Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. (Burseraceae): An Updated Review and Future Direction for Sickle Cell Disease

The aim of the study was to collect data obtained from various studies carried out by different authors concerning the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Canarium schweinfurthii. This review has been compiled using references from major databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect and Google scholars Databases. An extensive survey of literature revealed that C. schweinfurthii is a good source of health promoting secondary metabolites such as phenolic and terpenoic acids among others that could have many wonderful applications (like antisickling properties). The plant has been reported to possess several pharmacological activities such as analgesic, antimicrobial and antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activities. The plant is also belongs to the great apes (GA) feeding. Humans and great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, etc.) share a common gut anatomy. Although, some diseases that cause countless deaths in humans (like malaria) are ineffective or have minor non disturbing effects in GA. They represent therefore a good model for human pathology and physiology. This GA plant based food could protect human sickle erythrocyte against hemolysis by inhibiting the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin and radical oxygen species formation within sickle erythrocyte as it does for Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in bonobos. The results of the present review of literature makes C. schweinfurthii an interesting candidate for advanced antisickling pharmacological investigations such as antisickling, anti-hemolytic and membrane stabilizing effects of this plant.