Pharmacological effects of bauhinia forficata link

Bauhinia forficata (BF) is widely used by the Brazilian population to treat different diseases. The scientific evidences of the hypoglycemic activity of this plant, led to a growing interest about the pharmacological properties resulted by the presence of bioactive compounds present in the leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and seeds. This study intended to carry out a bibliographic survey highlighting the main pharmacological activities of BF. Databases such as Scielo, PubMed and Lilacs were used, with the descriptors “Pharmacological activities of BF” and “Chemical constituents of BF.” Using as inclusion criteria review articles and experimental studies employing in vitro and in vivo model studies published in the last five years. The results obtained demonstrate that BF possesses hypoglycemic, anti-oxidant, diuretic, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-edema, antimicrobial, antiulcerogenic, antitumor, and anti-Alzheimer activity. The antioxidant property of BF can be explained by the presence of phenolic compounds such as gallic acid and flavonoids. The antitumor action is due to the presence of lectins, which are glycoproteins mainly arranged in-stock fabrics such as seeds of their fruits, being the other activities produced by the presence of free and glycosylated flavonoids. It is concluded that BF represents a plant resource of great importance for the development of new medicines and nutritional products in the area of Ethnopharmacology. However, it is considered that more studies regarding the toxicity of this plant should be performed to establish the effectiveness and safety of its use.