Sunflower − Substances and Their Biological Activity

Abstrakt

The sunflower is a rich source of compounds with various biological activities such as plant-growth regulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, inhibitory in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation, etc.). These compounds were isolated from different parts of sunflowers (leaves, radial flowers, pollen). Sesquiterpene lactones (germacranolides) isolated from leaves of sunflower have shown antimicrobial activities. Sterols, triterpenic alcohols and alkane-6,8-diols showed significant anti-inflammatory and cancerogenic effects against some phorbol tetradecanoate derivatives. In addition, the terpenoids and lipids isolated from the sunflower pollen exhibited potent inhibitory effects on EBV antigen induction.