From Traditional Medicine to Pharmacological Evidence: Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, and Translational Perspectives of Dodonaea angustifolia

Dodonaea angustifolia ( D. angustifolia) is a traditional medicinal herb with therapeutic uses and phytochemicals. Preclinical studies report several pharmacological activities, but their relevance to humans remains unclear. This study critically evaluates preclinical evidence and identifies research priorities by summarizing the phytochemical composition, traditional uses, pharmacological activities, and safety of D. angustifolia . PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were used to retrieve relevant articles. In vitro, in vivo, in silico, observational, ethnobotanical, and other relevant studies were included. Duplicates, unrelated studies, and those insufficient for meaningful interpretation were excluded. Findings were synthesized qualitatively. Reviewed studies identified diverse phytochemicals in D. angustifolia , including flavonoids, phenolics and phenolic acids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, and fatty-acid derivatives, which may contribute to its reported biological activities. In vitro studies demonstrated antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, including MICs of 20 µg/mL against Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus faecalis and 40 µg/mL against Aspergillus flavus ; santin showed antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MIC <3.9 µg/well). In vivo studies reported antiplasmodial, analgesic, antipyretic, and wound-healing effects, with leaf extracts achieving up to 99.9% wound shrinkage and root fractions achieving 67.51% parasite suppression. Anti-inflammatory mechanisms involve PI3K–AKT signaling and targets including AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR. However, toxicological evidence remains limited and preliminary. D . angustifolia shows promising pharmacological potential, but current evidence is based on experimental models and crude extracts. Further research is needed to confirm its therapeutic efficacy and safety.