A Review on ethnobotanical uses, biological activities and phytochemical aspects of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. and Acacia seyal Delile. (Fabaceae)

The genus Acacia is a group of tropical plants species used in folk medicine due to virtue of its many therapeutic properties. In this document, we review the Ethnopharmacology, biological and phytochemical activities of the two major plant species used. Although, several researchers has been done, Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. and Acacia seyal Delile. are among the species of the genus for which phytochemical study is limited, few bioactive compounds and properties described. Based on these current traditional uses, it is necessary to carry out more biochemical and pharmaceutical assays in order to identify the precise ingredient that supports the recommendation in traditional medicine. The characterization of the active compound that plays a role for treating human diseases (infection, cancer, etc.) represents a key step in phytochemical research of new compounds. Moreover, this information about the active compound will help the clinician/pharmacist to define a rational and combined use with the synthetic molecules for which resistance mechanisms are currently reported in clinical cases.

Keywords: Acacia Senegal; Acacia seyal; Antimicrobial; Biological activity; Phytochemistry; Tradional medicine