Ethnomedicinal Uses and Therapeutic Activities of Piper Guineense: A Review.

ALAGBE, O. A.; ALAGBE, G. O.; ADEKUNLE, E. A.; AYODELE, O. O.; OLORODE, E. M.; OYEDIRAN, R. I.; OLOYEDE, E. O.; OLUWALONI, F. O.; OYELEYE, A. O.

The use of medicinal plants in most developing countries as therapeutic agents for the maintenance of good health is a widespread practice. One of such plant products is Piper guineense, which is a West African spice used in many folklore medicines and has a number of verified pharmacological activities. Proximate analysis reveals that the plant contains crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals while preliminary phytochemical screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrophotoscopy of the methanol leaf and seed extract of Piper guineense revealed the presence of several constituents such as alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, terpenes; sesquiterpenoids and monoterpenoids, saponins and secondary metabolites such as Aromadendrene, 1,6,10-Dodecatriene,7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene and piperine, piperidine amongst other secondary metabolites. Studies have revealed that Piper guineense possess several pharmacological and therapeutic properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, aphrodisiac, anti-parasitic, antiinflammatory, anti-convulsant, molluscicidal, oestrogenic and oxytocic properties. This paper provides a review on the morphology, physicochemical and phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal and scientifically proven therapeutic activities of Piper guineense.

METABOLITES; TANNINS; SAPONINS; PLANT products; MONOTERPENOIDS; CARBOHYDRATES; FLAVONOID glycosides; TERPENES

Journal of Applied Sciences & Environmental Management, 2021, Vol 25, Issue 6, p927

1119-8362

Academic Journal

10.4314/jasem.v25i6.6