author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk, Husseiny A. H. Elgindi and Ibrahim A. El-Garf
description
Although formerly classified in the family Liliaceae, recent taxonomic revisions have seen members of the genus Allium placed in the family Alliaceae distributed throughout most regions of the temperate world including Europe, Asia, North America (Rose et al., 2005).
Of approximately 700 species, it is the edible members including onion (Allium cepa L.), garlic (Allium sativum L.), chives (Allium schoenoprasum L.), leek (Allium porrum L.) and Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) that are highly prized (Fenwick and Hanley, 1985).
Ordinarily, the vegetative parts are odour-free, and it is only during tissue damage that volatile flavor principles are generated (Rose et al., 2005).
In addition to the organosulphur compounds (the characteristic components of Allium species), several other compounds viz. steroidal glycosides, nitrogenous compounds, flavonoids, phenolics and others have been identified from these species.
family name
ALLIACEAE
Species count in Egypt
represented in egypt with 25 Species
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins and Lectins
- Steroidal Glycosides
- Organosulphur Compounds
- Flavonoids
- Alkaloids and Other Nitrogenous Compounds
- Other Constituents
Allium species have many bioactive constituents such as sulphur compounds, steroidalsaponins, flavonoids, polysaccharides.
They have the physiological functions of diminishinginflammation, preventing blood platelet conglomeration, antioxidation, reducing cholester,anticancer, antidiabetic effects and so on.
Ingestion of onions may prevent certaincardiovascular diseases (e.g. Corea et al., 2005; Corzo-Martinez et al., 2007; Jacob et al.,2008; Bora and Sharma, 2009; El-Aasr et al., 2010).
The research advances of bioactiveconstituents and pharmacological functions of Allium species were reviewed by severalauthors (e.g. Hanley and Fenwick, 1985; Rose et al., 2005; Benkeblia and Lanzotti, 2007; Liuet al., 2007; Jacob and Anwar, 2009).
- Allium ampeloprasum
- Allium artemissetorum
- Allium aschersonianum
- Allium barthianum
- Allium blomfieldianum
- Allium cepa
- Allium crameri
- Allium curtum
- Allium desertorum
- Allium erdellii
- Allium kurrat
- Allium mareoticum
- Allium myrianthum
- Allium neopolitanum
- Allium pallens
- Allium papillare
- Allium porrum
- Allium roseum
- Allium rothii
- Allium sativum
- Allium sinaiticum
- Allium sphaerocephalon
- Allium stamineum
- Allium tel-avivense
- Allium trifoliatum
location
egypt