A review of the health benefits of mallow sylvestris L.’s nutritional compounds for metabolites, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial applications
Malva sylvestris L. is a species of mallow derived from the Malvaceae and recognized as common mallow. This remarkable plant has antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is considered one of the most promising herbal medicinal species.
Fluid extracts of Malva sylvestris leaves and flowers are used to treat inflammatory mucosal diseases, cystitis and diarrhea. This plant derives its restorative powers from mucilage and flavonoids found in the vegetation and leaves.
The results of numerous studies have shown that Malva sylvestris extract contains several compounds, including phenolic derivatives, flavonoids, terpenoids, catalase enzymes, sulfite oxidase, fatty acids and some strolls (especially essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6), beta carotene, and vitamins C and E, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Therefore, it can protect the kidney from injury due to kidney toxicity from the cisplatin and vanadium systems.
Extensive research shows that this plant, with several chemical compounds, can minimize liver damage caused by carbon tetrachloride. Malva sylvestris has antimicrobial, antinociceptive, hepatoprotective, healing, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and potent antioxidant properties.
In addition, this plant contains many valuable compounds such as strong antioxidants, carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids. The tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid found in the Mallow plant are used to treat most cancers and for wound healing.
This review showed the importance of Malva sylvestris as a medicinal herb and functional food.
The results indicate that relatively extensive research has been conducted on the chemical compounds and pharmacological effects as well as various aspects of the Mallow plant.
Antioxidant activity
Mallow sylvestris has antiradical properties due to its high phenolic content and is able to prevent oxidation. The flavenoid compounds of this plant have high inhibitory power. These plants are also uncomplicated compared with chemical drugs.
The production of different oxygen species that overcome the body’s antioxidants causes oxidative stress. Evidence suggests that stress is one of the essential factors in aging brain function, liver disease, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer.
Anti-inflammatory activity
Several research groups have studied the anti-inflammatory activity of mallow sylvestris. Their results support the idea that the compound malvidin 3-glucoside appears to be primarily responsible for this effect and that mallow sylvestris leaves possess topical anti-inflammatory properties. Results of studies on the antimicrobial properties of mallow sylvestris indicate that the plant also has antibacterial and antiviral activity against many human pathogens.
Antitumor activity
Cancer is a generic term for a significant group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, cancer is one of the leading causes of death universally.
Reports show that mallow sylvestris possesses anticancer properties. A recent study demonstrated the cytotoxic activity of Malva sylvestris leaf extracts on murines using an MTT assay and on human cancer cell lines. The biological assay found that Malva sylvestris extracts significantly reduced tumor cell lines.
Healing activity
Topical application of the hydroalcoholic ethanolic extract of Malva leaves dose-dependently increases the rate of contraction of skin ulcers and reduces the duration of the repair process in rats.
On the other hand, fiber plants are responsible for the production and secretion of collagen. Protein collagens are a central extracellular matrix, leading to an increase in the ability of wound flaps to bind to each other.
Hepatoprotective activity
The liver is physiologically involved in all vital functions of the body. Any malfunction of the liver causes a set of disorders that can cause irreparable damage to this member; influential factors such as oxidative stress, free radicals, chemicals, viruses, and drugs can cause degradation of liver tissue.
The literature has confirmed the presence of antioxidant compounds in mallow sylvestris. These compounds, in turn, remove free radicals and help protect tissues, especially in the liver.
Anti-osteoporosis activity
Due to the imbalance between the activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, osteoporosis leads to weakening of bone strength and increased risk of fractures. Aqueous extracts of Malva sylvestris can induce signaling pathway activity and influence osteoblast in a difference of osteoclasts.
Antinociceptive activity
The antinociceptive activity of aqueous extracts of Malva sylvestris was evaluated in a study against traditional pain models in mice.
Broad antinociceptive activity was demonstrated in the writhing test (76.4 percent inhibition), as well as inhibition of the inflammatory (46.6 percent) and neurogenic (61.8 percent) phases of the formalin model. The results suggest that mallow sylvestris possesses stimulatory substances that act as antinociceptive agents.
Antimicrobial activity
Mallow sylvestris has antimicrobial activity against various bacterial and fungal species. The disc diffusion method reported the antimicrobial activity of Malva sylvestris extracts against several bacterial species. The researchers found that Malva sylvestris had moderate activity against selected microorganisms associated with typical antibiotics.
In one study, they analyzed the antimicrobial activity of extracts of aerial parts of Malva sylvestris against C. Albicans, S. aureus, M. luteus, Bacillus subtilis, S. epidermidis, E. coli, and S. cerevisiae. Their study reported that ethanol extracts of Malva sylvestris were active against P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis and E. coli, while methanol extracts showed activity only against S. cerevisiae.
Their results showed that Malva sylvestris extracts inhibited microbial activity in vitro. Other studies showed that the seed oil inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms except the Gram-negative bacterium P. aeruginosa.
The various studies have demonstrated its potential health benefits through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, wound healing, hepatoprotective, antinociceptive, and antimicrobial activities.
This analysis examined the unique organic activities of mallow sylvestris L., traditional uses, major phytochemical compounds detected in methanolic extracts, and pharmacological activities of the plant.
However, further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the plant’s safety in treating other conditions.
If your company wants to develop and/or make a product based on mallow sylvestris L.
Source: L. Batiha, G.E.S., Tene, S.T., Teibo, J.O., Shaheen, H.M., Oluwatoba, O.S., Teibo, T.K.A., Al-Kuraishy, H.M., Al-Garbee, A.I., Alexiou, A., Papadakis, M.; The phytochemical profiling, pharmacological activieties, and safety of malva sylvestris: a review; Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology; 2023; Vol. 396(3), p. 421-440.
