A review on Tridax procumbens: a weed with immense phytochemical and pharmacological activities

Abstract

Medicinal plants have provided mankind a large variety of potent drugs to alleviate or eradicate infections and suffering from diseases in spite of advancement in synthetic drugs, some of the plant-derived drugs still retained their importance and relevance. The use of plant-based drugs all over world is increasing. Natural products derived from plants for the treatment of diseases have proved that nature stands a golden mark to show the relationship between the interrelationship between man and his environment. The researches and utilization of herbal medicine in the treatment of diseases increases every day. There have been records of advances made in the modern medicine there are still a large number of ailments or diseases for which suitable drugs are yet to be found. This has brought an urgent need to develop safer drugs for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, diabetes, liver diseases, and gastrointestinal disorder. Tridax procumbens is a highly valuable drug and well known for number of pharmacological activities like wound healing, antidiabetic activity, hypotensive effect, immune-modulating property amongst other. Therefore, the phytochemical and pharmacological activities should be investigated. Highlighted Conclusions 1. Tridax procumbens is commonly regarded as weed in most part of Africa continents and are known for its pharmacological activity. 2. The application of the plant are immense such as pharmacological activities, hepatoprotective effect, immunomodulating property, wound healing activity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, bronchial catarrh, diarrheal and dysentery. 3. Analysis revealed the presence of the biomolecules such as anthraquinone, catachol, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, saponins, steroids, tannins and terpernoids. 4. Tridax procumbens also desire development of novel therapeutic agents from the various types of compounds with diverse pharmacologic properties isolated from it. 5. Therefore, more work (study) should be encourage in direction of more pharmacological activities of Tridax procumbens and to elucidate the structures of the phytochemicals responsible for the therapeutic properties of the plant. Over the years, nature has been a backbone for medicinal agents most especially in 20th century. Almost all the modern drugs are derived from medicinal plants. Traditional medicine has established itself as for the development of chemotherapeutic agents (Racio et al. 1989). Antimicrobials derived from medicinal plants have enormous therapeutic potential and have been used since time immemorial. These antimicrobials are effectively used in the treatment of infectious diseases simultaneously mitigating many of the side effects which are often associated with synthetic antibiotics (Iwu et al. 1999). Natural products derived from plants for the treatment of diseases have proved that nature stands a golden mark to show the relationship between the interrelationship between man and his environment. The researches and utilization of herbal medicine in the treatment of diseases increases every day. In developing countries, more than 70% of the people depend on traditional medicines derived from plants. Because of this, there has been an increase in the search of these herbal plants. In Asia, more than 500 medicinal plants are mentioned in ancient