Ethnopharmacological Potentials of Warburgia ugandensis on Antimicrobial Activities

Ethnopharmacological Potentials of Warburgia ugandensis on Antimicrobial Activities:

Abstract

Warburgia ugandensis (W. ugandensis) is known by various names, including the East African greenheart, pepper bark tree, and Ugandan greenheart, and has a rich history of extensive use in the treatment of a host of human diseases in many African countries. This review is based on the botany and ethnopharmacological potentials of W. ugandensis for the treatment of pneumonia, asthma, malaria, candidiasis, skin infections, human immunodeficiency virus opportunistic infections, diarrhea, and measles given the common use in the management of these diseases. Extracts from W. ugandensis have strong antimicrobial activities against a broad spectrum of pathogens mainly because of the presence of abundant terpenoids, drimane, and coloratane type sesquditerpenoids amongst which are ugandensial, warburganal, mukaadial, and other secondary metabolites, such as tannins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, and mannitol. This group of compounds gives the plant a high therapeutic value. Based on the review, there is a need for identification and isolation of the highly therapeutic phytochemical constituents and a drive for more preclinical and clinical trials to validate the safety and efficacy of the extracts. This gives basis for the potential development of new therapeutic drugs from the plant.

Warburgia ugandensis

Plants

Description

Warburgia ugandensis, also known as Ugandan greenheart, is a species of evergreen tree native to Africa.Most of the African counties in which the plant species is found include; Kenya, Ethiopia and some parts of western Africa The wood is resistant to insect attack and very strong. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Warburgia ugandensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Warburgia

Family: Canellaceae

Order: Canellales