A review of the phytochemistry and medicinal activities of the popular African food additive: Parkia biglobosa seed

Abstract

Food additives have been used for many decades, mainly to enhance food aesthetics and taste. However, considerable research attention has been placed on identifying food additives with additional medicinal benefits. Despite on-going efforts to document food additives with medicinal benefits, including the Food and Drug Administration database, many of such products have not yet been covered. Expanding the coverage of food additives with medicinal benefits could help accelerate drug discovery efforts. Here, we provide an update of the medicinal properties of the fermented seeds of the African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa), an example of less-known food additives. This condiment is commonly used in West and Central Africa. In this review, the chemical composition of P. biglobosa seeds has been highlighted as a cheap, reliable source of vital minerals and vitamins. The medicinal activities of P. biglobosa seeds include antihypertensive, anti-diabetes, wound healing and antioxidant activities. For a natural product to be accepted as a potential drug or supplement for food, its safety is important, hence, the safety concerns about this seed have been highlighted. The seeds can be considered safe as there are no reported side effects of the food additive. The review also discussed the future direction of research on the medicinal and nutritional values of the seeds. Finally, the medicinal activities identified from the seeds could be further explored for drug discovery.