Ethnobotany, Ethnopharmacology, and Phytochemistry of <i>Calpurnia aurea</i> (Ait.) Benth. (Fabaceae): A Narrative Review

Calpurnia aurea is a yellow-flowered, multi-stemmed small tree or shrub that grows 3-4 meters tall and is widely distributed across Africa, from South Africa to Eritrea, and also found in southern India. This study aimed to document and synthesize the traditional medicinal uses, phytochemicals, and pharmacological properties of Calpurnia aurea . Relevant literature and information were collected from credible sources, including databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. In Ethiopian traditional medicine, C. aurea is used to treat a wide range of health conditions, including wounds, giardiasis, malaria, diarrhea, rabies, diabetes, herpes zoster , external parasites, Tinea capitis , leishmaniasis, tapeworm infections, trachoma, ringworm, and hypertension. In addition to Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria have used this plant as a traditional treatment mostly for dermatological conditions. Quinolizidine alkaloids and flavonoids are the major phytochemicals that have been isolated from different parts of the plant. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have reported that C. aurea possesses a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antitumor, wound-healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, acaricidal and anti-arthritic effects. Some of these activities are linked with ononin, maackiain, medicarpin, and virgiline-type quinolizidine alkaloids. Given the plant's notable chemical and pharmacological potential, further investigation of its remaining isolated compounds, particularly their bioactivities, structure-activity relationships, and safety profiles, could play a vital role in translating traditional medicinal knowledge into modern therapeutic discovery.