Medicinal Potentials of <i>Buchholzia coriacea</i> (Wonderful Kola)

Abstract

Wonderful kola ( Buchholzia coriacea ) is geographically distributed in some Africa countries. The seed of the kola contain phytochemicals/bioactive, compounds, while the essential oil contains several chemical compounds that depict the medicinal properties of the plant. Several traditional claims and scientific validations have been made on the efficacy of leaves and seeds of the wonderful kola plant. Hence, this study reviews the medicinal properties of the plant. The study found that it has been scientifically validated that wonderful plant have analgesic, anti-depressant, anti-malaria, anti-anxiety, anti-diabetes, anti-microbial, anti-oxidants, anti-helminthes, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidants, hyperlipidemia, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-atherogenic, anti-trypanosomal, anti-modulatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-diarrhoea and anti-fertility activities. Therefore, there is the need for research to focus on other traditional claim that the plant effective toward including fever, cough, hypertension, headache, sinusitis, catarrh, small pox, scabies, chest pains, boils, syphilis, earache, headache, gonorrhea, rheumatism, cold and catarrh. Based on scientific validation, research should also focus on the actual dose, purification of the chemical constituents, mechanisms of action, most suitable solvent needed for extraction for each of the disease condition that have been scientifically proven.