The Apiaceae: Ethnomedicinal family as source for industrial uses

Plants from Apiaceae family are commonly used for food, flavoring, fragrance and medical purposes; they are also known to be used as a household remedies since antiquity. Recently, many experimental and biological investigations have been carried out in order to validate the ethno-medicinal claims of plants belonging to this family. Moreover, rediscovery of this family can be responsible for launching a new generation of botanical chemicals for industrial applications. This review paper may help upcoming research activities on Apiaceae family membersby giving up to date information on their main common features, their origins and traditional backgrounds. Furthermore, this review gathers and discusses the fragmented information described in literature concerning the chemical composition and the biological activities of essential oils and different extracts of some Apiaceae species, it illustrates also their potential for the development of pharmaceutical, cosmetic products and other industrial uses.