The ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological properties and medicinal applications of essential oils and extracts of different Ziziphora species

This review was undertaken because of the lack of a comprehensive review on the compositions of secondary metabolites, extracts and volatiles of Ziziphora species and of the biological activities of these materials. The Lamiaceae or Labiatae family comprises a large number of flowering plants of widespread distribution, which have been classified into some 236 genera and 6900-7200 species. The genus Ziziphora is one of the well-known genera of this large family of plants and its species are of prime importance in different fields of pharmaceutical, chemical, medicinal, traditional and folk medicines. This review is concerned with characterization of chemical profiles of essential oils, extracts and volatiles, along with relevant biological and phytochemical properties of a wide spectrum of plants in this genus over the 46-year period, 1970-2016. These reports demonstrate the significant impact of these herbal and medicinal plants for the treatment of a variety of diseases and as effective alternative options for chemical drugs which sometimes have unpleasant side effects.