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Background: Spermacoce hispida L (Rubiaceae) has been utilized in folk medicine in the Indian subcontinent and other tropical and subtropical continents. The roots, stem, and leaves of S. hispida have been used traditionally for the management of urinary infections, oliguria, venereal diseases, conjunctivitis, hemorrhoids, gallstones, stomach ailments, internal injuries of nerves, and kidney, coughs, malaria, internal heat, dyslipidemia, and for reducing weight. However, several studies are needed to validate these traditional claims. This review provides a critical appraisal and comprehensive categorized information of the botanical characteristics, geographic distribution, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities relevant to S. hispida, intending to make up to date information for exploring therapeutic and scientific potentials for future studies.Method: The available information about this article was acquired systematically through online search from the scientific databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Scifinder, Springer Link, and ResearchGate). Additional information was gathered from papers, review articles published in international journals, published books, and theses to collate all available scientific literature to provide a piece of comprehensive information about this plant.Results: Pharmacological studies revealed a wide spectrum of biological activities such as analgesic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antihyperlipidemic, anxiolytic properties. Both qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening led to the identification of tannins, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, steroids, coumarins, and cardiac glycosides in different regions of this plant. The bioactive components isolated from S.hispida include β-sitosterol, ursolic acid, quercetin, dalspinin, rutin, kaempferol, tannic acid, and epigallocatechin. A few of these compounds also exhibited diverse biological activities including antioxidant, antineoplastic, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, hepatorenal protective, neuroprotective, immunoregulatory, antidiabetic, and antiobesity, justifying some of the traditional uses of this plant. The majority of the studies carried out on S.hispida focused on its antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities.Conclusions: S. hispida is being widely exploited in traditional medicine and has potential for its diverse pharmacological activities. Among them, the antioxidant activity noted in many studies establishes the prominent use of S. hispida as a nutraceutical or pharmaceutical agent both as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent. Nevertheless, some of the traditional uses of S. hispida still require validation by pharmacological studies which can be translated to human clinical trials. |
