Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz): A Systematic Review for the Pharmacological Activities, Traditional Uses, Nutritional Values, and Phytochemistry

Abstract

Cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) is considered one of the essential tuber crops, serving as a dietary staple food for various populations. This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of the nutritional and therapeutic properties of cassava, which is an important dietary staple and traditional medicine. The review aims to evaluate and summarize the phytochemical components of cassava and their association with pharmacological activities, traditional uses, and nutritional importance in global food crises. To collect all relevant information, electronic databases; Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Preprint Platforms were searched for studies on cassava from inception until October 2022. A total of 1582 studies were screened, while only 34 were included in this review. The results of the review indicate that cassava has diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic effects, and wound healing properties. However, more studies that aim to isolate the phytochemicals in cassava extracts and evaluate their pharmacological property are necessary to further validate their medical and nutritional values.

Fermented beverages among indigenous Latin American societies

“…Fermenting with natural microflora reduces toxins and increases safety for consumption, but also effectively turns this simple carbohydrate and water drink into a probiotic functional beverage rich in vitamins, bioactive phenolics, antioxidants and a composition of compounds beneficial for health. This ancient process is an exemplary model of early food biotechnology (Aro, 2010;Ana Lúcia Barretto Penna, 2016;Mohidin et al, 2023).…”

Polyphenols in edible plant leaves: an overview of their occurrence and health properties

“…99 Cassava leaves contain high content of crude protein (17.7-38.1% DM: dry matter basis), micronutriments and flavonols depending on the cultivar and climatic conditions. 100,101 Although cassava leaves are widely consumed in some countries, their conventional and quantified agricultural production is rare, unlike the production of their roots, which limits the availability of data to estimate their annual world production. However, by establishing a ratio of leaf production to root production, an estimate is possible.…”

Nature’s Green Potential: Anticancer Properties of Plants of the Euphorbiaceae Family

“…Some plants in the family are very important for humans; for example, Mannihot sculenta L. is an edible plant that is cultivated in many countries and is considered a basic food. This crop is easy to grow in a variety of environments, is undemanding, and has very good nutritional properties [ 27 , 28 ]. Mannihot sculenta L. was grown as a crop on more than one million hectares in countries such as Ghana, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Brazil, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria in 2021, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [ 29 ].…”