Nutritional benefits, phytochemical constituents, ethnomedicinal uses and biological properties of Miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcificum Shumach. & Thonn. Daniell)

Miracle fruit plant or Miracle berry plant (Synsepalum dulcificum) is a peculiar medicinal plant because of the unique taste-modifying property of its fruit which is due to the presence of the glycoprotein, miraculin. This property has been known for centuries to the people of tropical Western and Central Africa who also employ different parts of the plant in the management of various ailments. Scientific investigations have unravelled several pharmacological properties of the plant which include antidiabetic, blood cholesterol-lowering, anti-hyperuricaemia, antioxidant, anticonvulsant and anticancer properties. Also, subacute administration of the plant extract up to 200 mg/kg was not found to be toxic in rats. Apart from miraculin, other pharmacologically active compounds have been identified in the plant including alkaloids (dihydro-feruloyl-5-methoxytyramine, N-cis-caffeoyltyramine, N-cis-feruloyl-tyramine), lignins (+-syringaresinol, +-epi-syringaresinol), phytosterols, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and amino acids. The plant has also been credited with notable nutritional benefits. Proper documentation of available information on folkloric use, biological activity, constituent phytocompounds, and nutritional benefits of ethnobotanicals will go a long way in affording optimal benefits from their therapeutic potentials. This can also aid in the conservation of species at risk of extinction. This work presents an up-to-date review of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, biological and nutritional properties of Synsepalum dulcificum.