Bioactive compound and health-promoting properties of Allium roseum L., a wild edible endemic species in North Africa: a review

The positive relationship between diet and health has increased consumer demand for more information related to healthy diets, including fruits and vegetables, with functional characteristics that help to delay the aging processes and reduce the risk of various diseases. Allium plants are already well known to be beneficial to human health. Besides its culinary use A. roseum is also used in folk medicine for the treatment of headaches, stomachaches and rheumatism. Chemical analyses of A. roseum leaves were conducted. This species contained high amounts of soluble carbohydrate (32.8%), crude protein (22.7%), dietary fibre (12.3%), ash (7.2%) and fat (3.6%). Most abundant minerals were K, Ca and SO₄^2- with 1530.5; 712.5 and 437.0 mg 100 g^-1 DW, respectively. Mn, Cu and Zn were also detected in appreciable amounts ranging from 1 to 2 mg 100 g^-1 DW. Extracted leaf oil was composed of 14.93% saturated and 85.28% unsaturated fatty acids. Linolenic acid accounted for 53% of the unsaturated fatty acids and palmitic acid accounted for 13% of the saturated fatty acids. Phytochemical screening of A. roseum organic and aqueous extracts, are reveal the presence and the richness of bioactive compounds such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids, coumarins, steroids, cardiac glycosides, free quinone and iridoids. Three organosulphurous precursors; methiin, isoalliine and alliine are detected in A. roseum. The extracts of A. roseum exhibited a wide spectrum of antimicrobial and antifungal activities against a range of microorganisms. In addition, results indicate that this species, present a higher antioxidant capacity using numerous complementary test.