Croton gratissimus Burch. (Lavender croton): A Review of the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Nutritional Constituents and Pharmacological Activities.

Croton gratissimus Burch. is a deciduous shrub used in traditional medicines and a local traditional herbal tea in South Africa. C. gratissimus is used in treating several disease conditions, including cough, influenza, colds, malaria, fever, bleeding gums, chest complaints, indigestion, skin inflammation, earache, respiratory disorders, diabetes, and oedema.This review focuses on the botanical attributes, distribution, traditional uses, phytochemistry, nutritional constituents and pharmacological properties of C. gratissimus. A wide-range search of previous literature on various scientific databases, including Google, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, theses, dissertations, and ethnobotanical textbooks, was conducted. The search showed that C. gratissimus has several reported traditional uses, with over 55 compounds identified and isolated from it. Some of the compounds include cembrane-, trachylobane-and pimarane-type diterpenes, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, sterols, flavonoids and flavonoids glycosides. The bioactive compounds had biological activities such as antioxidant, antiplasmodial, anticancer, antibacterial, vasorelaxant, and cholinesterase inhibitory action. C. gratissimus is reported to have antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiparasitic, antiviral, antioxidant, haemostatic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, toxicity, and immune-boosting properties. Other pharmacological activities of C. gratissimus include analgesic, anticonvulsant, antipyretic, nephroprotective, and ulcerogenic properties. C. gratissimus' nutritional constituents include total sugar, protein, amino acids, fat, dietary fibre, carbohydrate, energy, ash, moisture, dry matter, and calcium. It is hoped that the present review will add further value to the scientific research on C. gratissimus and boost the increased interest in the study, development, and sustainable commercial exploitation of C. gratissimus as a medicine and as a health herbal tea.