Grass Jelly Species (Platostoma palustre, Premna trichostoma, and Cyclea barbata): Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Translational Potential—A Review

Abstract

Grass jelly, a traditional Southeast Asian dessert, comes from three plants: Platostoma palustre, Premna trichostoma, and Cyclea barbata. Despite over a century of lab studies, no clinical therapeutic use exists. Recent genomics identified 1,228 metabolites in P. palustre and key flavonoid/polysaccharide pathways, but most compounds remain uncharacterized. Preclinical data show antioxidant (IC₅₀ = 2.512 ppm), antidiabetic (37.1% glucose reduction), antihypertensive (36.25% ACE inhibition), and anticancer (57% tumor reduction) effects—yet nearly all studies use crude extracts or multi‑herb mixes, making it impossible to attribute benefits specifically to grass jelly. Veterinary uses include improved sperm cryopreservation (80% vs. 63.3% conception) and 43.7% lower ammonia in poultry waste, but again with mixed formulations. Only one registered clinical trial exists (NCT02875275), and none tests grass jelly as a drug. We identify seven systemic gaps (e.g., extract‑based research, attribution confusion, missing pharmacokinetics) and propose a five‑phase framework to shift from descriptive work to mechanistic pharmacology—aiming to turn grass jelly into a model for phytochemical discovery and real‑world application.