2022, Vol. 10, Issue 2, Part B

author(s)
Thabiso Katlego Teffo, Phillemon Ramalepe and Ida Risenga

abstract
Portulacaria afra is a succulent shrub indigenous to South Africa and is considered as a medicinal plant due to its traditional uses in the treatment of skin disorders, diabetes and hypertension. The plant is also well-known for its ecological uses in ecosystem restoration due to its affinity to absorb high amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Most studies have focused on the aforementioned statement, however in the medicinal aspect, apart from the ethnomedicinal uses of the species, there remains a significant shortage of reports on the phytochemical and pharmacological analyses, to which this communication aims to highlight. The cited literature has been sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct and the University of the Witwatersrand library guide system for access to journals, to elaborate on the documented research on P. afra, including carbon fixation and ecological restoration potential, phytochemical profile, ethnobotanical information as well as the pharmacological evidence.