Pharmacological Properties of Capparis spinosa Linn

Capparis spinosa Linn. (Capparaceae) was traditionally used for pharmacological purposes and has potential for use in modern cosmetics. This review aims to assess the current available knowledge of Capparis spinosa and its constituents for management of several diseases. Bibliographic investigation was carried out by scrutinizing classical text books and peer reviewed papers, consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases (SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIENCE DIRECT, Google Scholar) to retrieve available published literature. Only articles on pharmacological and phytochemical studies of Capparis spinosa have been selected. The main pharmacological activities of caper are antidiabetic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti-allergic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, immunomodulatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities. Phytochemicals studies of this plant revealed the existence of many bioactive components such as the saccharides and glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and volatile oils, fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin E and steroids. We conclude that Capparis spinosa is beneficial for the treatment of many pathologies supporting then its use in human nutrition and healthcare.