Garcinia Kola (Bitter Kola): Chemical Composition

Abstract

Garcinia kola (bitter kola) is a largely cultivated tree, which is exceptionally valued in West and Central Africa for its eatable nuts. Bitter kola has likewise been perceived as an indigenous restorative plant found in rain woods of focal and many west African countries. The extract of the seed is ordinarily known as (bitter kola). Garcinia kola is a traditional food and therapeutic plant with hundreds of years of human use. Exact confirmation and developing exploration recommend that it is safe and helpful, particularly when utilized as a part of customary doses for traditional indications in traditional populations. It displays an extensive variety of conventional uses, and guarantees a comparative scope for current and clinical uses as new research advances. Garcinia kola contains many nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates in different quantities as well as phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, cyanogeinic glycosides, saponins among many others that give its characteristics nutritional and pharmaceutical properties. Numerous pharmacological impacts have been shown for Garcinia biflavonoids, among them antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, bronchodilator, and antihepatotoxic properties. Other studies demonstrate that its antimicrobial activity is due to polyisoprenylated benzophenone. The economic importance of bitter kola cannot be underestimated, especially in the area of poverty alleviation among rural people. However, Garcinia kola trees are currently on the decrease as a result of deforestation. The requirement for further research in chemical, pharmacological, in-vitro, animal and human research is clear, similar to the need to catch clearly uncommon toxicity data. If developed as a concentrated or extracted product and utilized for needed but non-traditional indications, more meticulous study is required; this unique ‘bitter cola’ guarantees to convey huge benefits to some common human ailments, and merits world-wide attention and information dissemination.