Abstract

RHAMNACEAE TREES OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE – NUTRITION, MEDICINE AND CHEMISTRY

Abdullatif Azab*

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Abstract

The trees of the Rhamnaceae family are part of sights of Eastern Mediterranean region and have been used by inhabitants of today’s Israel and Palestine since ancient times. In this review article we will introduce the taxonomical affiliations of this family and its genera, as well as the ethnomedicinal and nutritional uses of the nine species that naturally grow in this region. The main part of this article will be briefly listing the findings of modern research of the medicinal, biological and nutritional properties of these trees, and extensive discussion will follow these findings. Structures of active phytochemicals will be presented in figures. It can be concluded here that there are significant differences in the number of published studies related to each one of the species. Finally, even though it is considered a domesticated species, selected activities of Ziziphus jujuba will be introduced for comparison and completion of this presentation.

Keywords: Chemical composition, Plant extract, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, nutrition, Anti-inflammatory, Growth conditions, Phytoremediation, Ethnomedicine, Nanoparticles.