Plants of the Genus Terminalia: An Insight on Its Biological Potentials, Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies

Abstract

The evaluation and confirmation of healing properties of several plant species of genus Terminalia based on their traditional uses and the clinical claims are of utmost importance. Genus Terminalia has received more attention to assess and validate the therapeutic potential and clinical approval due to its immense folk medicinal and traditional applications. Various species of Terminalia genus are used in the form of herbal medicine and formulations, in treatment of diseases, including headache, fever, pneumonia, flu, geriatric, cancer, to improve memory, abdominal and back pain, cough and cold, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, heart disorder, leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases, and urinary tract disorders. These are reported to possess numerous biological properties, counting: antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antiretroviral, antioxidant, and antipa7rasitic. This current research review aims to update the detailed biological activities, pre-clinical and clinical studies of various extracts and secondary metabolites from several plant species under the genus Terminalia, along with information on the traditional uses and chemical composition to develop a promising strategy for their potential applications in the form of medicine or use in modern drug formulations for treating diseases like pneumonia, flu, and other types of viral infections or controlling human contagions.

Keywords: Terminalia sp.; antiviral; biological activities; clinical studies; phytogeography; pneumonia.

Figure 1

Some of the common Terminalia sp. Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution License (Afshari et al., 2016; Marjenah and Putri, 2017; Salih et al., 2017).

Figure 2

A detailed list of publications on Terminalia sp. Till date. The information was collected from PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Terminalia+sp.&filter=ds1.y_10, 15 July 2020).

Figure 3

Trends in Terminalia sp. research within 2010-2020. The information was collected from PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Terminalia+sp.&filter=ds1.y_10, 15 July 2020).

Figure 4

(i) Compounds from Terminalia species that have been studied for their antidiabetic and antiobesity properties. (53) Chebulagic acid, (56) 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, (75) 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucopyranose, (3) gallic acid, (5) corilagin, (4) ellagic acid, (2) arjunolic acid, (58) octyl gallate. Images from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019a; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019c; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019g; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019i; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019k; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019m; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019r; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019s; (ii) Compounds from Terminalia species that have been studied for their antiproliferative properties. (53) Chebulagic acid, (86) punicalagin, (85) geraniin, (3) gallic acid, (73) chebulic acid, (9) chebulinic acid, (48) luteolin, (35) quercetin. Images from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019c; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019d; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019f; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019h; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019m; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019n; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019p; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019v; (iii) Compounds from Terminalia species that have been studied for their antiinflammatory properties. (3) Gallic acid, (109) luteolin-6-C-glucoside, (110) vitexin, (4) ellagic acid, (9) chebulinic acid, (37) β-sitosterol, (111) β-sitostenone, and (112) stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione. Images adapted from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019aa; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019ad; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019b; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019f; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019k; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019m; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019o; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019z; (iv) Compounds from Terminalia species that have been studied for their antioxidant properties. (3) gallic acid, (113) resveratrol, (114) purpurin, (87) catechin, (89) tannic acid, (88) reserpine, (4) ellagic acid, (70) methyl gallate. Images adapted from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019ab; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019e; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019k; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019m; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019q; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019u; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019w; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019x; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019y; (v) Compounds from Terminalia species that have been studied for their antimicrobial properties. (117) ellagic acid dihydrate, (76) chebulic acid, (4) ellagic acid, (44) castalagin, (5) corilagin, (91) punicalin, (48) luteolin, (119) exifone. Images adapted from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019ac; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019d; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019i; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019j; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019k; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019l; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019p; National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019t.

Figure 5

Potential mechanism of anti Alzheimer’s therapy through the anticholinesterase, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties of T. chebula Retz. Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution License (Afshari et al., 2016).