ABSTRACT
Strychnos is a genus that belongs to the Loganiaceae family. It is made up of 394 plant species which include large trees, shrubs, lianas and herbs. Strychnos species have been used for centuries in folk medicine, as ornamental plants and as food to provide nourishment during famine. In Africa, there are about 75 Strychnos species and about 20 of them produce edible fruits. There are 33 Strychnos species that have been reported in the Southern African region. (Leeuwenberg, 1963). The 33 Strychnos species found in Southern Africa are S. cocculoides, S. spinosa, S. pungens, S. innocua, S. madagascariensis, S. potatorum, S. usambarensis, S. decussata, S. gerrardii, S. henningsii, S. angolensis, S. mitis, S. mellodora, S. matopensis, S. xantha, S. campicola, S. aculeata, S. gossweileri, S. bifurcata, S. dale, S. johnsonii, S. kasengaensis, S. moandaensis, S. panganensis, S. icaja, S. scheffleri,S. pentantha, S. trichoneura, S. mostueoides, S. myrtoides,S. diplotricha, S. floribunda and S. lucens. These Strychnos species have traditional medicinal uses in the treatment of many conditions such as venereal diseases, coronary heart diseases, malaria, diabetes mellitus, low libido, amenorrhoea, diarrhoea wounds and snakebites. They can also be used to , purify water, provide nourishment and as dart poison. Furthermore, the Strychnos species are main source of many chemical compounds such as strychnine that has found use in modern medicine as a remedy for cardiac arrest and coronary heart disease complications (Mwamba, 2006). The Strychnos species are also used as herbal tea. This paper will summarise the chemical structure of the various phytoconstituents and their corresponding pharmacological activities that have been reported on the various Southern African Strychnos species. The review will further examine the characteristics and distribution of the 33 species of Strychnos that are found in the Southern African region. The biological activities, ethno-pharmacological uses and the toxicity of the different compounds are also discussed.
