The article deals with the history of the study and the current state of research of physiological and biochemical properties of the plant genus Sedum that are useful for human and has been used in folk medicine for many years. It was noticed that antioxidant properties of extracts from plants S. sarmentosum, S. sempervivoides, S. takesimense were caused by the presence of phenolic compounds. Methanol extract of plants S. takesimense exhibited strong scavenging activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radicals as well as significant inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation and low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation induced by a metal ion Cu2+. Various immunomodulatory activities of various fractions of plants extracts (S. dendroideum, S. kamtschaticum, S. sarmentosum, S. telephium) are observed. It was shown that the ethanol extract of S. sarmentosum and it’s fractions suppressed specific antibody and cellular responses to ovalbumin in mice. The methanol extract of plants S. sarmentosum reduced the levels of anti-inflammatory markers, such as volume of exudates, number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, suppressed nitric oxide synthesis in activated macrophages via suppressed induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Polysaccharides fractions from plants S. telephium inducing productions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), increasing the intensity of phagocytosis in vitro and in vivo. Methanol extract from the whole part of S. kamtschaticum strongly inhibit PGE2 production from lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line via modulating activity in gene expression of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The methanol extract of plants S. sarmentosum and the major kaempferol glycosides from S. dendroideum have antinociceptive activity. It was noticed that anti-adipogenic activity of extracts from plants S. kamtschaticum were caused by inhibition of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression and it’s dependent target genes, such as genes encoding adipocyte protein 2 (аР2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), adiponectin and CD36. Polysaccharides fractions from S. telephium cause inhibition of cell adhesion of human fibroblast (MRC5) to laminin and fibronectin via interfere with integrin-mediated cell behaviour and they contributed to the role of polysaccharides in cell-matrix interaction. The methanol extract of plants S. sarmentosum exhibited a significant inhibitory activity in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. The crude alkaloid fraction of S. sarmentosum caused a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation on murine hepatoma cell line BNL CL.2 and human hepatoma cell line HepG2 without necrosis or apoptosis. Alkaloids from plants S. sarmentosum may improve survival of hepatoma patients via the inhibition of excessive growth of tumor cells. Plant’s juices have antiviral activity (S. sarmentosum, S. spurium, S. stahlii). Crude ethanol extract S. praealtum have spermicidal activity of the in mice and a relevant inhibitory effect of aqueous extract on human spermatozoa motility as well as an anti-fertilizing activity in rats. Hepatoprotective triterpenes, e.g., δ-amyrone, 3-epi-δ-amyrin, δ-amyrin and sarmentolin were isolated from S. sarmentosum. 2- and 2,6-substituted piperidine alkaloids (e.g., norsedamine, allosedridine, sedamine, allosedamine) are observed in plants S. acre, which in the presence of data on the use of pyridine and piperidine derivatives for treating neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), points on the promising research in this area. Taking into account that biologically active compounds are accumulated in the aboveground vegetative organs of plants of Sedum, the prospects of further study of the use of Sedum for the purposes of biotechnology and in the pharmaceutical industry becomes apparent. This work extends the existing views regarding the use of plants Sedum.
CAESALPINIA DECAPETALA