing, as well as for treating various ailments such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular and eye diseases, neuralgia, arthralgia, muscle tension, pain, bruise, hoarseness, and swelling. These plants possess diverse pharmacological activities: antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-osteoporosis, cardiac and reno-protective, polymerase β lyase inhibition, and anti-HIV. This genus is rich in diverse chemical constituents such as flavonoids, coumarins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolics. The current work aimed to review the reported literature on this genus, including secondary metabolites and their bioactivities. A literature search (1974–September 2024) was conducted on different databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed), as well as scientific publishers (Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, JACS, and Bentham). More than 240 compounds were characterized mainly from E. chrysantha and E. gardneri. The reported studies identified bioactive compounds such as daphnoretin, a coumarin with anti-osteoporotic and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities; biflavonoids like daphnodorin dimers with strong α-glucosidase inhibition; and macrocyclic daphnane orthoesters showing potent anti-HIV effects. The reported findings pointed out the significance of Edgeworthia species that support their traditional and medicinal uses. However, further investigations to explore the toxicity profiles, mechanisms of action, and possible clinical applications of this genus are required.