# Bessera elegans (Asparagaceae): Botany, Phytochemistry, and Cytotoxic and Insecticidal Activities of an Underexplored Mexican Species

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the botany, chemical composition, and potential biological activities of Bessera elegans, a Mexican plant with possible uses in medicine and pest control.

## Contribution

The paper compiles and analyzes existing data on Bessera elegans, highlighting its underexplored phytochemical and biological potential.

## Key findings

- Bessera elegans contains steroidal glycosides, homoisoflavonoids, flavonoids, and norlignans with cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
- Flower extracts show additional chemical diversity and preliminary insecticidal activity.
- The plant's bioactive compounds suggest potential for biotechnological applications.

## Abstract

Bessera elegans (Asparagaceae) is an endemic Mexican species that is traditionally valued for ornamental purposes and locally reported medicinal uses, yet it remains largely underexplored from phytochemical and biological perspectives. The identification of bioactive secondary metabolites from under-investigated plant species is a key step toward developing plant-derived compounds with potential biotechnological applications. Therefore, in this context, we compile and critically analyze the available information on the botany, phytochemistry, and reported cytotoxic and insecticidal activities of B. elegans. Phytochemical studies, mainly focused on the bulbs, have led to the isolation of steroidal glycosides, homoisoflavonoids, flavonoids, and norlignans. Several of these compounds exhibit cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines, including leukemia and lung adenocarcinoma models. More recent investigations of flower extracts have revealed additional classes of secondary metabolites and preliminary insecticidal activity, highlighting the species’ chemical diversity. Although the current biological evidence remains limited, the reported cytotoxic and insecticidal effects provide a biochemical basis supporting the relevance of B. elegans as a potential source of plant-derived bioactive compounds. This review highlights existing knowledge gaps and emphasizes the need for further phytochemical and biological studies to support future biotechnological applications of metabolites from underexplored endemic plant species.