Unveiling the mystery of the genus Tiliacora: A holistic view on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical richness and pharmacological potentials.

The genus Tiliacora is a flowering plant of the family Menispermaceae, and they are indigenous to Asia and Africa. The species in this genus have wide applications in ethnomedicine, especially in the treatment of fever, malaria, diabetes, relieving pain, snake bites and diarrheal, as well as a cocktail of bioactive constituents with various pharmacological properties. This review aims to provide a detailed information on Tiliacora's botanical features, traditional uses, pharmacological applications, phytochemistry and toxicity, to identify research gaps and offer therapeutic potentials for further studies. The pertinent information available on Tiliacora were obtained from several scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, ACS Publications, Science Direct, Google Scholar and students' dissertations. To date, alkaloids constitute the major class of phytochemicals isolated from Tiliacora species, while other classes of compounds including fatty acids, polyphenols, hydrocarbons and ethyl esters have also been reported. The rich diversity of secondary metabolites from the genus have accounted for the significant pharmacological activities reported from plants in the genus such as antidiabetic, anticancer, antimalaria, neuroprotective, hepato-renal protective, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities. The detailed information in this review may provide valuable insight for further studies into the discovery on the therapeutic potentials of the species in the genus. Furthermore, it would also assist in establishing a link between the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, medicinal uses and pharmacological potentials of Tiliacora species.