Abstract

A REVIEW ON KIGELIA AFRICANA

Suman Halder* and Amit Sharma

Abstract

It occurs widely in Africa and beyond is Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth, a medicinal plant with several considerable potentials and attributes. Various parts of the plant are used locally to treat diabetes, epilepsy, gynecological disorders, genital infections, cancer, ulcer, skin diseases, bacterial and fungal infections as well as being used as cosmetics. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of some parts of the plant have been explored for therapeutic purposes. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of a wide range of secondary metabolites. Toxicological effects of different extracts of the fruit, stem, bark and leaf have been reported. In this review, we provide up-to-date information on established toxicological and pharmacological properties, as well as phytochemical constituents responsible for these activities in Kigelia africana.

Keywords: Kigelia Africana, bio-active compounds, toxicological effects, sausage tree, fruit, flower, anticancer.