Portulaca oleracea L.: A Review of Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Effects

Abstract EN

Portulaca oleracea L., belonging to the Portulacaceae family, is commonly known as purslane in English and Ma-Chi-Xian in Chinese.

It is a warm-climate, herbaceous succulent annual plant with a cosmopolitan distribution.

It is eaten extensively as a potherb and added in soups and salads around the Mediterranean and tropical Asian countries and has been used as a folk medicine in many countries.

Diverse compounds have been isolated from Portulaca oleracea, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, fatty acids, terpenoids, sterols, proteins vitamins and minerals.

Portulaca oleracea possesses a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties such as neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiulcerogenic, and anticancer activities.

However, few molecular mechanisms of action are known.

This review provides a summary of phytochemistry and pharmacological effects of this plant.