Traditional healing plays an integral role in African culture as it provides primary health care needs for a large majority. Garcinia kola Heckel is among the plants abundantly used in traditional medicine to cure diseases. This plant serves in folkloric medicine for the treatment of gastroenteritis, rheumatism, asthma, menstrual cramps, malaria, throat infections, headache, colic, chest colds, cough, liver disorders, diarrhoea, bronchitis, cardiac diseases, as a poison antidote, for oral and dental hygiene. Scientific researches have proved its multiple pharmacological properties: antimalarial, anti-trypanosomal, anti-asthmatic, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-Candida infections, cardioprotective, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective and nephroprotective activities; its clinical effect in knee osteoarthritis and on the reproductive function, against oral cavity infections and intraocular pressure. Some bioactive constituents such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids, sterols, triterpenoids, alkaloid, and phenol significantly present in the plant extracts, support its multiple properties and uses in traditional medicine, while its rich content in carbohydrate, crude protein, crude fibre, minerals and vitamins validate its high nutritional value. This review study is an effort to give a detailed survey of the literature on the traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of Garcinia kola Heckel.
 

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