Abstract
Cola acuminata also known as the bissy nut extract was originally endemic to Africa but is now present in a number of tropical countries including Jamaica. Despite its rich history of ethnomedicinal use and promising bioactivity, there still exists limited research on this plant. Exploring and compiling the ethnomedicinal usage, identified bioactivities and isolates of C. acuminata will prove useful in steering future directional research with the hope of reaping the plant’s full beneficial properties. The plant’s traditional use encompass; cancer treatment, an antidote for poisoning, suppressing one’s appetite, increasing alertness, treating migraine and motion sickness, obtaining a state of euphoria in addition to being used in certain traditional practices. Because of the plant’s copious ethnomedicinal use, researchers were led to believe that the low incidence of prostate cancer evidenced amongst Asians could be as a result of phytochemicals present in the bissy nut. Research conducted in our lab confirmed the anti-cancer potential of the plant and recent research has identified a number of secondary metabolites present in C. acuminata which could be responsible for the observed bioactivities. The plant has also shown promise as an anti-microbial agent. This paper confirms the efficacy of the bissy nut plant both as an ethnomedicine as well as warranting further research that may prove useful both in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
Highlights
With circa 30% of its terrestrial plants being endemic [1], Jamaica is known for its rich biodiversity and its abundant usage of medicinal plants as ethno medicines
Medicinal plants continue to play a critical role in drug discovery and development because of the vast structural diversity of molecules found in the plant kingdom, some of which become new drugs or leads for the development of new drugs [4]
The bissy nut, Cola sp., an evergreen originally endemic to West Africa was introduced to many tropical countries, Jamaica being one of them
Summary
With circa 30% of its terrestrial plants being endemic [1], Jamaica is known for its rich biodiversity and its abundant usage of medicinal plants as ethno medicines. The bissy nut, Cola sp., an evergreen originally endemic to West Africa was introduced to many tropical countries, Jamaica being one of them. It belongs to the Sterculiaceae family having more than 125 species [6] and is locally known as bissy, cola or kola nuts [7]. The plant’s rich history of traditional use paved the way for cytotoxic and anti-microbial screens [9] in addition to identifying its key phytochemicals. These findings are highlighted in this review since research is so limited despite the promising efficacy of the bissy nut plant. Such findings should pave the way for future directional research on this plant and so provide a platform where optimized solutions for cancer and bacterial infections among others cancer be identified
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