A Comprehensive Review Cissus Quadrangularis Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Potential, and the Overlooked Problem of Ecotype-Driven Variability

Background: Cissus quadrangularis, a Vitaceae climber valued in Ayurveda for fracture healing, shows reported antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. Most reviews treat it as chemically uniform, overlooking ecotype-driven variability behind inconsistent compound yields. Aim and Objectives: This review aims to synthesize existing knowledge on the botanical features, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological properties of C. quadrangularis, with particular emphasis on critically evaluating ecotype-driven variation and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) physiology as insufficiently explored factors contributing to its phytochemical inconsistency. Materials and Methods: A structured literature review synthesized ethnobotanical records, phytochemical data, and preclinical pharmacological studies from scientific databases. Conflicting results across studies were noted to inform the review's discussion of ecotype-driven variability. Result and Conclusion: C. quadrangularis shows a wide range of pharmacological effects—anti-osteoarthritic, antidiabetic, anticancer, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and bone-healing supported by its triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, and phenolics. However, reported differences in compound amounts and activity across studies are large and likely stem from unexamined ecotype or genetic variation and the plant’s CAM physiology, which limits standardization for clinical or nutraceutical applications. Future Reference: Future studies should pair genomic markers with chemotaxonomic profiling to define ecotype-specific phytochemical signatures, and always report geographic provenance as standard metadata instead of assuming species-wide chemical uniformity.