Medicinal Uses of the Fabaceae Family in Zimbabwe: A Review

Abstract

The current study is aimed at providing a systematic review of the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Fabaceae species used as sources of traditional medicinies in Zimbabwe. Fabaceae is one of the well-known plant families of ethnopharmacological importance. Of the approximately 665 species of the Fabaceae family occurring in Zimbabwe, about 101 are used for medicinal purposes. Many communities in the country, mainly in peri-urban, rural and marginalized areas with limited access to healthcare facilities, rely on traditional medicines as their primary healthcare. The study reviewed research studies undertaken on Zimbabwe’s Fabaceae species during 1959 to 2022. Information was gathered from literature sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, books, dissertations, theses and scientific reports. This study showed that 101 species are traditionally used to manage human and animal diseases in Zimbabwe. The genera with the highest number of medicinal uses are Indigofera, Senna, Albizia, Rhynchosia and Vachellia. Species of these genera are used as traditional medicines against 134 medical conditions, mainly gastrointestinal conditions, female reproductive conditions, respiratory conditions and sexually transmitted infections. Shrubs (39.0%), trees (37.0%) and herbs (18.0%) are the primary sources of traditional medicines, while roots (80.2%), leaves (36.6%), bark (27.7%) and fruits (8.9%) are the most widely used plant parts. Many of Zimbabwe’s Fabaceae species used as sources of traditional medicines have been assessed for their phytochemical and pharmacological properties, corroborating their medicinal uses. However, there is a need to unravel the therapeutic potential of the family through further ethnopharmacological research focusing on toxicological studies, in vitro and in vivo models, biochemical assays and pharmacokinetic studies.

The amount of antioxidants in honey has a strong relationship with the plants selected by honey bees

“…A series of plants of the Amaranthaceae family can be used as herbal medicine in the world due to the presence of phytochemical properties such as phenolic compounds, terpenoids and betalains 32 . Fabaceae as one of the largest plant families has about 19,500 species and 770 genera 33 , 34 . The plants of this family with chemical compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, lectins and phenolic acids can have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-rheumatic and anti-cancer properties and activities 35 .…”

Paddy Weeds as a Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health and Illness

“…Senna obtusfolia and Senna occidentalis belong to Fabaceae family were reportedly used for treatment of rheumatism, mental disorder, malaria and typhoid also are good in treatment of stomachache and ulcer [20], Fabaceae family had species used as herbal medicines for management of many ailments and diseases [74].…”

Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant Activities, GC-MS and HPLC Fingerprint Analyses of Different Extracts of Desmodium tortuosum (Sw.) DC

“…(III) &] of D. tortuosum leaves were subjected to chemical profiling through the HPLC-fingerprint technique to identify their chemical ingredients and to characterize the available classes of secondary metabolites [43]. In this study, fourteen standard phenolics were used as reference compounds, including gallic acid (1), chlorogenic acid (2), catechin (3), caffeic acid (4), syringic acid ( 5), rutin (6), ellagic acid (7), coumaric acid (8), vanillin (9), ferulic acid (10), naringenin (11), propyl gallate (12), quercetin (13), and cinnamic acid (14). The obtained results revealed the variable amounts of the above-mentioned standard compounds in the tested samples.…”

“…Among them, fatty acids fundamentally compose lipid molecules, hormones, and cell membranes, serving as an energy source for cells and playing a key role in energetic metabolic and structural activities [3]. Many species in this family are renowned in traditional medicine for their use as anti-perspirants, diuretics [4], and in the treatment of nephritis [5], diabetes, leukemia, uterine cancer [6], diarrhea, cough, cramps, and sores of the mouth [7].…”