Amaranthaceae halophytes from the French Flanders coast of the North Sea: a review of their phytochemistry and biologica
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Amaranthaceae halophytes from the French Flanders coast of the North Sea: a review of their phytochemistry and biological activities Gabriel Lefe`vre . Ce´line Rivie`re
Received: 24 April 2019 / Accepted: 18 July 2019 Ó Springer Nature B.V. 2019
Abstract Halophytes are plant species that tolerate high salinity levels. To adapt to these particular abiotic conditions, they develop multiple physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms, including the biosynthesis of osmolytes, enzymes and specialized metabolites. The French Flanders coast of the North Sea is an ideal environment for this kind of plant. Amaranthaceae is one of the most represented botanical families of halophytes present on this coast, with 15 species belonging to 7 genera, namely Atriplex, Beta, Halimione, Kali, Oxybasis, Salicornia and Suaeda. Some of these species are well known as wild edible plants, and some are used in traditional medicine. This review examines the chemistry of these species and their potential for human health. Keywords Amaranthaceae Halophytes Human health North Sea Phytochemistry
G. Lefe`vre Independent researcher, Lille, France Present Address: C. Rivie`re (&) Univ. Lille, INRA, ISA, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Coˆte d’Opale, EA7394 – Institut Charles Viollette, F-59000 Lille, France e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction The French Flanders coast or France’s Flemish coastline is 60 km long and is located at the southern entrance to the North Sea, where the English Channel connects it to the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is the only part of France to be bordered by the North Sea (Duhamel et al. 2017). Its geographic position may guarantee thermoregulation of the climate, under the influence of the Gulf Stream passing Ireland from the Gulf of Mexico (Bigg 2003), but on the other hand, there are no obstacles to the north and east and so the coast directly receives the arctic and continental flux (Duhamel et al. 2017). This coastline is strongly impacted by climatic threats (accelerated coastal erosion due to global warming), biological and ecological threats (invasive plants and fragmentation of ecosystems) and anthropogenic threats (industrial port complexes, urbanization, tourist developments, the construction of transport infrastructure and the impact of the World Wars). Nevertheless, some preserved natural areas still harbour salt-resistant or halophilic vegetation of interest, partly thanks to the 1986 French Coastal Act (Duhamel et al. 2017). The characteristically flat coast is lined by sands that form dunes, hence the name of its major city Dunkirk, meaning ‘Church-in-the-dunes’. Some specific sites such as Dune fossile de Ghylvelde are home to flora with a slight preference for acid soil,
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whereas Le Platier d’Oye and Les Hemmes de Mark are rare examples of natural land reclamation in France and cover different geomorphological and ecological systems. These include green beaches rich in Amaranthaceae that tolerate saline con
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