Metabolomics and Bioactivity Studies of Several Ziziphus: A Review

The genus Ziziphus consists of many species spreading globally and has been broadly utilized as traditional medicine in various nations and societies. Many studies have been carried out on numerous species of this genus, including Ziziphus jujuba in China and Asian Countries, Ziziphus spina-christi, Ziziphus mauritiana, and Ziziphus lotus in the Middle East, India, and Africa, as well as Ziziphus joazeiro in South America. Bioactive plant studies have been enriched with metabolomic approaches in the past ten years. Since 2013, metabolomics has been implemented on multiple Ziziphus species, employing analytical techniques including GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR. This report reviewed metabolomics works focusing on Z. jujuba, Z. spina-christi, Z. mauritiana, and Z. lotus. Some of these studies employed metabolomics for comparative studies of Ziziphus based on the different species, variation in maturity levels, and distinction in the cultivation area. Meanwhile, the other works revealed the correlations between the metabolomics profiles and diverse bioactivity tests, encompassing antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tyrosinase, anti-obesity, and antiparasitic effects. However, metabolomics studies regarding pharmacological activity were still limited.