Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Trapa Natans L.

Trapa natans L., water chestnut (indian name singada, montenegrin name kasaronja) belonging to Trapaceae family is annual aquatic floating herb native to Asia but widely distributed in the Europe and in North America. The presence of two species, Trapa natans L. and Trapa longicarpa M.Jank. ssp. scutarensis M.Jank has been confirmed on the Skadar lake in Montenegro. Trapa natans is a plant demonstrating promising pharmacological activity mostly due to the presence of its constituens, phenols and flavonoids, showed hepatoprotective potential, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antifungal and in vitro antimicrobial activity.