An Overview of the Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of the Spurred Mangrove Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Rob

Abstract

Plant-based natural compounds have played a significant role in developing a variety of clinically useful therapeutic agents. Mangroves are special salt-tolerant plant communities which are known to produce a range of natural products with unique pharmacological activities. An attempt has been made to review such properties in the mangrove plant Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Rob. belonging to the Rhizophoraceae family. This species is widely spread across the coastal lines of African, Asian and Australian continents and is also commonly found in India. Traditional healers have been using this plant and its extracts to treat ailments such as ulcers, diabetes and malaria. The plant is a rich source of phytochemicals such as tannins, flavonoids, terpenes, terpenoids, phytosterols and many more novel metabolites which have conferred remarkable pharmacological activities. Reports of antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antifeedant, antifouling and anticancer activities from different parts of this plant highlight its importance as a natural remedy and the need to perform more investigations to discover novel bioactive compounds to further exploit its therapeutic potential.