Application of Bryophytes to Foods, Food Additives and Phytomedicines

ABSTRACT Little attention has been paid to the bryophytes for application on the human diet, despite the presence of 23,000 species worldwide. Some mosses and liverworts produce significant levels of terpenoids and polyphenolic compounds possessing characteristic odors and tastes, and cytotoxic antimicrobial, antifungal, anti‐oxidant, diuretic, anti‐obesity, and many others and they contain significant nutrients such as lipids including highly unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins. Since Asakawa and his coworkers reported the original papers, review articles, and books concerning the isolation and structure elucidation as well as their bio‐ and pharmacological activity, and chemosystematics of bryophytes, many reviews on phytochemicals and their potential pharmaceutical application have been published. Herein, the distribution of several representative terpenoids, polyphenolic compounds and polyketides, having biological and pharmacological activity in bryophytes and application of bryophytes to foods and food additives are surveyed.