A mini-review on ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and toxicological study of Alchornea cordifolia (Schum & Thonn) Muell. Arg

Abstract

Medicinal plants have played and continue to play a very important role as medicines or sources of therapeutic molecules throughout the world. Numerous people in developing countries use their therapeutic virtues to treat their health. Among those plants, Alchornea cordiflia is in a prominent position due to its numerous beneficial effects on both human and animal health. This plant is known in several African pharmacopoeias as an effective remedy against many diseases, including toothaches, inflammation, malaria, and worms. Advanced research on this plant has revealed a number of bioactive compounds such as cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones, polyphenols, triterpenes, and steroids, which give this plant its extraordinary pharmacological activities. Thus, many biological activities such as anti-inflammation, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antiplasmodial are reported in this plant. More recently, a study has reported that this plant is included in the food chain of the Okapia johnstoni in the wild. Because of its composition rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, an assessment of the anthelmintic activity of this plant on the intestinal worms of the Okapia johnstoni would be very interesting for the ex situ conservation of this emblematic animal.