The Asteraceae family is one of the largest flowering plant families, with over 1600 genera and 2500 species worldwide. Some of its most well-known taxa are lettuce, chicory, artichoke, daisy and dandelion. The members of the Asteraceae have been used in the diet and for medicine for centuries. Despite their wide diversity, most family members share a similar chemical composition: for example, all species are good sources of inulin, a natural polysaccharide with strong prebiotic properties. They also demonstrate strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, as well as diuretic and wound healing properties. Their pharmacological effects can be attributed to their range of phytochemical compounds, including polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, acetylenes and triterpenes. One such example is arctiin: a ligand with numerous antioxidant, antiproliferative and desmutagenic activities. The family is also a source of sesquiterpene lactones: the secondary metabolites responsible for the bitter taste of many plants. This mini review examines the current state of literature regarding the positive effect of the Asteraceae family on human health.

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Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have been an ever-growing concern over the past years. This has led researchers to direct their attention onto plants to be able to discover new possible antimicrobial compounds. The Middle East encompasses a wide spectrum of plant diversity with over 20,000 different species in habitats ranging from deserts to snow-capped mountains. Several plant secondary metabolites and their derivatives have been identified as possible antimicrobial agents. Among the secondary metabolites studied, alkaloids and polyphenols have shown strong antimicrobial activity. Polyphenols are one of the most numerous and diverse group of secondary metabolites; their antioxidant properties provide the basis for antimicrobial effects. Alkaloids provided the underlying structure for the development of several antibiotics with a diverse range of action. The ability of some plant secondary metabolites to act as resistance-modifying agents is a promising field in mitigating the spread of bacterial resistance.

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Polyacetylenic natural products are a substantial class of often unstable compounds containing a unique carbon-carbon triple bond functionality, that are intriguing for their wide variety of biochemical and ecological functions, economic potential, and surprising mode of biosynthesis. Isotopic tracer experiments between 1960 and 1990 demonstrated that the majority of these compounds are derived from fatty acid and polyketide precursors. During the past decade, research into the metabolism of polyacetylenes has swiftly advanced, driven by the cloning of the first genes responsible for polyacetylene biosynthesis in plants, moss, fungi, and actinomycetes and the initial characterization of the gene products. The current state of knowledge of the biochemistry and molecular genetics of polyacetylenic secondary metabolic pathways will be presented together with an up-to-date survey of new terrestrial and marine natural products, their known biological activities, and a discussion of their likely metabolic origins.

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An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the West Bank to evaluate the relative efficacy of the plants used to treat skin diseases and prostate cancer. A total number of 102 informants, 30 years and older and either native born or had been living in the West Bank for more than 30 years, were interviewed using a previously prepared questionnaire. Of about 165 plant species mentioned by the informants, 63 (38.1%) were mentioned by three or more informants. On the basis of their primary uses, 21 of these plants were reported to relieve skin disorders, 17 for urinary system disorders, 16 for gastric disorders, nine for cancer and prostate disorders, eight for arthritis, five for respiratory problems, and five for other ailments. Indices on fidelity levels (FLs), relative popularity level (RPL), and rank-order priority (ROP) were calculated. Plants were classified in two groups: 'popular' (RPL=1) or 'unpopular' (RPL<1). The following plant species were classified as popular in this study: Teucrium polium, Matricaria aurea, Urtica pilulifera, Paronychia argentea, Petroselinum sativum, and Salvia fruticosa. The remaining 57 species were classified as 'unpopular'. Fifty-nine plants were claimed to be effective against cancer and prostate disorders, which include Arum dioscorides, U. pilulifera, Allium sativum, Viscum cruciatum, and Allium cepa.

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In an extensive ethnobotanical survey (130 informants) of the medicinal plants of Israel, 16 species were found to be used for hypoglycaemic treatments. The list includes Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.-Bip, Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam, Atriplex halimus L., Capparis spinosa L., Ceratonia siliqua L., Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del., Eryngium creticum Lam., Inula viscosa (L.) Ait., Matricaria aurea (Loefl.) Sch.-Bip, Origanum syriaca L., Paronychia argentea Lam, Prosopis farcta (Banks et Sol.) Macbride, Salvia fruticosa Mill., Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Sp., and Teucrium polium L.; eight of them (marked with an asterisk) are first recorded here as used for this purpose.

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