Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access

Abstract

Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers: A Botanical, Pharmacological and Phytochemical Review

Nada M Mostafa, Omayma El- Dahshan and Abdel Nasser B Singab

Objective: Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl.) Miers (Bignoniaceae) has been commonly used in the traditional Brazilian medicine as a general tonic, treating skin infections (leukoderma, vitiligo), as well as a treatment for diarrhoea, cough and common respiratory diseases related to infections, such as bronchitis, flu and cold. This study highlights the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Pyrostegia venusta. Information was obtained from Google Scholar, Scirus, PubMed and Science Direct. Key findings: Phytochemical studies on Pyrostegia venusta have shown the presence of triterpenes, sterols, flavonoids, fatty acids, n-alkanes, nitrogenous compounds as allantoin and carbohydrates. Crude extracts of Pyrostegia venusta possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antinociceptive, wound healing, antimicrobial, and useful in the treatment of disorders that induced sickness behavior, such as flu and cold. Also used to reduce menopausal symptoms, and for enhancement of melanogenesis. Conclusions: Pyrostegia venusta is a natural source of antioxidants. and has been widely used in the traditional Brazilian medicine. Pyrostegia venusta could be exploited as a potential source for plant-based pharmaceutical products. The present review could form a sound basis for further investigation in the potential discovery of new natural bioactive compounds, and could provide preliminary information for future research.