Biomedical Effects of the Phytonutrients Turmeric, Garlic, Cinnamon, Graviola, and Oregano: A Comprehensive Review

Featured Application This review is significant to the researchers using plant-derived products as therapeutics. It evaluates and summarizes the most recent studies published in the last 20 years and combines the latest botanical description, pharmacological, and biomedical effects of several popular phytonutrients as turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, graviola, and oregano, and their active phytochemicals. Furthermore, this review provides the audience with fast, summarized information of >250 scientific articles on some of the most utilized phytonutrients worldwide, of which much tertiary literature is found without the support of robust, reproducible scientific data. Phytonutrients are plant foods that contain many natural bioactive compounds, called phytochemicals, which show specific biological activities. These phytonutrients and their phytochemicals may play an important role in health care maintaining normal organism functions (as preventives) and fighting against diseases (as therapeutics). Phytonutrients' components are the primary metabolites (i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids) and phytochemicals or secondary metabolites (i.e., phenolics, alkaloids, organosulfides, and terpenes). For years, several phytonutrients and their phytochemicals have demonstrated specific pharmacological and therapeutic effects in human health such as anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and immune response. This review summarizes the effects of the most studied or the most popular phytonutrients (i.e., turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, graviola, and oregano) and any reported contraindications. This article also presents the calculated physicochemical properties of the main phytochemicals in the selected phytonutrients using Lipinski's, Veber's, and Ghose's rules. Based on our revisions for this article, all these phytonutrients have consistently shown great potential as preventives and therapeutics on many diseases in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies.

Automated summary

This review evaluates and summarizes recent studies on popular phytonutrients such as turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, graviola, and oregano. It provides fast, summarized information on over 250 scientific articles, highlighting the potential preventive and therapeutic effects of these phytonutrients on various diseases. Additionally, the review discusses the pharmacological properties and reported contraindications of these plant-derived products.