Potential therapeutic effects of Falcaria vulgaris Bernh: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Falcaria vulgaris Bernh (FV) is a plant of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family, which is known as Ghaziaghi in the Iranian Azeri language and Paghaza in the west of Iran. This plant is usually consumed in spring as a local vegetable and food. FV is recommended by traditional medicine resources for the treatment of skin diseases, gastrointestinal complaints, liver disease, blood purification, and increasing breast milk. The presence of tannins and saponins and the absence of flavonoids and terpenoids have been shown in FV. As various significant properties and special characteristics of FV have been expressed in numerous studies, this study aimed to collect documents and summarize and classify the properties of this plant through a systematic review method. Materials and Methods: We extracted 304 articles by searching electronic databases using the following keywords: “Paghazeh,” “Ghaziaghi,” “Falcaria vulgaris Bernh,” and “qazayagi.” Then, after eliminating duplicates and unrelated studies, finally, 19 studies were entered into a systematic review. Results: Significant therapeutic effects have been reported for FV through studies investigating the medicinal properties of the plant, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic effects, healing properties of skin and stomach ulcers, and protection of the liver and kidney. Most of these effects are related to antioxidant content and the presence of tannins and saponins in the plant. Conclusion: FV has significant effects on treatment of various diseases in animal studies and can be concluded in human clinical trials.