Triterpenoid and Saponin Rich Phytolacca dodecandra L’Herit (Endod): A Review on Its Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties

Abstract

: Phytolacca dodecandra L’Herit (Endod) is the most extensively studied plant among 35 known species in the genus Phytolacca (Family: Phytolaccaceae). The plant has been used as a viable treatment for various ailments, such as malaria, rabies, ascariasis, and skin disorders, in many parts of Africa. In Ethiopia, the dried and powdered Endod berries have been used for a long period of time as a detergent to clean clothes. Since the discovery of the molluscicidal activities of its berries more than five decades ago, P. dodecandra has been a research focus worldwide and several phytochemicals mainly of triterpenoids and saponins were reported. Additionally, various biological activities, including larvicidal, insecticidal, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities of its isolated compounds and crude extracts were investigated. Furthermore, some of the findings from pharmacological and phytochemical investigations were patented to be used in various medicinal formulations. The plant is still the subject of many investigations and hence, a thorough up-to-date review is required to provide comprehensive information needed for future exploitation of the plant. In this review, the phytochemical compositions and pharmacological activities are comprehensively addressed and discussed in details.

Coping with catastrophe: Crop diversity and crop production in Tigray National Regional State in Northern Ethiopia

“…Sometimes known as the soapberry, the most common use of Phytolacca dodecandra is as a soap and a shampoo. The dried and powdered berries are also used to stun fish, to kill snails, and are possibly effective in controlling schistosomiasis (Kebede and Abd El-Aty, 2021). An extract is also effective in controlling chocolate spot on pulses (Addisu et al, 2019).…”

Effects of genotype and Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, blood profiles, and breast meat quality of chickens

“…Phytolacca dodecandra is one of the most commonly used herbal plants in Ethiopian traditional medicine for the treatment of liver and other diseases [ 19 ]. The plant has been used as a viable treatment for various diseases, such as malaria, rabies, ascariasis, and skin disorders, in many parts of Africa [ 20 ]. In Ethiopia, the local communities use the leaves of the Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) plant to treat poultry diseases like diarrhea [ 21 ].…”

Nanoconstruction of curcuminoid boron difluoride dyes with aggregation-induced emission for bright near-infrared fluorescence imaging of malignant tumor

“…22,23 Among various nanosystems, NPs based on fluorescent molecules with the AIE effect have been widely used as powerful tools for bioanalysis and bioimaging due to their excellent photostability, good biocompatibility, and easy functionalization, and have received focused attention in biomedical and clinical applications. [24][25][26][27] Several representative AIE molecules, including non-polar tetraphene derivatives, phenylsulfone, and diphenylanthracene derivatives, [28][29][30] have been loaded into a variety of biocompatible carriers to construct multifunctional nanosystems for cell and tissue imaging due to their high fluorescence intensity. Despite good in vitro and in vivo bioimaging results, the strong hydrophobicity and poor cellular permeability of these fluorescent molecules have prompted investigators to explore a wider range of AIE fluorophores to meet the clinical requirements of cancer diagnosis.…”