Plants of the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae) - distribution, content of biologically active substances, biological properties

The paper deals with the distribution, in the world and on the territory of the Komi Republic, of plants of one of the largest families in the order of carnations - Caryophyllaceae, the content of biologically active substances in them and their useful properties. According to the latest data, the Carnation family includes 2,456 species belonging to 91 genera, which representatives are widely distributed on almost all continents of the Earth. Cloves contain a wide variety of secondary metabolites, many of which exhibit interesting biological and pharmacological activity: steroid and triterpene saponins, alkaloids, vitamins, organic acids, flavonoids, phytoecdysteroids, volatile substances, phenols and other biologically active compounds. The presence of these substances determines the use of certain types of the family in folk and conventional medicine. This review focuses on the phytochemical diversity of secondary metabolites and their biological activity, including new data on the content of saponins in representatives of carnations from the flora of the Komi Republic. 83 species belonging to 23 genera grow on the territory of the republic, most of which have not been studied for the content of saponins.