Muntingia calabura: A review of its traditional uses, chemical properties, and pharmacological observations

AbstractContext: Different parts of Muntingia calabura L. (Elaeocarpaceae), or “kerukup siam” in Malay, have been reported to possess medicinal value, supported by a number of scientific studies.Objective: To gather all information related to the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical compositions, and pharmacological activities of M. calabura and present them as a comprehensive and systematic review article.Materials and methods: Literature has been retrieved from a number of databases (e.g., Pubmed, Science Direct, Springer Link, etc.). General web searches were also carried out using Google and Yahoo search engines by applying some related search terms (e.g., Muntingia calabura, phytochemical, pharmacological, extract, and traditional uses). The articles related to agriculture, ecology, and synthetic work and those using languages other than English or Malay have been excluded. The bibliographies of papers relating to the review subject were also searched for further relevant references.Results and discuss...