Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)

Cyperus rotundus L. (nut grass, Cyperaceae) is an invasive herb that is distributed in temperate tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The plant has a broad spectrum of applications in ethnobotanical and traditional medicines in Asia and Africa. Due to its wide array of natural products and interesting phytochemistry, the herb has been investigated extensively to isolate the compounds. From 1964 up to date, 254 natural products, including terpenoids, flavonoids, stilbenoids, iridoids, and other compounds, have been isolated and their structures determined. These wide arrays of secondary metabolites have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antidepressant, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and macrophage respiratory burst (MRB) inhibitory activities. This chapter provides an update of the bioactivity and mechanism of action of natural products from C. rotundus.