Therapeutic Potential of Ranunculus Species (Ranunculaceae): A Literature Review on Traditional Medicinal Herbs

The genus Ranunculus includes approximately 600 species and is distributed worldwide. To date, several researchers have investigated the chemical and biological activities of Ranunculus species, and my research team has found them to have antimalarial effects. This review is based on the available information on the traditional uses and pharmacological studies of Ranunculus species. The present paper covers online literature, particularly from 2010 to 2021, and books on the ethnopharmacology and botany of Ranunculus species. Previous studies on the biological activity of crude or purified compounds from Ranunculus species, including R. sceleratus Linn., R. japonicus Thunb., R. muricatus Linn., R. ternatus Thunb., R. arvensis Linn., R. diffusus DC., R. sardous Crantz, R. ficaria Linn., R. hyperboreus Rotlb., and R. pedatus Waldst. & Kit., have provided new insights into their activities, such as antibacterial and antiprotozoal effects as well as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of plants used in traditional medicine applications have been confirmed. Therefore, there is a need for more diverse studies on the chemical and pharmacological activities of highly purified molecules from Ranunculus species extracts to understand the mechanisms underlying their activities and identify novel drug candidates.