A review of indigenous knowledge and ethnopharmacological significance of African Copaiba Balsam Tree, Daniellia oliveri (Fabaceae)

Fatai Oladunni Balogun; Abdulwakeel Ayokun-Nun Ajao; Saheed Sabiu

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20228

A review of indigenous knowledge and ethnopharmacological significance of African Copaiba Balsam Tree, Daniellia oliveri (Fabaceae)

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 15;9(9):e20228. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20228. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Fatai Oladunni Balogun¹, Abdulwakeel Ayokun-Nun Ajao², Saheed Sabiu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Durban University of Technology, Steve-Biko Campus, Durban, 4001, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
² Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Abstract

Daniellia oliveri has found its indigenous relevance in the management of diseases including but not limited to diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, fever, ulcers, pain, worm manifestation, pneumonia, skin ailments, infectious diseases, sickle cell anaemia, hence, a review of its indigenous knowledge, ethnopharmacological and nutritional benefits was undertaken. Information used for the review was sourced from popular scientific databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, BioMed Central, JSTOR, African Plant, Global Biodiversity Information and others), conference proceedings, dissertations or theses, chapters in books, edited books, and journal collections. The materials obtained from 121 scientific documents targeting majorly between 1994 and 2023 established the presence of major secondary metabolites (such as polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, etc.), minerals (e.g., sodium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), vitamins (beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, etc.), and nutrients (crude protein, moisture, dry matter, ether, carbohydrates, and energy). Literature also lent credence to the preliminary safety profiles of the plant and its pharmacological potentials as analgesic, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antimelanogenesis, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, antisickling, cardiotoxic, cytotoxic, and neuroprotective agents. While the review is majorly limited to Africa particularly western countries (such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, Togo, and Benin) and the plant is found to be largely underutilized, it is evident that limited information exists on the in vivo pharmacological evaluation, bioactive compounds identification, and there is a lack of preclinical and clinical trials for possible drug development. Based on the aforementioned, it is hoped that further research studies geared toward providing insights into the established grey areas (such as traditional use investigation, targeted or assay-guided compounds identification, and preclinical and clinical studies) are necessary in order to fully explore the therapeutic, nutritional, and economic benefits of the plant.

Keywords: Daniellia oliveri; Indigenous uses; Nutritional importance; Pharmacology; Phytochemistry; Toxicity.

Publication types

Review