Pharmacological activities of Borassus flabellifer L. extracts and isolated compounds

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review work is to evaluate, summarize, and document the scientific findings of the pharmacological activities of this plant species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The major electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed) have been employed to identify related publications published from 1900 to July 2021. In this review, only reported pharmacological activities-related publications were considered to extract the data.

Results: Various parts of this plant species are used to treat various disorders in traditional medicines including various pulmonary complaints, diabetes, and heartburn. Further, compounds such as borassoside A to F, nicotinamide, and uracil have been isolated from various parts of B. flabellifer. Clinical, in vivo, and in vitro pharmacological scientific evidence is currently available, and various parts of B. flabellifer showed antiarthritic, anticancer, antipyretic, hypersensitivity, and immunomodulatory activities. Flower showed the greatest number of pharmacological activities. Hitherto, seven bioactive compounds have been identified from B. flabellifer. Only, some uses of B. flabellifer in traditional medicine have scientific evidence at the moment.

Conclusion: This review article summarized the available scientific evidence based on pharmacological activities of B. flabellifer. The importance and benefits of this plant species are known for a limited group of people and the significance of B. flabellifer should be understood to sustain this invaluable resource.