Glyphaea brevis (Spreng.) Monach.: A Review of the Ethno-medical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Glyphaea brevis (spreng) Monach. belongs to the family Tiliaceae. Traditionally it is used in Africa and South America to treat various disease conditions of man including fevers, gonorrhea, dysentery, stomach troubles, lung troubles, parasitic infections, convulsions and constipation. In recent years, it has come under the lime light of researchers in various parts of the world due to its broad ethno-medicinal uses. The aim of this review is to highlight the folkloric significance, phytochemical composition and reported pharmacological activities of G. brevis.

Materials and Methods: Google Scholar, Excerpta Medica database and PubMed, were the electronic databases used to search for and filter published research on Glyphaea brevis.

Results: The review captures significant data from published literature on the ethno-botanical uses of G. brevis which spans from 1985 to 2014. G. brevis crude extracts and phytochemicals showed a wide spectrum of activity including anti-infective, antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-proliferative, hypocholestrolaemic activity, weight control and blood glucose control activity, glycosidase inhibiting activity and hepatoprotective effect. However, G. brevis is reported to be toxic in reproductive studies.

Conclusion: On the bases of some of these reported biological activities of G. brevis, crude extracts and phytochemicals from the plant will require further studies to ascertain the mechanisms of action, potential product development and possible future clinical trials to serve as alternative therapy.