ReviewNaunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology2025
Maesa lanceolata: a comprehensive review of its traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological potential, toxicology, and safety profile.
Review in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Maesa lanceolata Forssk. (Primulaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant in Rwanda and it is used to treat conditions such as malaria, asthma, elephantiasis, wounds, backache, stomachache, menorrhagia, sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis and gonorrhea), etc. in many African countries. This study aims to combine all the available information on the botanical characteristics, distribution, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, and toxicology of M. lanceolata. Data collection was done using multiple electronic search engines like Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. Significant medicinal properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, antiviral, antifungal, antiplasmodial, molluscicidal, and antiulcerogenic properties have been found in a variety of studies that align with its various ethnomedicinal applications. Phytochemical studies have identified nearly 70 compounds from different parts of the plant, including triterpenoid saponins, benzoquinones, steroids, terpenoids, and other components. Benzoquinones, specifically maesanin, dihydromaesanin, and isomeric mixtures, exhibited significant cytotoxicity against the HL-60 cell line. Furthermore, structurally related acylated benzoquinones with shorter alkyl substituents [(2- acetoxy-5-hydoxy-6-methyl-3-tridecyl-1,4-benzoquinone and 2-hydoxy-5-acetoxy-6-methyl-3-tridecyl-1,4- benzoquinone)] display both antioxidant and antiproliferative effects on the SK-MEL, KB, BT-549 and SK-OV-3 cancer cell lines. The compound maesasaponin II demonstrated promising antiangiogenic activity without concurrent hemolytic effect. Additionally, maesanin showed inhibitory activity against 5-lipoxygenase, suggesting potential anti-inflammatory applications. These findings indicate the potential of M. lanceolata in various biological applications and show the necessity of further studies to explore its potential therapeutic benefits in numerous public health issues. Human clinical trials and studies on the mechanisms of action are needed to determine if any compounds in the plant can be used as leads in drug development.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40116874What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.