Elymus repens (L.) Gould, commonly known as couch grass, is mainly distributed as a medicinal herb of great ethnopharmacological importance. This review presented for the first time the significance of nomenclature clarity, current insights on distribution, traditional use, phytochemistry and their biological activities. The bioactive compound composition of E. repens displayed a variety of compounds including carbohydrates, phenolic acids, flavonoids, benzoxazinoids and volatile compounds, all of which contributed to its medicinal properties. The biological potential of this plant underlines diuretic, antiurolithiatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and also antidiabetic qualities with molecular insights showing synergistic interactions across many compound classes. The current reported data notably confirmed its potential in lowering renal calculi and alleviating associated symptoms; however, the findings remain limited. E. repens’ medicinal potential is further confirmed by its historical application as an herbal tea and aqueous preparation, which clearly indicates its favorable safety profile. Along with this, from many encouraging results, there exist considerable deficiencies in standardization, clinical validation and also mechanistic clarification. This review highlights the necessity for careful studies to determine the therapeutic efficiency, enhance formulation and promote E. repens as a scientifically therapeutic agent.

The genus Abutilon (Malvaceae) comprises taxonomically and phytochemically diverse medicinal plants with a long history of ethnomedicinal use. This critical narrative review integrates evidence on the taxonomy, traditional applications, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities, molecular mechanisms, safety, and pharmaceutical potential of Abutilon species, incorporating the literature published through September 2026. Flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, phytosterols, polysaccharides, and fatty acids represent major reported constituent classes, although the reliability of their identification and quantitative characterization varies among studies. A. indicum and A. theophrasti remain the most extensively investigated species. Experimental findings support preliminary antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, and other biological activities, predominantly in biochemical, cellular, and animal models. Mechanistic investigations have reported modulation of NF-κB/MAPK signaling, inflammatory mediators, glucose-regulatory processes, and oxidative stress-related responses; however, direct molecular target validation remains limited. Pharmaceutical studies have explored tablets, phytosomal formulations, and plant-mediated nanoparticles, but evidence of improved systemic bioavailability, therapeutic efficacy, and long-term safety remains insufficient. Toxicological findings indicate preparation- and dose-dependent responses, while controlled clinical evidence is extremely limited. Methodological heterogeneity, incomplete chemical standardization, and limited pharmacokinetic characterization further restrict cross-study comparisons and therapeutic translation. Future research should prioritize authenticated botanical materials, chemically standardized preparations, reproducible dose–response studies, direct mechanistic validation, comprehensive toxicological assessment, and appropriately designed clinical investigations. Overall, Abutilon represents a potentially valuable source of pharmacologically active natural products, but current evidence does not establish standardized clinical applications.

Food adulteration and species mislabeling represent important challenges for food safety, regulatory control, and consumer protection, particularly for products requiring species-specific authentication. This study investigated two complementary analytical approaches relevant to meat authentication: species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) for the molecular detection of porcine mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Fourier-transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis for exploratory assessment of slaughter-related compositional changes in a controlled murine proof-of-concept model. A total of 85 commercially available Halal-labeled meat products, including sausages, cutlets, minced meat, dumplings, raw meat, and seasoning products, were analyzed for the presence of porcine mitochondrial DNA. Under the applied qualitative assay conditions, porcine mitochondrial DNA was detected in 64 of 85 analyzed samples (75.3%). This finding is specific to the investigated sample set and does not distinguish intentional formulation or substitution from unintended cross-contact or other potential sources of porcine-derived DNA. In parallel, FT-NIR spectroscopy over the 10,000–4000 cm⁻¹ spectral range was evaluated as a rapid, non-destructive approach for assessing compositional changes associated with blood removal in a controlled murine model. Principal component analysis of standard normal variate (SNV)-preprocessed spectra demonstrated separation between blood-retained and blood-drained tissues; the first principal component (PC1) and the second principal component (PC2) accounted for 93% and 4% of the total spectral variance, respectively. The spectral regions contributing most strongly to the observed separation were associated predominantly with O–H- and N–H- related vibrational features, consistent with variation in major tissue constituents such as water and proteins. These findings illustrate the complementary information provided by species-specific molecular detection and exploratory spectroscopic profiling. Further validation in commercially relevant livestock species and independent sample sets is required before a combined analytical workflow can be established.

Elymus repens (L.) Gould has a long history of use in traditional medicine across the British Isles, particularly among Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon communities, where it has been employed as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Despite its ethnopharmacological significance, comprehensive insights into its phytochemical composition and biological activities remain limited. The present study aimed to provide an integrated characterization of E. repens through macro- and microscopic analyses, advanced phytochemical profiling, and evaluation of the biological activities of the rhizome part. Microscopic examination revealed distinct anatomical features differentiating rhizome and stem, leaf tissues, supporting accurate identification and pharmacognostic standardization. Chemical profiling using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) enabled the tentative identification of 93 metabolites, including amino acids, in aerial and rhizome extracts. These compounds were primarily classified into polyamines (e.g., feruloylputrescine, hydroxycoumaroylagmatine), phenolic acids (gallic, vanillic, and ferulic acids), flavonoids (apigenin, tricin, saponarin analogues), amino acids (arginine, tyrosine, tryptophan), organic acids (malic, succinic acids), nucleosides (adenosine, thymidine), and phospholipids. Biological evaluation demonstrated that the hydroethanolic rhizome extract exhibited notable antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus (IC₅₀ = 34.9 µg/mL). Additionally, hydroethanolic extracts of both the aerial and rhizome parts showed no cytotoxicity in the Artemia salina lethality assay at concentrations up to 10 mg/mL, indicating a favorable preliminary safety profile. Of particular interest is tricin, which possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and potential nephroprotective therapeutic effects; its mechanism of action is associated with the suppression of oxidative stress, the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators, and the disruption of metabolic processes in microbial cells. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacognostic characterization of E. repens, highlighting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds. The metabolite profile obtained directly from the biologically active extract, combined with its proven antifungal activity, serves as direct confirmation of the antimicrobial aspect of this plant’s traditional use, while its broader applications in ethnomedicine require targeted pharmacological testing. These findings contribute valuable data for chemotaxonomic classification and future pharmacological investigations.