Medicinal Applications, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Terminalia spinosa Engl.: A Comprehensive Review

Terminalia spinosa Engl. is a shrub or small tree widely used as a source of traditional medicines in tropical Africa. This study was aimed at reviewing the medicinal uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of T. spinosa. A search for available information on the medicinal uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of T. spinosa was conducted by searching the electronic databases which included SciELO, ScienceDirect®, Web of Science, PubMed®, SpringerLink®, Scopus® and Google Scholar, as well as pre-electronic literature sources such as books, book chapters and other scientific publications obtained from the university library. This research revealed that the bark, fibres, leaves, roots or stem bark of T. spinosa are used as traditional medicines for wounds, fever, jaundice, malaria, sore throat and stomach ailments. The phytochemical evaluation of the plant species revealed that it contains flavonoids, fatty acids, anthocyanins, coumarins, ellagic acid, polyphenols, anthraquinone, tannins, polysaccharides, steroids and triterpenoids. The pharmacological evaluations showed that the crude extracts of T. spinosa have antibacterial, anti-Neisseria gonorrhoeae, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antiplasmodial and antiproliferative activities. To realize the full potential of T. spinosa as traditional medicine, future studies should focus on conducting detailed phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological evaluations, in vivo and clinical research.