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Planta Med
DOI: 10.1055/a-2779-8721
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Phytochemical Diversity and Pharmacological Potential of Genista Species in Algeria: A Systematic Review

Authors

  • Safia Bouchliti

    1   Chemistry Section, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
    2   Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria

  • Batoul Alallam

    3   Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

  • Vuanghao Lim 

    3   Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

  • Reda Djebbar

    2   Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria

  • Lilya Boucelha

    2   Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria

  • Juzaili Azizi

    4   Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

  • Wen-Nee Tan

    1   Chemistry Section, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme with Project Code FRGS/1/2023/STG01/USM/02/14. The authors would like to acknowledge Universiti Sains Malaysia and the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene for their facilities and support.
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Abstract

Genista, a genus in the Fabaceae family mainly found in the Mediterranean, includes 25 species in Algeria where 11 are native. Locally, these species are used medicinally to treat gastrointestinal disorders, hyperglycemia, and respiratory infections and as diuretics. This systematic review investigates the phytochemical diversity and pharmacological potential of the Algerian Genista species. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar up to December 2024, with no start date restrictions. The inclusion criteria focused on studies involving Genista species collected from Algeria that investigated the identification and/or quantification of specific phytochemical profiles and/or pharmacological activities, using extracts, residues, fractions, or essential oils. Thirty-two studies met the criteria, covering nine Genista species and identifying 132 compounds across major classes such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, and fatty acids. Total phenolic content (TPC) reached 690.32 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, and total flavonoid content (TFC) was up to 318 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g. The highest antioxidant activity showed an IC50 of 3.65 µg/mL. Antibacterial effects were strongest against Staphylococcus aureus, with a 19 mm inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values as low as 10 µg/mL. Hepatoprotective effects showed over 80% inhibition, while cytotoxicity had IC50 values as low as 5 µg/mL. Anti-inflammatory activity reached 96.54%. These findings highlight the diverse pharmacological activities of the genus and its potential for therapeutic applications. However, many bioactivities, such as antidiabetic, antispasmodic, gastroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects, remain underexplored, highlighting the need for further rigorous research.

Keywords

Algeria - bioactive compounds - Fabaceae - Genista - medicinal plants - phytochemicals

Supporting Information

    Chemical structures of phytochemicals identified in Genista species from Algeria (Figure 1S), reliability assessments and ToxRTool evaluation results of in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies (Tables 1S–4S), and a summary of chemical compounds identified in Genista species, including molecular formulas, molecular weights, Reaxys IDs, and CAS registry numbers (Table 5S) are provided in the Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information (PDF)


Publication History

Received: 28 April 2025

Accepted after revision: 22 December 2025

Article published online:
20 January 2026

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