Shedding the light on Iridaceae: Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological activity

• Iridaceae comprises a wide range of therapeutically promising and valuable plants.
• Iridaceae plants are used traditionally for cold, flu, malaria, burns and bruises.
• New cultivation methods have been applied for Iridaceae plants production.
• Isoflavones, triterpenes and iridals represent the major secondary metabolites.
• Potent anti-inflammatory, phytoestrogenic and antidiabetic activities are reported.

Iridaceae, the Iris family, is well-known for its magnificent flowers which come in a breathtaking array of colors. Iridaceae is widely used by several cultures as food, condiment or medicinal plants. Members of this family were investigated over the past decades for their chemical composition and pharmacological properties. Iris, Gladiolus and Belamcanda are among the most popular genera of this family. Other well-known genera include Moraea, Eleutherine and Cipura. Numerous novel compounds were isolated and interesting biological activities were reported for plants belonging to Iridaceae. The major secondary metabolites isolated from Iridaceae include isoflavonoids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, quinones, xanthones and simple phenolics. Extracts and pure compounds of the above mentioned genera were reported to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, phytoestrogenic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, immunomodulating, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, anti-tumor, cytotoxic, antidepressant, anticholinesterase and molluscicidal activities. Hence, this review provides a comprehensive overview on the isolated phytochemicals and reported biological activities for the most popular genera of Iridaceae. Moreover, the large scale cultivation of the economically important members is highlighted herein.

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