Phytocompounds in Atriplex halimus and their therapeutic potential: Focusing on biological properties and mechanism of action

Abstract

Abstract Atriplex halimus is a Mediterranean xerohalophyte shrub, traditionally recognized for managing metabolic, inflammatory, and infectious disorders. Thriving under extreme conditions of soil salinity, drought, and strong solar radiation, the species has developed a stress-responsive metabolism driving a diverse and phenolic-rich phytochemistry. Atriplex halimus extracts have been cited to exhibit antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and other properties. These activities have been linked to enzyme inhibition (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), modulation of insulin signaling and GLUT4 translocation, regulation of redox homeostasis via the Nrf2/ARE pathway, and suppression of inflammatory mediators through NF-κB and MAPK pathways. This review summarizes botanical characteristics, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemical composition, and the biological activities of the species, while critically addressing the conceptual and methodological limitations that constrain its therapeutic translational relevance. Within this framework, key research gaps are identified, including the need for standardized extracts, robust toxicological studies, the establishment of direct causal relationships between phytochemicals and specific pharmacological effects, as well as integrated mechanistic studies and in-depth in vivo assessments.