Impatiens glandulifera Royle : from ecological threat to biotechnological opportunity – a narrative review

Žafran, Marcel (author), Žiberna, Lovro (author), Martelanc, Mitja (author), Albreht, Alen (author)

Impatiens glandulifera Royle is an invasive alien plant species which poses substantial threat to biodiversity, ecosystems, and socio-economic stability globally. It has successfully colonised a wide range of habitats across Europe, North America, and other temperate regions of the world, facilitated by its aggressive seed dispersal mechanism, high adaptability, and competitive resource acquisition. Despite its ecological threats, I. glandulifera contains a wide variety of bioactive chemical constituents, presenting opportunities for novel biotechnological and therapeutic applications. This narrative review synthesises the existing scientific literature on the phytochemical composition, biological activities, ecological impacts, and management strategies associated with I. glandulifera. The plant is particularly rich in bioactive compounds, including naphthoquinones, flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, essential oils, terpenoids, and steroids, which demonstrate significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and allelopathic properties in preclinical studies. Management approaches have traditionally focused on mechanical eradication, use of chemical herbicides, and experimental biological control measures; however, sustainable solutions involving the valorisation of harvested biomass could substantially mitigate environmental concerns. Based on the available evidence, this review introduces a novel concept positioning I. glandulifera as a sustainable source of valuable bioactive compounds with potential applications in the medicinal, cosmetic, food, feed, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors. Nevertheless, significant knowledge gaps persist, particularly concerning comprehensive toxicity assessments, clinical validation of bioactivities, optimized and scalable valorisation strategies, and detailed chemical characterisation across different plant tissues. Addressing these gaps through targeted interdisciplinary research will be essential for realising the commercial potential of I. glandulifera and converting its ecological burden into a valuable resource.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Himalayan balsam, biological invasions, phytochemistry, bioactivity, ecological management
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology; FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 1008, art. 181044
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182824
• UDC: 577
• ISSN on article: 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181044
• COBISS.SI-ID: 260898307
• Publication date in RUL: 25.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of the total environment
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1879-1026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23110917

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: biokemija, biomasa, tujerodne rastline, vrste, herbicidi