Phytol: A review of biomedical activities

Abstract

Phytol (PYT) is a diterpene member of the long-chain unsaturated acyclic alcohols. PYT and some of its derivatives, including phytanic acid (PA), exert a wide range of biological effects. PYT is a valuable essential oil (EO) used as a fragrance and a potential candidate for a broad range of applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. There is ample evidence that PA may play a crucial role in the development of pathophysiological states. Focusing on PYT and some of its most relevant derivatives, here we present a systematic review of reported biological activities, along with their underlying mechanism of action. Recent investigations with PYT demonstrated anxiolytic, metabolism-modulating, cytotoxic, antioxidant, autophagy- and apoptosis-inducing, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and antimicrobial effects. PPARs- and NF-κB-mediated activities are also discussed as mechanisms responsible for some of the bioactivities of PYT. The overall goal of this review is to discuss recent findings pertaining to PYT biological activities and its possible applications.

Phenolic profiling and antibacterial potential of Saudi Arabian native date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) cultivars

“…Phytol is reported for their wide range of biological potential. [42] Generally, the phytol induced ROS in bacterial cells which cause their death. [43] Punicalagin present in the extract of Ajwa, Khalas, and Al-Qasim dates is a phenolic compound.…”

Characterization of volatile components from ethyl acetate extract of Stixis suaveolens (Roxb.) by comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography hyphenated with a time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer

“…[14] Biological activities of some identified substances are also reported such as: Phytol (93) for anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activities. [15,16] Besides, other compounds with lower concentration shows also bioactivities such as indole (18) (antibacterial, anti-carnogenic), [17] vacxvbnillin (27) (antiviral, cancer-preventive), [18] trans-cinnamic acid (28) (anti-mutagenic), and myristic acid (66) (antibacterial, antifungal). [19] Mass spectrum of these compounds are provided in Supplementary material.…”

Antimicrobial Testing of Schinus molle (L.) Leaf Extracts and Fractions Followed by GC-MS Investigation of Biological Active Fractions

“…Both of these molecules belong to the terpene family. Furthermore, regarding phytol, recent investigations have demonstrated anxiolytic, metabolism-modulating, cytotoxic, antioxidant, autophagy and apoptosis-inducing, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects [51].…”