A Comprehensive Review of the Ethnobotanical Uses, Pharmacological, and Toxicological Profiles of <i>Piper capense</i> L.f. (Piperaceae)
Commonly known as wild pepper, <i>Piper capense</i> (<i>P. capense</i>) is a culinary herb mainly used as a secret in preparation of "<i>Nkui</i>" and "<i>Nah poh</i>" in Bayangam, West Cameroon. However, it also has many interestin...
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| Format: | Book |
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MDPI AG,
2024-09-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Commonly known as wild pepper, <i>Piper capense</i> (<i>P. capense</i>) is a culinary herb mainly used as a secret in preparation of "<i>Nkui</i>" and "<i>Nah poh</i>" in Bayangam, West Cameroon. However, it also has many interesting pharmacological properties, which is why the people of sub-Saharan Africa so highly prize it for the treatment of multiple human pathologies. This study aimed to highlight the traditional uses, phytochemical composition, biological activities, and toxicological profile of the <i>P. capense</i> plant, to draw the attention of pharmaceutical companies to its enormous potential for the development of future phyto- or pharmaceutical products. Documentary research was meticulously carried out in the Web of Sciences, Scopus, Pubmed/Medline, and Google Scholar databases according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The results show that extracts and compounds isolated from <i>Piper capense</i> have interesting anticancer, antibacterial, antimalarial, hypoglycemic, anti-epileptic, and antidepressant activities. Methanolic extracts and essential oils from <i>P. capense</i> exhibit no harmful effects when directly applied to normal human hepatocytes, umbilical cord cells, intestinal cells, and keratinocyte cell lines. Additionally, methanolic extracts administered acutely or subchronically at low doses (≤250 mg/kg body weight) in <i>Wistar</i> rats also demonstrate no adverse effects. In conclusion, given its interesting activities, <i>P. capense</i> is a viable option for developing new antimalarial, anticancer, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, anti-epileptic, and antidepressant drugs. However, many avenues still need to be explored before translation into drugs. |
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| Item Description: | 10.3390/ddc3030034 2813-2998 |