linum usitatissimum: anti-bacterial activity,
chromatography, bioactive compounds,
applications: a review
ghaidaa jihadi mohammed1, imad hadi hameed2
1department of biology, college of science, university of al-qadisiyah, hillah city, iraq,
2biomedical science department, university of babylon, college of nursing, hillah city, iraq
abstract
flax is a food and fiber crop cultivated in cooler regions of the world. the flowers are pure pale blue, 15–25
mm in diameter, with five petals. the fruit is a round, dry capsule 5–9 mm in diameter, containing several
glossy brown seeds shaped like an apple pip, 4–7 mm long. flax is grown for its oil, used as a nutritional
supplement, and as an ingredient in many wood-finishing products. flax is also grown as an ornamental plant
in gardens. flax fibers are used to make linen. the latin species name usitatissimum means “most useful.
the oil is applied externally to treat joint and muscle pains, non-healing wounds, skin disorders. flaxseed
oil also helps in speeding up the healing of skin lesions and has proved very effective for everything acne,
psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn. omega-3 fatty acids offer protection against heart disease by getting to the
membrane of body cells and acting as guards that admit only healthy substances and bar damaging ones.
keyword: biological action, linum usitatissimum, review, chromatography, bioactive compounds,
applications.
corresponding author:
imad hadi hameed
biomedical science department, university of
babylon, college of nursing, hillah city, iraq phone
number: 009647716150716
e-mail: imad_dna@yahoo.com
introduction
the textiles made from flax are known in the
western countries as linen, and traditionally used for bed
sheets, underclothes, and table linen. the oil is known
as linseed oil. the plant species is known only as a
cultivated plant, and appears to have been domesticated
just once from the wild species linum bienne, called
pale flax. cultivated flax plants grow to 1.2 m (3 ft 11
in) tall, with slender stems 1-13. the leaves are glaucous
green, slender lanceolate, 20–40 mm long, and 3 mm
broad. several other species in the genus linum are
similar in appearance to l. usitatissimum, cultivated
flax, including some that have similar blue flowers, and
others with white, yellow, or red flowers. some of these
are perennial plants, unlike l. usitatissimum, which is
an annual plant. flax fibers are taken from the stem of
the plant, and are two to three times as strong as those
of cotton. additionally, flax fibers are naturally smooth
and straight. europe and north america depended on
flax for vegetable-based cloth until the 19th century,
when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant
used for making rag-based paper. flaxseed and its oil
have repeatedly been demonstrated to be nontoxic and
are generally recognized as safe for human consumption
14-27. flax, like many common foods, contains small
amounts of cyanogenic glycoside these are nontoxic
when consumed in typical amounts, but may be toxic
in large quantities from consuming staple foods such as
cassava. typical concentrations (for example, 0.48%
in a sample of defatted dehusked flaxseed meal) can be
removed by special processing.
biological action
inflammation
the effect of l. usitatissimum fixed oil on distinct
phases of the inflammatory process: first, an acute
phase of local vasodilatationand increased capillary
permeability leading toexudation, followed by
leucocytes migration 28-32.
doi number: 10.5958/0976-5506.2018.00239.5
376 indian journal of public health research & development, march 2018, vol. 9, no. 3
hepato-protective
flaxseed oil is the richsources of omega 3-fatty acids
and is so potent antioxidants. raw and baked flaxseed
productsinduce hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic and
hypocholesterolaemia effects which may beattributed
mainly to seed oil rich in alpha linolenic acid.
external application
linseed pastes local application is useful in healing
wounds and abscesses faster. it promotes the health of
hair and nails and has substances called lignans, which
have a beneficial effect on the hormonal system of
the body 33.
brain health and adhd
the essential fatty
acids present in flaxseed helps in the transmission of
nervous impulses. this makes flaxseed oil very
useful for numbness and tingling as well as for
preventing serious nerve ailments like parkinson’
sand alzheimer’s disease. it is very useful in treating
intelligence related disorders such as adhd. bipolar
disorder, depression, menopausal symptoms.
hormone supplement
one important benefit is that flaxseed contains
phytoestrogens that canmimic the human sex hormone
estrogen. it is use fulf or infertility, impotence, menstrual
cramps, endometriosis and menopausal problems.
cardio-protective
it is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders and
cholesterol. it acts as a blood thinning agent. hence,
it is useful in preventing andtreating atherosclerosis
(cholesterol and clotdevelopment in blood pipes of the
heart).
pharmacological activities
anti-inflammatory activity
some studies investigated the effect of fixed
oil present in flaxseed on distinct phases of inflammation.
l. usitatissimum fixed oil demonstrated a significant
dose-dependent inhibition of protein exudation (i.e.,
the rise in protein concentration in peritoneal fluid) and
inhibited the vascular permeability shown by inhibition
to dye leakage.
anti-estrogenic activity
some studies investigated that
potential phytoestrogens isolated from flaxseed
significantly stimulate estrogen production in mcf7
breast cancer cells. they also observed a down-regulation
of er? receptor expression and down-regulation of pr
expression in mcf7 cells after treatment.
anti-ulcerogenic action
some studies investigated the effect of mucilage
and fixed oil on the gastric lesions induced by ethanol.
their study provides clear evidence that consumption of
the products of flaxseed (oil and mucilage) have gastroprotective
effect against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers.
anti-bacterial activity
studies investigated the effect of flaxseed proteins
on the several species of gram positive and gram
negative bacteria.
conclusion
medicinal property of linum usitatissimum is due to
presence of secondary metabolites. linum usitatissimum,
is widely used in the treatment of treatment of cardiac
disorders and cholesterol, anti-inflammatory activity and
anti-ulcerogenic action.
financial disclosure: there is no financial
disclosure.
conflict of interest: none to declare.
ethical clearance: in our review, all these major
pharmacological activity were complete analysis under
the biological department of college of science for
women in hillah city.
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