Medicinal use, method of administration and phytochemicals in Zehneria scabra

Abstract

Herbal medicines have been used in local healing for a long time. Zehneria scabra which is for family of cucurbitaceae is one of the herbal medicines which have been used. Ethnomedicinal study indicated its wide use in the local healing. It is also used frequently in Ethiopia. It has a wide therapeutic spectrum which includes treating skin diseases, gonorrhea, syphilis, cleansing uterus before a child is delivered, malaria, diarrhoea, malaise, mumps, fever, taeniasis, constipation, conjunctivitis, swelling, rabies, fever and headache, eye infection, evil eye and michi. The purpose of this review is to examine the recent ethnomedicinal research and phytochemicals of Zehneria scabra.