Hunteria Umbellata Folk Medicine’s Potency for Treating Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Diseases

Abstract

Background: For ages, people from Eastern and Western Nigerian have used Hunteria umbellata (HU) as an effective folk medicine for treating various diseases, and in recent times there is growing evidence from clinical studies performed on humans and animals showing its efficacy in providing treatments for several diseases owing to its macro and micronutrients composition as well as phytochemical, anti-nutritive constituents, and nutraceutical components. Study Design:  A Systematic review. Aim: to investigate peer-reviewed evidence that used epidemiological standards of study to investigate claims and justification of the efficaciousness of using HU in treating diseases, essentially metabolic syndrome diseases that are claiming millions of lives, causing pain, disabilities, and economic burden. Methodology: A systematic review-community approach to preventive services was used to study peer reviewed literatures, which  supported or debunked the claims of use of HU as a potent agent for treating diseases. Only epidemiological peer reviewed studies were selected, assessed, reviewed, and analyzed in synthesis with some traditional claims as effective medicine for diseases. Sample size n =22 studies. Google scholar, google, Firefox search engines were used to search for scientific evidence. Search words were, Hunteria Umbellata, proximate composition of hunteria umbellata, phytochemical composition of Hunteria umbellata. The summary of the findings reviewed consists of the title, objectives, findings, and conclusions Results: Studies conducted locally and internationally strongly support that HU is rich in macro and micronutrients, phytochemical, and nutraceutical components that suggest it to be an effective medicine for treating various diseases. Conclusion: HU is a potent agent for treating obesity and metabolic syndrome diseases.