Abstract
Elaeodendron transvaalense is a plant species, which is in high demand as a herbal medicine in southern Africa. This study critically reviewed the medicinal applications, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of E. transvaalense. The literature on medicinal applications, phytochemical, and pharmacological activities of E. transvaalense, was collected from multiple internet sources including Elsevier, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Web of Science, Pubmed, BMC, Science Direct, 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 herbal medicine in 62.5% of the countries where E. transvaalense is native in southern Africa. It is mainly used as herbal medicine for diarrhoea, menorrhagia, stomach aches, skin infections, inflammations, and rashes. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species, include flavonoids, peltogynoid, phenols, proanthocyanidins, tannin, and triterpenes. Ethnopharmacological research revealed that extracts and phytochemical constituents isolated from E. transvaalense have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, anti-protozoan, anti-pyretic, hypoglycaemic, larvicidal, cytotoxicity, and mutagenic activities. Elaeodendron transvalense should to be subjected to detailed phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological evaluations aimed at correlating the medicinal uses of the species with the ethnopharmacological properties of the species.
Highlights
The present review summarizes the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties E. transvaalense
In the past 30 years, E. transvaalense has been the subject of phytochemical and pharmacological research, but there is not yet enough data correlating the medicinal uses of the species with its phytochemical and pharmacological properties
The bark of E. transvaalense is known to be poisonous and there is need to do detailed toxicological evaluations that strike a balance between the medicinal potential, and adverse and toxic effects on the species
Summary
Elaeodendron transvaalense is popular as a traditional medicine in southern Africa and in South. Elaeodendron transvaalense is sold in informal herbal medicine markets in five of the nine provinces (55.6%) in South Africa, that is, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, and the Western. Due to the increasing demand for the species, E. transvaalense is managed in herbal medicine home gardens in the Limpopo and North West provinces in South Africa [16,17]. The aim of this review was to provide a detailed appraisal of the existing knowledge and literature on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and pharmacological properties of E. transvaalense, in an attempt to create a database of information that can be used in future research aimed at exploring the therapeutic potential of the species
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