Evaluation of Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia Pax (Family Phyllanthaceae)

Alfred Maroyi

Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia Pax is a well-known and widely used medicinal plant in Central and Southern Africa. The current study was aimed at documenting the medicinal uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of P. maprouneifolia. The literature search on existing information on medicinal uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of P. maprouneifolia was conducted using online databases such as PubMed^®, Web of Science, SciELO, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect^®, SpringerLink^® and Scopus^® and also pre-electronic literature obtained from the university library. Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia is used as aphrodisiac, ethnoveterinary medicine, ritual purposes and as traditional medicine for cancer, cough, diabetes, diarrhoea, eye problems, fever, gonorrhoea, infertility in women, menstrual problems, pneumonia, stomach problems and wounds. Chemical compounds identified from P. maprouneifolia include acids, acid esters, alcohols, ketones, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, phlobatannins, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, quinones, steroids and triterpenoids. Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia crude extracts and some chemical compounds isolated from the species demonstrated as antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-schistosomal and cytotoxicity activities. This review highlights the potential of P. maprouneifolia as a medicinal plant and therefore, further ethnopharmacological assessments of the species emphasizing chemical, biological and toxicological activities, in vivo and clinical evaluations are recommended.

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