Xanthium strumarium L.: chemical components and biological activity (review)
https://doi.org/10.33380/2305-2066-2025-14-3-2024
Abstract
Introduction. The issue of the sufficiency of natural resources of medicinal plants is currently becoming more and more acute. This is the reason for investigating the possibility of using invasive plants as sources of biologically active substances. Xanthium strumarium L. is a plant of the Asteraceae family, weed plant that is widespread almost all over the globe and has a multicomponent composition. Its use in the treatment of various pathologies is actively covered in scientific literature. The problem of using Common Cocklebur in the context of modern evidence-based medicine is becoming increasingly important.
Text. This article examines the chemical composition of common cocklebur based on studies published from 2005 to 2022. The composition of the essential oil as one of the main components is described in detail, and the comparison of the essential oil component composition of various chemotypes of cocklebur collected in different regions of the world is considered. Data on the composition of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids and steroids, alkaloids, fatty oils, resins, polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, glycosides and other compounds is considered. The structures of the main chemical components characteristic of the common cocklebur are given. The article presents data on experimentally confirmed types of biological activity. The experience of using cocklebur extracts in studies of antibacterial, antifunginal, scolicidal and antitrypanosomal activities is considered. In addition, information is provided on experimentally confirmed types of biological activity: antidiabetic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic.
Conclusion. Based on the literature date, Xanthium strumarium L. can be considered not only as an invasive and polluting species that has actively spread almost all over the globe, but also as a potential medicinal plant with a rich chemical composition.
About the Authors
N. S. Popkov
Saint-Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
14A, Prof. Popova str., Saint-Petersburg, 197022
V. D. Zamyslova
Saint-Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
14A, Prof. Popova str., Saint-Petersburg, 197022
M. N. Povydysh
Saint-Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
14A, Prof. Popova str., Saint-Petersburg, 197022
References
1. Ullah R., Khan N., Hewitt N., Ali K., Jones D. A., Khan M. E. H. Invasive Species as Rivals: Invasive Potential and Distribution Pattern of Xanthium strumarium L. Sustainability. 2022;14(12):7141. DOI: 10.3390/su14127141.
2. Morozova L. V. Common, prickly and whitish cocklebur: botanical description and prospects of their use in pharmacy. In: Conference "Innovations and Prospects of Modern Science. Natural Sciences". 9–31 January 2018. Astrakhan: Publishing House "Astrakhanskii universitet"; 2018. P. 222–225. (In Russ.)
3. Maslyakov V. Yu., Zaiko L. N., Gudkova N. Yu., Kunakova N. A., Zhurba O. V., Fadeev N. B. Field expeditionary studies of medicinal plants in VILAR (2008–2015). In: Collection of scientific papers of the International scientific and practical conference dedicated to the 85th anniversary of VILAR "Biological features of medicinal and aromatic plants and their role in medicine". 23–25 June 2016. Moscow: Shcherbinskaya tipografiya; 2016. P. 118–125. (In Russ.)
4. Bushueva G. R. Xanthium strumarium – a promising source of biologically active compounds (review). Voprosy obespecheniia kachestva lekarstvennykh sredstv. 2017;2:36–46. (In Russ.)
5. Chavan S. T., Kulkarni A. U. Morphological and Phytochemical Studies on Xanthium strumarium L. Plantae Scientia. 2021;4(6):287–290. DOI: 10.32439/ps.v4i6.287-290.
6. Sharifi-Rad J., Hoseini-Alfatemi S., Sharifi-Rad M., Sharifi-Rad M., Iriti M., Sharifi-Rad M., Sharifi-Rad R., Raeisi S. Phytochemical compositions and biological activities of essential oil from Xanthium strumarium L. Molecules. 2015;20(4):7034–7047. DOI: 10.3390/molecules20047034.
7. Scherer R., Wagner R., Meireles M. A. A., Godoy H. T., Duarte M. C. T., Filho J. T. Biological activity and chemical composition of hydrodistilled and supercritical extracts of Xanthium strumarium L. leaves. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 2010;22(5):424–429. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2010.9700363.
8. Esmaeili A., Rustaiyan A., Akbari M. T., Moazami N., Masoudi S., Amiri H. Composition of the essential oils of Xanthium strumarium L. and Cetaurea solstitialis L. from Iran. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 2006:18(4):427–429. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2006.9699131.
9. Shkondrov A., Krasteva I., Kozuharova E., Ionkova I. Chemical composition of essential oil in fruits of Xanthium strumarium L. Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment. 2021;35(1):1474–1479. DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2021.1986426.
10. El-Gawad A. A., Elshamy A., El Gendy A. E.l-N., Gaara A., Assaeed A. Volatiles profiling, allelopathic activity, and antioxidant potentiality of Xanthium strumarium leaves essential oil from Egypt: Evidence from chemometrics analysis. Molecules. 2019;24(3):584. DOI: 10.3390/molecules24030584.
11. Fan W., Fan L., Peng C., Zhang Q., Wang L., Li L., Wang J., Zhang D., Peng W., Wu C. Traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of Xanthium strumarium L.: A review. Molecules. 2019;24(2):359. DOI: 10.3390/molecules24020359.
12. Kan S., Chen G., Han C., Chen Z., Song X., Ren M., Jiang H. Chemical constituents from the roots of Xanthium sibiricum. Natural Product Research. 2011;25(13):1243–1249. DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2010.539182.
13. Yen P. H., Hoang N. H., Trang D. T., Huong P. T. T., Tai B. H., Nhiem N. X., Kiem P. V. A New Thiazinedione Glycoside From the Fruits of Xanthium strumarium L. Natural Product Communications. 2021;16(7):1934578X211032082. DOI: 10.1177/1934578X211032082.
14. Fan W. Xu Q., Wang L., Li L., Wang J., Wei Z., Fan L., Zhang D., Peng W., Wu C. Prediction of chemical component contents of the fruit of Xanthium strumarium L. during processing based on a computer vision system combined with a support vector machine. Analytical Methods. 2019;11(25):3260–3268. DOI: 10.1039/C9AY00637K.
15. Ghahari S., Alinezhad H., Nematzadeh G. A., et al. Biochemical composition, antioxidant and biological activities of the essential oil and fruit extract of Xanthium strumarium Linn. from Northern Iran. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2017;19(7):1603–1616.
16. Beyatli A. Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of Xanthium strumarium L. (Asteraceae). Turkish Journal of Biology. 2025;49(1):127–137. DOI: 10.55730/1300-0152.2730.
17. Zazharskyi V. V., Brygadyrenko V. V., Boyko O. O., Bilan M. V., Zazharska N. M. Antibacterial and anthelmintic activities of Xanthium strumarium (Asteraceae) extracts. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems. 2024;15(1):129–133. DOI: 10.15421/022419.
18. Sharifi-Rad J., Soufi L., Ayatollahi S. A. M., Iriti M., Sharifi-Rad M., Varoni E. M., Shahri F., Esposito S., Kuhestani K., Sharifi-Rad M. Anti-bacterial effect of essential oil from Xanthium strumarium against shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Cellular and Molecular Biology. 2016;62(9):69–74.
19. Rad J. S., Alfatemi S. M. H., Rad M. S., Iriti M. In-vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Xanthium strumarium L. extracts on methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Ancient Science of Life. 2013;33(2):109–113.
20. Nibret E., Youns M., Krauth-Siegel R. L., Wink M. Biological activities of xanthatin from Xanthium strumarium leaves. Phytotherapy Research. 2011;25(12):1883–1890. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.3651.
21. Mouhamad R., Allami R. H., Qader K. O., Faraj I. M., Aa S. Evaluate the influence of Xanthium strumarium L. Extract on blood sugar levels in healthy and diabetic mice. Journal of Clinical Cases & Reports. 2022;2:72-81. DOI: 10.46619/joccr.2022.5-2.1109.
22. Shaheen A., Akram S., Sharif S., Rashid A., Adnan A., Mushtaq M. Fractionation of Xanthium strumarium L. foliage phenolics, in-vitro antioxidant activities, and in-vivo anti-diabetic potential. Frontiers in Chemistry. 2023;11:1279729. DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1279729.
23. Ramírez-Erosa I., Huang Y., Hickie R. A., Sutherland R. G., Barl B. Xanthatin and xanthinosin from the burs of Xanthium strumarium L. as potential anticancer agents. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2007;85(11):1160–1172. DOI: 10.1139/Y07-104.
24. Ferrer J. P., Zampini I. C., Cuello A. S., Francisco M., Romero A., Valdivia D., Gonzalez M., Salas C., Sanchez Lamar A., Isla M. I. Cytotoxic compounds from aerial organs of Xanthium strumarium. Natural Product Communications. 2016;11(3):371–374.
25. Ly H. T., Truong T. M., Nguyen T. T. H., Nguyen H. D., Zhao Y., Le V. M. Phytochemical screening and anticancer activity of the aerial parts extract of Xanthium strumarium L. on HepG2 cancer cell line. Clinical Phytoscience. 2021;7:14. DOI: 10.1186/s40816-021-00252-w.
26. Tong C., Chen R.-H., Liu D.-C., Zeng D.-S., Liu H. Chemical constituents from the fruits of Xanthium strumarium and their antitumor effects. Natural Product Communications. 2020;15(8):1934578X20945541. DOI: 10.1177/1934578X20945541.
27. Al-Mekhlafi F. A., Abutaha N., Mashaly A. M. A., Nasr F. A., Ibrahim K. E., Wadaan M. A. Biological activity of Xanthium strumarium seed extracts on different cancer cell lines and Aedes caspius, Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2017;24(4):817–821. DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.07.003.
28. Kim I.-T., Park Y.-M., Won J.-H., Jung H.-J., Park H.-J., Choi J.-W., Lee K.-T. Methanol extract of Xanthium strumarium L. possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2005;28(1):94–100. DOI: 10.1248/bpb.28.94.
29. Abaturov A. E., Volosovets A. P., Borysova T. P. Activated nitrogen-containing metabolites of the human body in respiratory diseases. Generators and generation (part 1). Theoretical Medicine. 2015;6(66):147–152. (In Russ.)
30. Khuda F., Iqbal Z., Khan A., Zakiullah, Shah Y., Ahmad L., Nasir F., Hassan M., Ismail, Shah W. A. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of selected medicinal plants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2014;27(2):365–368.
31. Hossen M. J., Cho J. Y., Kim D. PDK1 in NF-κB signaling is a target of Xanthium strumarium methanolic extract-mediated anti-inflammatory activities. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2016;190:251–260. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.019.
32. Ju A., Cho Y.-C., Cho S. Methanol extracts of Xanthium sibiricum roots inhibit inflammatory responses via the inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in murine macrophages. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2015;174:74–81. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.07.038.
33. Yeom M., Kim J.-H., Min J.-H., Hwang M. K., Jung H.-S., Sohn Y. Xanthii fructus inhibits inflammatory responses in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages through suppressing NF-κB and JNK/p38 MAPK. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2015;176:394–401. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.020.
34. Jiang H., Jiang H., Yang L., Xing X. D., Yan M. L., Guo X. Y., Su X. L., Sun Y. P., Yang B. Y., Wang Q. H., Kuang H. X. Chemical constituents of terpenoids from Xanthium strumarium. Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine. 2018;40:2461–2466.
35. Hossen M. J., Kim M.-Y., Cho J. Y. MAPK/AP-1-targeted anti-inflammatory activities of Xanthium strumarium. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2016;44(6):1111–1125. DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X16500622.
36. Bousquet J., Anto J. M., Bachert C., Baiardini I., Bosnic-Anticevich S., Canonica G. W., Melén E., Palomares O., Scadding G. K., Togias A., Toppila-Salmi S. Allergic rhinitis. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2020;6(1):95. DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00227-0.
37. Peng W., Han P., Yu L., Chen Y., Ye B., Qin L., Xin H., Han T. Anti-allergic rhinitis effects of caffeoylquinic acids from the fruits of Xanthium strumarium in rodent animals via alleviating allergic and inflammatory reactions. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2019;29(1):46–53. DOI: 10.1016/j.bjp.2018.10.004.
38. Guemmaz T., Zerargui F., Boumerfeg S., Arrar L., Aouachria S., Khennouf S., Charef N., Baghiani A. Anti-hemolytic, anti-lipid peroxidation, antioxidant properties and acute toxicity of Xanthium strumarium leaves extracts. Annual Research & Review in Biology. 2018;24(3):1–12. DOI: 10.9734/ARRB/2018/40024.
39. Ingawale A. S., Sadiq M. B., Nguyen L. T., Ngan T. B. Optimization of extraction conditions and assessment of antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of Xanthium strumarium L. fruits. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 2018;14:40–47. DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2018.02.004.
40. Malpani M. O., Rajput P. R., Chinchole K. V., Kapse S. S., Ambarkar K. S. Phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of extracts of Xanthium strumarium, Chrysanthemum and their mixture. Rasayan Journal of Chemistry. 2019;12(4):1901–1908. DOI: 10.31788/RJC.2019.1245447.
Supplementary files
|
|
1. Графический абстракт | |
| Subject | ||
| Type | Other | |
View
(1MB)
|
Indexing metadata ▾ | |
Review
For citations:
Popkov N.S., Zamyslova V.D., Povydysh M.N. Xanthium strumarium L.: chemical components and biological activity (review). Drug development & registration. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.33380/2305-2066-2025-14-3-2024
Views:
88
Email this article 