Integrated Comparative Analysis of Three Medicinal Combretaceae Species for Phytochemical Composition and Therapeutic Implications

Abstract

The Combretaceae family comprises numerous medicinal plants that produce bioactive compounds with various healing properties and are useful in traditional medicine. This study compares three medicinal species, viz. Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb. ex DC.) Wall. Ex Guill. & Perr., Terminalia paniculata B. Heyne ex Roth., and Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. with respect to their phytochemical composition, biological mechanisms, therapeutic effects, and research evidence. The three species have similar polyphenolic profiles, including tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, but they function differently because they contain varying amounts of these compounds. A. latifolia contains high levels of tannins, which yield wound-healing properties and antibacterial activity of extract of the plant. In contrast, T. paniculata contains various hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds, whereas T. arjuna contains high levels of triterpenoids, which underline its cardioprotective effects. This review found that T. arjuna appears comparatively more investigated and demonstrates broader pathway engagement based on available evidence (half-maximum inhibition concentration/inhibition constant to measure binding affinity [IC₅₀/Ki]) than the other two species because of its ability to target multiple pathways via nuclear factor kappa B, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway, whereas T. paniculata and A. latifolia have limited research. The clinical application of T. arjuna has received human research support, whereas the other two treatments lack clinical research and standardised treatment protocols. However, several fundamental challenges remain to be addressed. Research needs to focus on three main areas: omics research, advanced drug delivery systems, and clinical testing methods. This review provides a comprehensive framework for developing Combretaceae species into phytopharmaceuticals and novel drug candidates.