Phytochemistry and pharmacology potential of Lippia javanica: a bibliometric and systematic review

Lippia javanica (Burm. f.) is an African plant with numerous ethnomedicinal uses, including asthma, tuberculosis, colds, influenza, pneumonia, coughs, and dermatitis treatments. Many of the ethnomedicinal properties and folkloric claims about the plant have since established by numerous scientific studies. In this context, we conducted the bibliometric and systematic analyses of scientific literature on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of L. javanica with special focus on the plant’s bioactive metabolites. Bibliometric data-using the Web of Science and Scopus databases-revealed that most of the research on L. javanica were carried out in Africa, with South Africa accounting for more than 50% of the total outputs. However, the growth in this research domain has been relatively slow in recent years. Furthermore, the critical analysis highlighted the pharmacological activities of various crude extracts of the plant and also identified more than 40 new metabolites as well as their bioactivities. Therapeutic relationships were established between the enumerated bioactives and the potential use of the plant for the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, neurodegenerative conditions, tumours as well as diabetes. In all, it was observed that despite the immense potential of the plant and its metabolites in drug research and development, it remains grossly unexplored in this regard. It is envisaged that the information from this review will facilitate and chart a course for future investigations into the pharmaceutical uses of L. javanica.