Fruit disease/disorder effects

The phytochemical investigations of Comus species revealed that their fruits are rich in bioactive compoimds such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, iridoids, triterpenoids, fatty acids, ascorbic acid and minerals. For many years they have been used in traditional and folk medicine to treat diabetes, liver and kidney diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, fever, pain and many others. Modem pharmaceutical studies indicated that Comus spp. fruits exhibit therapeutic effects on diabetes, cancer, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disorders or obesity, especially due to their high antioxidant activity. They also have notable beneficial effects on hepatoprotection, hyperlipidemia, neuroprotection and inhibiton of bacteria and vimses. 

Given the phytochemical complexity of figs, this fruit is a treasure trove for basic research. Currently, there are potential applications for figs and its extracts against cancer, microbial and viral infections, pain, skin diseases, sun exposure, cardiovascular and digestive disorders, metabolic syndrome, and nutritional deficiencies, to cite only a partial list. As many of these diseases could have a common origin from inflammatory mechanisms, recent research on the potential health properties of figs has focused on their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. 

From about 2000 years ago, traditional Chinese medicine used different parts of plants belonging to Cornus genus for treatment of various diseases such as kidney and gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, uterine bleeding and bladder incontinence. The fruits and the bark of Cornus species have been widely used for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-bacterial, anti-histamine, anti-allergic, anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, tonic, febrifuge and vulnerary properties as well as for their inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation. 

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