Phyllanthus emblica Linn: A comprehensive review of botany, traditional uses, phytonutrients, health benefits, quality markers, and applications

• Published in: Food chemistry 2024-07, Vol.446, p.138891-138891, Article 138891
• Main Authors: Ma, Qin-Ge, Wang, Lei, Liu, Rong-Hua, Yuan, Jin-Bin, Xiao, Hui, Shen, Zhang-Yang, Li, Jia-Xin, Guo, Jia-Zeng, Cao, Lan, Huang, Hui-Lian, Wei, Rong-Rui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioactivity; Botanical property; Characteristic markers; Comprehensive application; Phytochemistry; Traditional efficacy
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138891

[Display omitted] •Phyllanthus emblica Linn is an important plant for both medicine and food.•Phytonutrients (1–239) were classified and summarized from Phyllanthus emblica Linn.•Efficacy, bioactivity, and application of Phyllanthus emblica Linn are summarized.•The quality markers of Phyllanthus emblica Linn are reviewed for the first time. Phyllanthus emblica Linn is not only an edible fruit with high nutritional value, but also a medicinal plant with multiple bioactivities. It is widely used in clinical practice with functions of clearing heat, cooling blood, digesting food, strengthening stomach, promoting fluid production, and relieving cough. This review summarized a wide variety of phytonutrients, including nutritional components (mineral elements, amino acids, vitamins, polysaccharides, unsaturated free fatty acids) and functional components (phenolic acids (1–34), tannins (35–98), flavonoids (99–141), sterols (142–159), triterpenoids (160–175), lignans (176–183), alkaloids (184–197), alkanes (198–212), aromatic micromolecules (213–222), other compounds (223–239)). The isolated compounds and the various extracts of P. emblica Linn presented a diverse spectrum of biological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-atherosclerosis, neuroprotective, enhancing immunity, anti-fatigue, anti-myocardial fibrosis. The quality markers of P. emblica Linn were predicted and analyzed based on traditional medicinal properties, traditional efficacy, plant genealogy and chemical component characteristics, biogenic pathway of chemical components, measurability of chemical components, transformation characteristics of polyphenolic components, homologous characteristics of medicine and food, compound compatibility environment, and clinical applications. This review also summarized and prospected applications of P. emblica Linn in beverages, preserved fruits, fermented foods, etc. However, the contents of mechanism, structure-activity relationship, quality control, toxicity, extraction, processing of P. emblica Linn are not clear, and are worth further studies in the future.