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Life sciences · Journal article
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies · September 8, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This systematic review synthesises ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and preclinical pharmacological evidence for the plant genus Zehneria, finding that Z. scabra demonstrates multiple in vitro and animal model activities (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and others) and contains bioactive compounds including flavonoids and alkaloids. However, the evidence remains preclinical and ethnobotanical; the authors explicitly conclude that clinical trials and safety studies are required before therapeutic applications can be supported.
Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. Original research studies reporting ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, or pharmacological activities of Zehneria species.. Intervention: Studies investigating ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of Zehneria genus species. n = 40.
1,188 records identified; 40 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in final analysis Zehneria scabra is the most extensively studied species within the genus Pharmacological activities demonstrated include: antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, wound-healing, antidiarrheal, and insecticidal effects
No clinical trial data reported; all pharmacological evidence is preclinical (in vitro or animal model) Authors note that further research is needed on extraction standardization, safety, toxicity, and clinical efficacy
This review documents ethnomedicinal uses and identifies multiple pharmacological activities in preclinical models, but does not yet support clinical use; practitioners should regard Zehneria species as ethnobotanically promising but requiring clinical validation before therapeutic recommendations can be made. The absence of human trial data limits the ability to advise on dosing, safety, or efficacy in clinical practice.
A systematic review of ethnomedicinal uses and preclinical pharmacology in a plant genus, lacking clinical trial data and relying on fragmented in vitro and animal studies, with the authors themselves concluding that clinical studies are required.
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This review documents ethnomedicinal uses and identifies multiple pharmacological activities in preclinical models, but does not yet support clinical use; practitioners should regard Zehneria species as ethnobotanically promising but requiring clinical validation before therapeutic recommendations can be made. The absence of human trial data limits the ability to advise on dosing, safety, or efficacy in clinical practice.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Abstract Background The genus Zehneria (Cucurbitaceae) comprises medicinal plants widely used in traditional healthcare systems across Africa and Asia. Species such as Zehneria scabra are traditionally employed to treat infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory conditions, and skin ailments. Although numerous studies have investigated the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities of Zehneria species, the available evidence remains fragmented and is heavily weighted toward a single species, Zehneria scabra. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of the genus Zehneria, while explicitly noting where the evidence base is limited to this single species. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases without time restrictions. The search strategy used keywords related to Zehneria, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and only original research articles reporting ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, or pharmacological data were included. Data were extracted and synthesized using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results A total of 1,188 records were identified, of which 1,173 remained after removing 15 duplicates; following title, abstract, and full-text screening, 40 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The findings indicated that Zehneria scabra is the most extensively studied species and is widely used in traditional medicine for managing infectious and inflammatory conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, and skin diseases. Pharmacological studies demonstrated multiple biological activities, including antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, wound-healing, antidiarrheal, and insecticidal effects. Phytochemical investigations revealed diverse bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and triterpenoids, including novel compounds with potential therapeutic relevance. Conclusions The genus Zehneria represents a pharmacologically promising group of medicinal plants with substantial ethnomedicinal relevance supported by preclinical experimental evidence. However, further research is required to standardize extraction methods, evaluate safety and toxicity, and conduct clinical studies to support the development of evidence-based therapeutic applications. Registration PROSPERO [CRD420261446650]. Graphical Abstract Overview of the evidence synthesis pathway from ethnomedicinal knowledge to phytochemical and pharmacological validation of the genus Zehneria.
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