| Autor: |
Olatunji TL; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa., Adetunji AE; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa., Olisah C; Department of Botany, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa., Idris OA; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa., Saliu OD; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa., Siebert F; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa. |
| Abstrakt: |
The genus Merremia Dennst. ex Endl. (Convolvulaceae) is a rich source of structurally diverse phytochemicals with therapeutic relevance. This review presents the first comprehensive, up-to-date information and research progression on the nutritional value, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of the genus Merremia . Using the key search term " Merremia ", relevant documents and information were retrieved from electronic databases. Relevant documents were uploaded in RStudio with installed bibliometric software packages and used for data retrieval, tabulation, and network visualization. Bibliometric analysis revealed that ca. 55% of the studies related to Merremia were published in the last decade, which can be grouped into four thematic areas: (i) drug formulation, (ii) taxonomy, (iii) chemical analysis, and (iv) treatment of diseases. Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities studies showed that species in the genus are promising medicinal plants with various pharmaceutical potentials. However, clinical studies to validate the efficacy of the reported bioactivities and the mechanisms underlying the various activities are lacking and should constitute a future research focus. Additionally, reports on the nutritional and antinutritional constituents of Merremia species revealed that the species meet high nutritional quality criteria for animals and are therefore suitable for inclusion in livestock diets. The few available investigations on toxicity indicated that most Merremia species are safe for human and animal use but not with prolonged chronic administration. |
