LAUSR

Abstract Medicinal plants have been an integral part of the healthcare system for centuries. Prunus africana, an evergreen plant of the family Rosaceae in sub-Saharan Africa, has been used to treat numerous diseases and disorders since time immemorial. Over the past decades, several ethnomedicinal surveys were conducted in many communities across Africa which validated the use of P. africana in traditional medicine. The increased interest in P. africana across the globe has led to several pharmacological studies that have further validated the continued use of this plant in traditional medicine. The aim of this study was therefore to review the various evidence based ethnopharmacological studies on the use of P. africana in traditional medicine in treatment and management of benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, diabetes, malaria, chest pain, gastrointestinal conditions, wound healing, and skin infections based on peer-reviewed electronic databases. Scientific studies attributed the effectiveness of P. africana in the treatment and management of these diseases to the class of bioactive compounds contained in it, including tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phytosterols, and fatty acids. The anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiandrogenic, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-dipeptidyl peptidase-4, analgesic, and astringent effects of these phytochemicals makes P. africana very effective in the treatment and management of the above diseases. This review therefore provides the foundation of further preclinical and clinical studies on P. africana to enhance future production of high quality, safe, and efficacious medicines for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, diabetes, malaria, chest pain, gastrointestinal conditions, wound healing, and skin infections.