Nutraceutical and Ethnopharmacological Properties of Searsia lancea (L.f.) F.A.Barkley (Family Anacardiaceae): A Narrative Review.

Searsia lancea (L.f.) F.A.Barkley is an evergreen tree well-known for its edible fruits and is also widely used in traditional medicine. The current study was aimed at documenting medicinal and traditional uses of S. lancea and its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Research articles on nutraceutical and ethnopharmacological properties of S. lancea were searched from online databases such as PubMed^®, Web of Science, SciELO, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect^®, SpringerLink^® and Scopus^® and also pre-electronic literature obtained from the university library. Searsia lancea is used as ethnoveterinary medicine and as traditional medicine for fever, measles, sores, wounds, diabetes, sexually transmitted infections, gastrointestinal problems and skin and respiratory infections. Chemical compounds identified from S. lancea include alcohol, alkane, amide, flavonoids, naphthalene, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins, steroids, anthraquinones and volatile compounds. Searsia lancea crude extracts demonstrated anthelmintic, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anticholinesterase (AChE), anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxicity and nematicidal activities. This review highlights the need for detailed nutraceutical and ethnopharmacological studies of S. lancea focusing on its nutritional, phytochemical, biological and toxicological properties, in vivo and clinical studies.