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Background: Senna alata (L.) Roxb, which belongs to the family of Fabaceae, is a herbal plant that has been used for the treatment of skin diseases, ringworm infection, and constipation since ancient times. In recent decades, various conventional and non-conventional methodologies such as maceration, decoction, and supercritical fluid extraction have been examined by researchers in order to determine the phytochemical constituents potentially found in S. alata. Objective: This review paper aims to provide a detailed discussion of traditional uses, extraction methodologies, phytochemical constituents, and biological activities of S. alata. Method: The review is based on previous studies obtained from various accessible library databases and electronic search engines, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Research Gate, Scopus and Hindawi. Results: Several non-conventional extraction methods, such as microwave-assisted and ultrasonicassisted, have been found to be better techniques for extracting bioactive compounds from S. alata when compared to conventional extraction methods such as Soxhlet, steam distillation, and maceration in terms of the quality of the yield. Tannins, saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, and cardiac glycosides are the common compounds found in S. alata. Among these anthraquinone, the most frequently reported as a major phytochemical constituent, is used as a laxative and possesses antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Conclusion: Despite various claims for S. alata, very limited non-conventional extraction technology has been reported for its bioactivity study on skin diseases, ringworm infection, and constipation. Thus, this review may stimulate new applications and a clearer future perspective. In addition, the pros and cons of each extraction technology are also reviewed in this paper.

Background: Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl. (Thymelaeaceae), usually referred to as God’s crown, Mahkota dewa, Pau, grows all year long in tropical countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. It is traditionally used to treat haemorrhoids, stroke, heart disease, tumour, impotence, diabetes, allergies, kidney and liver disorders, migraine, acne, and skin ailments. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to provide important insight on P. macrocarpa’s traditional use, toxicity, classification of compounds, and pharmacological activities, thus identifying the gap in scientific analysis and potential analytical opportunities for future directions on this herb. Method: The related data for this systematic review were collected from renowned online databases, namely Wiley Online Library, Web of Science, Springer Link, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google scholar. Results: Around 48 compounds, including benzophenone, xanthonoids, norcucurbitacin derivatives, flavonoids, lignans, fatty acids and esters, phytosterols, aromatic acids, etc., were identified from different parts. These constituents and different solvent extracts using various identification techniques have been reported to show a broad range of pharmacological activities. Besides various traditional claims and pharmacological functions, scientific evidence on its ethnopharmacological aspects has been well-documented. Studies found that the plant demonstrates anti-diabetic, anti- oxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-hypercholesterolemia, and antihypertensive activities. Conclusion: Despite various claims, there is still inadequate scientific evidence, particularly on P. macrocarpa’s benefit in the management of dysentery, asthma, skin diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis, necessitating future studies. There is also a need to test its pharmacokinetics and toxicological data on humans to verify its potential bioactive properties.

Date palm (Pheonix dactylifera L.) has long been known for its medical benefits. In this review, the therapeutic properties of P. dactylifera are presented in light of the analysis of huge past reviews that reported the bioactivities of both flesh and seed of this fruit. The reported bioactivities of P. dactylifera included antioxidants, anti-cancer, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties. This review additionally highlights the extraction technologies (Soxhlet, maceration, heat under reflux, Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and microwave assisted extraction) that were utilized as part of the extraction of P. dactylifera. This is because the quality and amount of the extraction yield depend on the extraction technology used. Accordingly, this review aims for underlining the potentials of P. dactylifera by compiling available data on the bioactivities and extraction technologies used to set the directions for the improvement of future research of this fruit.

Stereospermum fimbriatum is one of the medicinal plants that has been claimed to be used traditionally to treat several illnesses such as stomachache, earache, skin irritation and postpartum illness. The genus of this plant is known to possess medicinal properties in every part of the plant. Therapeutic potential of S. fimbriatum is anticipated based on numerous previous studies that documented variety of phytochemical contents and bioactivity of the genus. The most reported bioactivities of its genus are antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal and analgesic activities. S. fimbriatum is a rare species that has not been discovered yet. Thus, this review aims at highlighting the potentials of S. fimbriatum by collecting available data on the bioactivities of its genus and set the directions for future research on this plant.