Mimusops zeyheri as an Understudied Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Critical Evaluation of Pharmacological Evidence and Drug Discovery Prospects

Mimusops zeyheri is a multipurpose African plant traditionally used as both a food source and a medicinal resource in several communities. Despite its ethnomedicinal importance, scientific evidence on its phytochemical constituents, pharmacological properties, and safety profile remains fragmented and underexplored. This review aimed to critically evaluate the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities, and safety profile of M. zeyheri, identify major research gaps, and highlight its potential as a source of bioactive compounds for natural product–based drug discovery. A narrative literature review was conducted using major scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from their inception to March 2026. Relevant studies published in English were retrieved using keywords related to M. zeyheri, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial effects, and toxicity. Eligible studies were screened and analyzed to extract information on ethnomedicinal uses, proximate composition, phytochemical constituents, experimentally reported biological activities, and toxicological evaluations. Available studies indicate that M. zeyheri contains diverse phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins, which are associated with several pharmacological activities. Experimental investigations have demonstrated antidiabetic activity (approximately twofold increase in GLUT-4 translocation), antimicrobial activity against multiple bacterial strains, antioxidant activity (56% DPPH radical scavenging at 20 µg/mL), and significant inhibition of Caco-2 and HEK-293 cell proliferation at 80 mg/L, supporting some of its traditional therapeutic applications. Preliminary studies also suggest relatively low in vitro toxicity. M. zeyheri represents an underexplored yet promising plant with significant potential for pharmacological research and natural product–based drug discovery.