A Comprehensive Review of Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicity of Prunus africana (Hook. F.) Kalkman from Africa.

Prunus africana, a widely utilized medicinal plant in various African ethnic communities, continues to hold significant importance in traditional healing practices. Research has identified phytochemical compounds in this plant, exhibiting diverse pharmacological activities that offer potential for pharmaceutical development. Notably, P. africana is employed in treating various ailments such as wounds, diabetes mellitus, malaria, benign prostatic hyperplasia, chest pain, and prostate cancer. Its pharmacological properties are attributed to a spectrum of bioactive compounds, including tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phytosterols, and fatty acids. Multiple studies have documented the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiandrogenic, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, antidipeptidyl peptidase-4 activity, analgesic, and astringent properties of P. africana extracts. This review offers a comprehensive compilation of ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemical composition, pharmacological effects, and toxicity assessments of P. africana, serving as a foundation for future preclinical and clinical investigations. By understanding its traditional uses and chemical constituents, researchers can target specific medical conditions with greater precision, potentially expediting the development of safe and effective pharmaceuticals. Moreover, toxicity assessments provide crucial insights into the safety profile of P. africana extracts, ensuring the development of safe pharmaceuticals to treat various diseases.

Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, and Cytotoxic Effects of The Phytexponent: A Polyherbal Formulation.

The Phytexponent is used to treat pain and inflammation in complementary and alternative medicine practices; however, empirical data supporting its pharmacological efficacy and safety is scanty, hence the present study. We used the carrageenan-induced paw oedema and the acetic acid-induced writhing techniques to determine the anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacies, respectively, of the Phytexponent in Swiss albino mice models. The 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay technique was used to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic effects of the Phytexponent in the Vero E6 cell line. The Phytexponent exerted significant (P < .05) anti-inflammatory effects in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema mouse model in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with significantly higher efficacy at 250 mg/Kg BW, than indomethacin (4 mg/Kg BW), in the first, second, and third hour (P < .05). Besides, the Phytexponent significantly reduced the acetic acid-induced writhing frequency in mice (P < .05), in a dose-dependent manner, depicting its analgesic efficacy. Notably, the Phytexponent (at doses: 125 mg/Kg BW and 250 mg/Kg BW) exhibited significantly higher analgesic efficacy than the Indomethacin (P<.05). Moreover, the Phytexponent was not cytotoxic to Vero E6 cells (CC50 >1000 µg/ml) compared to cyclophosphamide (CC50 = 2.48 µg/ml). Thus, the Phytexponent has significant in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy in mice models and is not cytotoxic to Vero E6 cell line, depicting its therapeutic potential upon further empirical investigation.