Common dandelion: a review of its botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological profiles

Phytoalimurgy is a term that derives from Greek and Latin by combination of the words phi upsilon tau o nu, which meaning plant, and alimenta urgentia, indicating foods available in case of urgency and necessity. Nowadays, the lack of products from agriculture is fortunately no longer a problem, however, the interest in using the phytoalimurgic plants has increased in the last years due to their rediscovery for use of food ingredients for human health. Among these, common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, is used since ancient times because of its curative properties. The aim of this review is the contribution to the knowledge of this worldwide-spread phytoalimurgic plant with its botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological description. In vitro and in vivo scientific investigations have confirmed its pharmacological potential by showing antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, cytotoxic, diuretic and hepatoprotective properties. Responsible of these activities are bioactive metabolites belonging to different classes, including sesquiterpenoids, caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids. This allows to include dandelion among the medicinal plants of commercial interest for nutraceutical and phytopharmaceutical industries.