Muntingia calabura: A review of its traditional uses, chemical properties, and pharmacological observations

Abstract

Context: Different parts of Muntingia calabura L. (Elaeocarpaceae), or ''kerukup siam'' in Malay, have been reported to possess medicinal value, supported by a number of scientific studies. Objective: To gather all information related to the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical compositions, and pharmacological activities of M. calabura and present them as a comprehensive and systematic review article. Materials and methods: Literature has been retrieved from a number of databases (e.g., Pubmed, Science Direct, Springer Link, etc.). General web searches were also carried out using Google and Yahoo search engines by applying some related search terms (e.g., Muntingia calabura, phytochemical, pharmacological, extract, and traditional uses). The articles related to agriculture, ecology, and synthetic work and those using languages other than English or Malay have been excluded. The bibliographies of papers relating to the review subject were also searched for further relevant references. Results and discussion: The literature search conducted using the above-mentioned Internet search engines only lead to the identification of 36 journals published as early as 1987. From the articles reviewed, M. calabura possessed various pharmacological activities (e.g., cytotoxic, antinociceptive, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory), which supported the folklore claims and could be attributed to its phytoconstituents. Conclusion: Muntingia calabura possesses remarkable medicinal value, which warrants further and in-depth studies. Therefore, this review paper is presented to help guide researchers to plan their future studies related to this plant in the hope of isolating potential leads for future drug development.

Metabolit sekunder dari Muntingia calabura dan bioaktivitasnya

“…Salah satu tanaman yang telah digunakan sebagai obat tradisional adalah Muntingia calabura. M. calabura dikenal di seluruh dunia sebagai Jamaican cherry dan di Indonesia, khususnya oleh penduduk Indonesia, M. calabura dikenal sebagai kersen atau talok (Mahmood et al, 2014) (Mahmood et al, 2014;Sufian et al, 2013) Isolasi metabolit sekunder dari bagian akar (Kaneda et al, 1991), batang (Kuo et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2004) dan daun (Sufian et al, 2013;Yusof et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2005;Su et al, 2003) M. calabura telah dilaporkan. Sebagian besar metabolit sekunder yang dilaporkan merupakan golongan flavonoid seperti, calkon (Kuo et al, 2014;Sufian et al, 2013;Yusof et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2005;Su et al, 2003), flavanon (Kuo et al, 2014;Sufian et al, 2013;Yusof et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2005;Chen et al, 2004;Su et al, 2003), flavan (Kuo et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2004;Su et al, 2003;Kaneda et al, 1991) dan biflavan (Kaneda et al, 1991).…”

Intracellular antioxidant activity of Muntingia calabura leaves methanolic extract

“…Muntigia calabura or 'kersen' (in Bahasa Indonesia) is a plant of the Elaeocharpaceae family encountered in almost all tropical regions due to its high adaptability (Lim 2012;Mahmood et al 2014). M. calabura has been widely used in Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Vietnam and the Philippines to reduce ulcers, fever, headaches, to be utilized as tranquilizers.…”

“…M. calabura has been widely used in Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Vietnam and the Philippines to reduce ulcers, fever, headaches, to be utilized as tranquilizers. M. calabura fruit is often consumed directly, and its leaves can be utilized as a substitute for tea (Mahmood et al 2014). The high phytochemical content of M. calabura leaf extract, especially flavonoids and polyphenols causes the leaf extract of M. calabura to have antioxidant activity (Zakaria et al 2011(Zakaria et al , 2014aBalan et al 2015), antiproliferative (Zakaria et al 2011), antinociceptive (Zakaria et al 2014a), anti-inflammatory (Balan et al 2015), and anticarcinogenic (Nasir et al 2017).…”

In vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activity of muntingia calabura fruits extract

“…Traditional medicine has been supported by indigenous traditions around the world for primary healthcare due to several products used in medicine include vegetal extracts. Herbal medicine is considered as an essential source of natural products and useful for treating some diseases in developing countries [1], representing more than 25% of new drugs tested for clinical use [2]. In recent years, plants have enticed great interest of researchers, becoming an attractive alternative in complementary medicine [3].…”

“…A report from M. calabura stands out that Muntingia calabura has been used as antiseptics in the swelling treatment in the lower extremities. In addition, it has another uses such as the gastric ulcers reduction, headache and for the relief of incipient colds [1][8] [9]. Moreover, it has antioxidant, antinociceptive, cardioprotective and antipyretic properties [10] [11].…”