Clutia abyssinica Jaub. & Spach (Euphorbiaceae): Medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties Maroyi Alfred* Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa *E-mail id: amaroyi@ufh.ac.za
Online published on 15 October, 2020. Abstract Clutia abyssinica naturally occurs in east, central and southern Africa where it is widely used in folk and traditional medicine for diverse human diseases. In this review, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of C. abyssinica are summarized. Several secondary metabolites such as 5-methylcoumarins, diterpenes with a secolabdane skeleton, essential oils, alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpernoids have been identified from the leaves and roots of the species. Analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antidiarrheal, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antitrypanosomal, antipyretic, diuretic and hepatoprotective activities have been reported from C. abyssinica extracts. Future research on C. abyssinica should focus on the possible biochemical mechanisms of both the crude extracts and identified phytochemical compounds including toxicological, in vivo and clinical studies to corroborate the traditional medical applications of the species. Top Keywords Clutia abyssinica, Ethnopharmacology, Euphorbiaceae, Herbal medicine, Indigenous pharmacopeia, Peraceae. Top |