Medicinal and phytochemical insights into Citharexylum spinosum L.: Exploring bioactive potential of an invasive species

Citharexylum spinosum L., an invasive species recognized for its medicinal value, contains a diverse array of bioactive phytochemicals. It contains a rich source of bioactive compounds such as iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides (lamiide and verbascoside), flavonoids, and alkaloids. These phytochemicals exhibit significant pharmacological properties, including strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities, affirming its traditional uses in treating infections, inflammatory disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Advanced chemical profiling using LC-MS, ESI-HRMS, and NMR spectroscopy has enabled the detailed characterization of these phyto-compounds, underscoring their roles in modulating oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. Extracts of C. spinosum exhibits antimicrobial effects against a range of pathogens while showing cytotoxic potential in certain cancer cell lines, suggesting promising leads for natural product drug development. Despite its invasive nature, C. spinosum presents a valuable reservoir of phytochemicals, necessitating further exploration for clinical applications and pharmacological mechanism elucidation. The thorough integration of phytochemical knowledge with pharmacological findings highlights the significant potential of C. spinosum in the development of natural health products and pharmaceuticals, while also considering the ecological consequences of its invasive spread.