Species of the genus Kalanchoe have a long history of therapeutic use in ethnomedicine linked to their remarkable healing properties. Several species have chemical and anatomical similarities, often leading to confusion when they are used in folk medicine. This review aims to provide an overview and discussion of the reported traditional uses, botanical aspects, chemical constituents, and pharmacological potential of the Kalanchoe species. Published scientific materials were collected from the PubMed and SciFinder databases without restriction regarding the year of publication through April 2023. Ethnopharmacological knowledge suggests that these species have been used to treat infections, inflammation, injuries, and other disorders. Typically, all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes either as crude extract or juice. Botanical evaluation can clarify species differentiation and can enable correct identification and validation of the scientific data. Flavonoids are the most common classes of secondary metabolites identified from Kalanchoe species and can be correlated with some biological studies (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial potential). This review summarizes several topics related to the Kalanchoe genus, supporting future studies regarding other unexplored research areas. The need to conduct further studies to confirm the popular uses and biological activities of bioactive compounds is also highlighted.

Species of the genus Kalanchoe have a long history of therapeutic use in ethnomedicine linked to their remarkable healing properties. Several species have chemical and anatomical similarities, often leading to confusion when they are used in folk medicine. This review aims to provide an overview and discussion of the reported traditional uses, botanical aspects, chemical constituents, and pharmacological potential of the Kalanchoe species. Published scientific materials were collected from the PubMed and SciFinder databases without restriction regarding the year of publication through April 2023. Ethnopharmacological knowledge suggests that these species have been used to treat infections, inflammation, injuries, and other disorders. Typically, all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes either as crude extract or juice. Botanical evaluation can clarify species differentiation and can enable correct identification and validation of the scientific data. Flavonoids are the most common classes of secondary metabolites identified from Kalanchoe species and can be correlated with some biological studies (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial potential). This review summarizes several topics related to the Kalanchoe genus, supporting future studies regarding other unexplored research areas. The need to carry out further studies to confirm the popular uses and biological activities of bioactive compounds is also highlighted.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal; WS) is an adaptogenic herb, widely used in botanical dietary supplements. Plasma pharmacokinetics of selected withanolides, an important group of bioactive phytochemicals found in WS, have been described but no previous reports were found on their urinary excretion following WS ingestion. Healthy, older adults were administered oral doses of 240 or 480 mg of Shoden^®, a commercial extract of WS roots and leaves, and urine was collected over the subsequent 12 h. Using validated methods employing liquid chromatography coupled to multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC-MRM-MS), we analyzed Shoden^® and participant urine samples for the presence of 11 withanolides for which standards were available. Only withaferin A (0.09 µmol/mg Shoden^®), withanoside IV (0.03 µmol/mg Shoden^®), and a mixture of 2,3-didehydrosomnifericin and 3R-viscosalactone B (0.19 µmol/mg Shoden^®) were present in Shoden^® powder in amounts greater than 0.01 µmol/mg Shoden^®. We detected four withanolides in participant urine: withaferin A; sominone, the aglycone of withanoside IV; 3R-viscosalactone B; and an abundant unidentified metabolite (WFNX), isomeric with 4-oxo withaferin A, and not detected in Shoden^®. Urinary recovery of the other 3 detected compounds was generally low (<3% of the amount in Shoden^®). These results provide new insights into the oral absorption, metabolism, and urinary excretion of withanolides found in WS and highlight additional withanolides to consider in future human pharmacokinetic and bioactivity studies of WS products.