Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Tradescantia spathacea

Tradescantia spathacea has been traditionally employes for treating various conditions, including coughs, fevers, wounds, inflammation, and oxidative-related diseases. This paper presents a comprehensive review of its traditional uses, alongside an examination of phytochemical and pharmacological studies aimed at validating ethnopharmacological practices. A systematic search across electronic databases using relevant keywords yielded 845 articles, of which 70 articles were reviewed. T. spathacea exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, as evidenced by in vivo studies demonstrating hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. In vitro studies further support its medicinal properties, including antimicrobial, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-helminthic, antimutagenic, antigenotoxic and cytotoxic activities. While these modern pharmacological properties substantiate traditional uses, further research is essential to validate them and develop safe and effective therapeutic formulations. Further investigations should focus on bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive compounds, extensive pharmacological, clinical, and toxicological studies, incorporating adequate data replication, proper standardization and control groups, and the selection of reasonable doses or concentrations of extracts and controls.