A Synthesis and Review of Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Paropsia brazzeana Baill. (Passifloraceae)

Abstract

Paropsia brazzeana is a shrub used traditionally to treat various human diseases and ailments. Paropsia brazzeana naturally occurs from Cameroon and the Central African Republic south to Angola, the Caprivi strip of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The aim of this review was to provide an overview and critically analyze the ethnomedical uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of P. brazzeana. The results of the current study are based on literature survey conducted using various search engines such as Elsevier, Pubmed, Google scholar, Springer, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, and pre-electronic sources such as books, book chapters, scientific journals and other grey literature. The fruit, leaf, leaf sap, root, root bark and stem bark decoction or infusion of P. brazzeana are mainly used as charm and rituals, and traditional medicine for gastro-intestinal infections, gonorrhoea, malaria and toothache. Chemical constituents identified from P. brazzeana include alkaloids, hydrocyanic acid, polyphenol, proanthocyanidins, reducing sugars, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpenes. The species possesses biological activities such as antiamoebic, antibacterial and antispasmodic activities. Paropsia brazzeana is a valuable medicinal plant species and future research should focus on animal experiments aimed at assessing toxicity and clinical efficacy of species extracts.