Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a genuinely Brazilian species

Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel is widespread in alluvial plains and open forests in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The fruits of P. cauliflora are used as food, and almost all parts of this species have long been used as a traditional Brazilian medicine for the treatment of skin irritations, flu, diarrhea, labyrinthitis, genito-urinary problems, and asthma.This review provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on P. cauliflora with regard to its ethnopharmacological uses, constituents, biological activities, and toxicology, all of which are useful for future research and the development of new drugs.The information and data on P. cauliflora were collected from ethnobotanical textbooks and scientific databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Science Direct, Google, and Google Scholar.The main chemical constituents in P. cauliflora preparations were depsides, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins. The main medicinal use of the species in Brazil is for the treatment of diarrhea. Although antimicrobial potential of this species has been demonstrated, data on gastrointestinal motility are still incipient and need further investigation. Studies that indicate the efficacy of its traditional use for sore throat, pelvic hemorrhage, uterine wounds, vaginal discharge, and flu are nonexistent. The scientific literature does not describe any toxic effects of its popular use. However, the available data do not allow us to conclude that the ethnomedicinal use of this species is safe, with a lack of well-designed preclinical tests and randomized clinical trials.This review summarizes research on the traditional use, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicology of P. cauliflora. Although P. cauliflora possesses significant biological activities, much of its ethnomedicinal use has not been scientifically evaluated. Well-designed pharmacological and toxicological assays and randomized clinical trials are still needed to validate its ethnopharmacological use as an herbal medicine.