HETEROMORPHA ARBORESCENS: A REVIEW OF ITS BOTANY, MEDICINAL USES, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Heteromorpha arborescens is an important medicinal plant species throughout its distributional range in tropical Africa. This study evaluated the botany, medicinal uses, and pharmacological activities of H. arborescens. Literature focusing on the botany, phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of H. arborescens were obtained from scientific databases such as SCOPUS, Science Direct, PubMed, SciFinder, Medline, and Google Scholar. Pre-electronic literature sources such as book chapters, books, journal articles, conference papers, and other scientific documents were obtained from the University library. Literature search revealed that H. arborescens is used as an aphrodisiac, as herbal medicine for shortness of breath, intestinal worms, inflammation, pain, respiratory problems, skin infections, headache, fever, and malaria. Pharmacological studies of compounds and H. arborescens extracts revealed anthelmintic, antiarthritic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimycobacterial, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antipeptic ulcer, anti-scabies, antispasmodic, antiviral, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and uterotonic activities. More detailed research is needed aimed at assessing phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of different plant parts and phytochemical compounds isolated from the species

LANNEA SCHIMPERI: REVIEW OF ITS BOTANY, MEDICINAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Lannea schimperi is a well-known fruit tree and medicinal plant in tropical Africa. The current study critically reviewed the botany, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of L. schimperi. Literature on botany, medicinal uses, phytochemical and biological activities of L. schimperi were collected from multiple internet sources including Elsevier, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, BMC, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Complementary information was gathered from pre-electronic sources such as books, book chapters, theses, scientific reports, and journal articles obtained from the University Library. This study revealed that the species is used as a source of fiber, edible fruits, and herbal medicine. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include cyclohexenones, cardanols, alkaloids, anthocyanins, anthracene glycosides, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, carotenoids, condensed tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic glycosides, phenols, polyoses, polyuronoids, reducing sugars, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenoids, and volatile compounds. Pharmacological research revealed that extracts and phytochemical constituents isolated from L. schimperi have anesthetic, antibacterial, antifungal, anticoccidial, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, anti-trypanosoma, antiulcerogenic, cytotoxicity, and toxicity activities. L. schimperi should be subjected to detailed phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological evaluations aimed at correlating its medicinal uses with its phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the species

Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the genus, Kirkia

Purpose: To review the phytochemical, ethnopharmacology and traditional uses of the Kirkia species throughout their distributional range.Methods: The information documented in this article is from scientific journals, books, theses and reports obtained from library collections and electronic search engines such as Google, Google scholar, publishing sites such as Elsevier, ScienceDirect, BioMed Central (BMC), PubMed and other scientific database sites such as ChemSpider and PubChem.Results: Kirkia species are used as herbal remedies for abdominal pain, cholera, cough, snake bites and toothache in East, Central and Southern Africa. There are similarities in the use of Kirkia species as herbal medicines in Central and Southern Africa in terms of plant parts used, herbal preparation, route of administration and dosage. The chemical composition of Kirkia species is dominated by fatty acids, flavonols, isocoumarin, lignans, neolignans, nor-carotenoids, phenols and tannins isolated from leaves, stem bark and roots. Major biological activities demonstrated by Kirkia species include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and antiplatelet activities.Conclusion: Kirkia species are valuable herbal medicines with multiple pharmacological effects. Kirkia extracts and their isolates are potential sources of modern medicines following future detailed studies to elucidate their mechanisms of action, toxicity and clinical trials.Keywords: Africa, Ethnobotanical, Isocoumarin, Kirkia species, Lignans, Livelihood needs, Neolignans, Traditional medicin

Utilization of Bridelia mollis as herbal medicine, nutraceutical and functional food in southern Africa: A review

Purpose: To evaluate the functional food, nutraceutical and ethnomedicinal properties of Bridelia mollis throughout its geographical range.Methods: Retrieval of information on the medicinal, nutraceutical and functional food properties of B. mollis was undertaken using electronic databases, including PubMed, EThOS, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, ProQuest, SciFinder, Medline, Open-thesis, OATD and Google Scholar. Pre-electronic literature was sourced from the University library.Results: Literature search revealed that fresh or dried fruits of B. mollis can be commercially processed into new food products and beverages in southern Africa. Bridelia mollis is traditionally used as herbal medicine for cough, itching, fever, gastro-intestinal problems, malaria, piles, parasitic worms and wounds. Pharmacological studies on B. mollis indicate that the species has antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, antioxidative and antiplasmodial properties.Conclusion: Detailed studies on the phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological properties of B. mollis are needed in order to establish the real nutraceutical potential benefits of the species that might improve human health.Keywords: Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antileishmanial, Antioxidative, Antiplasmodial, Bridelia mollis, Phyllanthacea

LANNEA DISCOLOR: ITS BOTANY, ETHNOMEDICINAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Lannea discolor is an important component of the traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine health-care systems in several countries. This study is aimed at reviewing the botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical and biological activities of L. discolor. Information on its botany, medicinal uses, chemistry and pharmacological properties was undertaken using electronic databases such as Pubmed, SCOPUS, Medline, SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, EThOS, ProQuest, OATD and Open-thesis. Pre-electronic literature was sourced from the University Library. The species is used as herbal medicine for 24 human diseases. The major diseases and ailments treated using concoctions prepared from L. discolor include gastrointestinal problems, gonorrhea, infertility in women, convulsions, dizziness, injury, and wounds. Different aqueous and organic extracts of L. discolor exhibited anthelmintic, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, and nematicidal activities. Detailed studies on the phytochemistry, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of L. discolor are required to correlate the medicinal uses of the species with its phytochemistry and pharmacological properties

Astraea lobata (L) Klotzsch (Euphorbiaceae): An ethnopharmacological review

This is a review on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of A. lobata with a view to present a better understanding of the medicinal potentials of the species. Published literature on A. lobata were sourced from databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, SciFinder, Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo, Springerlink, Google Patents, Espacenet, BioMed Central (BMC) and Medline. Astraea lobata is native to north, central and south America, and now naturalized in Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo where it is used to treat numerous diseases including dysentery, malaria, menstrual problems, scorpion bite, rheumatism pain, skin cancer, sterility in women and as purgative. Multiple classes of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, anthraquinones, esters, diterpene alcohols, flavonoids, hydroxy ketones, peptides, phenolics, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenes and triglycerides have been isolated from fruits, leaves, roots and stems of A. lobata. Scientific studies on A. lobata indicate that it has a wide range of pharmacological activities which include antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiplasmodial, antioxidant, antitrypanosomal and leishmanicidal activities. The wide usage of A. lobata as a herbal medicine calls for detailed pharmacological and phytochemical studies aimed at correlating the documented medicinal uses of the species with its biological activities and phytochemistry.Keywords: Astraea lobata, Euphorbiaceae, herbal medicine, pharmacology, phytochemistr

Opuntia elata Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck (Cactaceae): A new record for the flora of Zimbabwe

Opuntia elata Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck is recorded as having become naturalised in Zimbabwe. Illustration, distribution map and description of the species are provided. A dichotomous key based on vegetative characters to distinguish among O. elata, O. microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff. and O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill., the 3 naturalised Opuntia species in Zimbabwe, is included to assist with the identification of the species

Kirkia acuminata Oliv.: a review of its ethnobotany and pharmacology

Background: Local communities in sub-Saharan Africa have a long history of medicinal plant usage. Like in other parts of the developing world, rural and urban communities are still dependent on herbal medicines for primary health care, and the use of herbal medicines is still an integral part of their daily life and socio-cultural life style. The objective of this paper is to summarise information on the ethnobotany and pharmacology of Kirkia acuminata Oliv. throughout its distributional range.Materials and Methods: The information documented in this article is derived from books, theses, scientific journals and reports obtained from library collections, Scopus, Pubmed, MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct.Results: Kirkia acuminata is the most known and widely distributed Kirkia species in the genus and is one of the most popular and promising plant resources due to its several beneficial uses. Kirkia acuminata is used to treat abdominal pains, backache, cholera, constipation, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, snake bites, toothache and wounds. Other applications include its use as charcoal; hedge, ornamental or shade; stock feed, timber and source of water during drought periods. Preliminary phytochemical assessment of roots and stem bark of K. acuminata showed presence of lignans, neo-lignans, nor-carotinoids and other compounds. The extracts of K. acuminata exhibited antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities. These phytochemical compounds may be responsible for the medicinal uses and biological activities demonstrated by K. acuminata.Conclusion: Detailed research is required aimed at exploring mode of action of bioactive compounds of Kirkia acuminata that are responsible for the documented pharmacological effects. Kirkia acuminata is an important plant species that has potential to contribute to the primary health care and livelihood improvement of local communities in the geographical areas where it is indigenous and found in abundance.Keywords: Africa, ethnobotanical, Kirkia acuminata, livelihood needs, traditional medicin

LANNEA ACIDA: A REVIEW OF ITS MEDICINAL USES AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Lannea acida is widely used as herbal medicine in West Africa. The present study critically reviewed the medicinal uses and phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of L. acida. The keywords including L. acida, its synonyms, English common names, medicinal uses, and phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the species were searched using electronic databases such as ISI web of knowledge, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, OATD, Scopus, OpenThesis, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The search for pre-electronic literature such as conference papers, scientific articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, and theses was carried out at the university library. Literature studies revealed that L. acida is mainly used for injuries, inflammation and pain, gastrointestinal problems, fever and malaria, gynecological and pregnancy disorders, ethnoveterinary medicine, hemorrhoids, skin diseases, and infections. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids. Pharmacological studies revealed that L. acida extracts have anthelmintic, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antimycobacterial, antioxidant, estrogenic, fertility, hyaluronidase, phospholipase A2, proteolytic, and vibriocidal activities. Given the importance of L. acida as herbal medicine, there is a need for detailed studies aimed at establishing the efficacy, clinical relevance, and safety of the plant extracts and compounds

New record of Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) for the flora of Zimbabwe

Recent field work in Zimbabwe yielded new records of an alien species, Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) which is naturalized in central region of the country. This species is native to central, northern and southern America and is commonly used as an ornamental plant in Zimbabwe