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Guerrero-Solano, J.A., Jaramillo-Morales, O.A., Jiménez-Cabrera, T., Urrutia-Hernández, T.A., Chehue-Romero, A., Olvera-Hernández, E.G., et al. (2020) Punica protopunica Balf., the Forgotten Sister of the Common Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.): Features and Medicinal Properties—A Review. Plants, 9, Article No. 1214.
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091214

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Medicinal Flora of Socotra Island as a Source of Novel Anti-Infective Agents: Diversity, Ethnopharmacology, Bioassays, and Lead Optimization

  AUTHORS: Ahmed Al-Shawafi, Rehab Al-Shawafi, Ali A. Al-Thuraya

  KEYWORDS: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Socotra Island Medicinal Flora, Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemical Diversity, Bioassay-Guided Screening, Anti-Infective Drug Discovery, Lead Compound Optimization, Conservation, Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)

  JOURNAL NAME: Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, Vol.14 No.9, September 7, 2026

  ABSTRACT: The concept of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the most pressing concerns in the current public health agenda, underscoring the urgent need to find new anti-infective agents in nature. Medicinal plants have traditionally been central in the process of drug discovery, and biodiversity hotspots are untapped sources of new bioactive compounds. Of these, the Socotra Island in Yemen is a rare site of endemic plants, with close to 30 percent of the flora not found elsewhere on the planet. This unmatched endemism, along with a long tradition of ethnomedicinal activities, makes Socotra an unprecedented bioprospecting location. The current review identifies the prospect of Socotra medicinal flora as a source of anti-infective leads, extending beyond ethnopharmacological documentation toward rigorous scientific validation of traditional medicinal knowledge. Using a synthesis of available evidence on phytochemical diversity, bioassays, and mechanistic understanding, the paper evaluates antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic drug-discovery evidence for key endemic species, including Dracaena cinnabari, Aloe perryi, and Punica protopunica, while distinguishing direct species-specific findings from indirect evidence. In addition, it highlights the significance of lead optimization methods, structure-activity relationships, semi-synthetic alterations, and computational methods in the conversion of natural compounds into drug-like molecules. Finally, the paper establishes the endemic flora of Socotra as a strategic frontier in combating infectious diseases and AMR globally.