Taxonomy, Traditional Uses and Pharmacological Properties of Ormocarpum trichocarpum (Taub.) Engl. (Fabaceae Family): A Narrative Review.

Abstract

<i>Ormocarpum trichocarpum</i> (Taub.) Engl. is a shrub or small tree harvested from the wild as a source of food, traditional medicines and wood. The present review compiles existing information on the medicinal uses and chemical and pharmacological properties of <i>O. trichocarpum</i>. Multiple searches on existing literature on the traditional, medicinal, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> were conducted in online Databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus^®, SpringerLink^®, ScienceDirect^®, SciELO and PubMed^®, as well as using pre-electronic literature sources obtained from the university library. This study showed that the bark, leaves, roots, stem bark, stems and whole plant parts of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> are used against 32 human and animal diseases and ailments.<i> </i>The main ailments and diseases treated by <i>O. trichocarpum</i> crude extracts include its use as an emetic, poisoning antidote, protective charm and traditional medicine for erectile dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems, prolonged labour, sexually transmitted infections and skin infections. The phytochemical evaluation of the plant revealed that it contains alkaloids, alkanes, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, diterpenes, sesquiterpenes and bioflavonoids. Pharmacological assessments showed that the crude extracts and phytochemical compounds isolated from the species have antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and tyrosinase-inhibiting activities. Detailed studies focusing on toxicological evaluations, <i>in vivo</i> and clinical research aimed at corroborating the traditional medical applications of <i>O. trichocarpum</i> are recommended.