The leaves, roots and/or tubers of Baccharoides guineensis are used as traditional medicines in West Africa. This study is aimed at evaluating the pharmacological properties, phytochemstry and medicinal uses of B. guineensis. Results of the current study are based on data derived from online databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct and MEDLINE and pre-electronic sources such as scientific publications, theses, books, dissertations, book chapters and journal articles. This study revealed that the leaves, roots and/or tubers of B. guineensis are widely used as anthelmintic, snakebite antidote and ethnoveterinary medicine, and as traditional medicine for toothache, gastro-intestinal problems, jaundice, malaria, female and male infertility. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include anthraquinones, ceramide, fatty acids, flavonoids, glycerol esters, sesquiterpene lactones, steroids, stigmatanes, sucrose esters and triterpenoids. Pharmacological research revealed that B. guineensis extracts and phytochemical compounds isolated from the species have antioxidant, anthelmintic, antiangiogenic, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, antiproliferative, antitrypanosidal, clonogenic and antifungal activities. Future research on B. guineensis should focus on the possible biochemical mechanisms of both the crude extracts and phytochemical compounds including toxicological, in vivo and clinical studies to corroborate the traditional medicinal applications of the species.
Key words: Asteraceae, Baccharoides guineensis, Compositae, indigenous pharmacopeia, traditional medicine
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