Connaraceae: An Updated Overview of Research and the Pharmacological Potential of 36 Species
Keywords
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance: An interdisciplinary scientific investigation of biologically active agents is fundamental to search for natural substances with therapeutic action. This review collected the most relevant information about traditional knowledge related to the use of plants of the Connaraceae family. This work is the first to compile all the published ethnobotanical, chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological information about this important plant family.
Aim of the study: Our objective was to provide the scientific community with an up-to-date overview of the pharmacological potential of Connaraceae plants.
Material and methods: This review searched NCBI Pubmed Central, Google Scholar, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), ScienceDirect, SciFinder, and Scopus databases to review the research on ethnobotanical, chemical, pharmacognostical, pharmacological, and toxicological studies with Connaraceaes. Books that address the theme were also included.
Discussion and conclusion: The literature review indicated that 36 species of Connaraceaes have pharmacological potentiality. Ethnobotany reports listed 32 of the 36 species discussed. Pharmacognostical studies have been conducted with 24 species and isolates, and chemical compounds have been identified for only 16 species. At least one study has been published about the pharmacological activities for 22 of the 36 species analyzed. For Agelaea pentagyna, Cnetis ferruginea, Connars suberous and Rourea minor, pharmacological activity experiments were performed using isolated compounds, which are those with the highest current pharmacological potential. Studies employing a toxicological approach cover only 10 of the 36 Connaraceaes species. Thus, the scientific community needs to conduct much more research for a broader understanding of this plant family.
Keywords: Chemical composition; Ethnobotanical; Medicinal plants; Pharmacology; Toxicology; Traditional knowledge.