Phytochemical Profile of Prosopis farcta (Banks & Sol.) J.F. Macbr.: A Comprehensive Review

Prosopis farcta (Banks & Sol.) J.F. Macbr., a member of the Fabaceae family, is a medicinal plant widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions and traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes, infections, inflammatory disorders, and metabolic diseases. Owing to its rich phytochemical composition, the species has attracted increasing scientific attention. This review comprehensively summarizes phytochemical studies conducted on P. farcta, with particular emphasis on the distribution of secondary metabolites in different plant organs and the analytical approaches employed for their characterization. The available evidence demonstrates that P. farcta possesses a diverse phytochemical profile comprising alkaloids, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, saponins, sterols, tannins, triterpenoids, and volatile constituents. Major bioactive compounds, including β-sitosterol, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, kaempferol, lupeol, luteolin, and quercetin are considered to contribute significantly to the biological properties of the species. Comparative evaluation of the reviewed studies indicates that the phytochemical composition varies among plant organs and is influenced by geographical origin and environmental conditions. The findings further reveal that P. farcta exhibits remarkable anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hypolipidemic activities. Moreover, its extracts have shown promising potential as reducing and stabilizing agents in the green synthesis of nanoparticles. Overall, the available literature identifies P. farcta as a valuable natural source of bioactive compounds with considerable pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and biotechnological potential. Nevertheless, further metabolomic, genomic, and clinical studies are needed to validate its therapeutic applications and facilitate its future utilization.