A review of phytochemical and biological studies on Conocarpus erectus (Combretaceae).

Conocarpus erectus is a low branching evergreen shrub or tree with a typical height of up to 40 feet. This plant contains phenols such as flavonoids and tannins as its major constituents. The extract of C. erectus from different parts (leaves, stems, fruits, and flowers) showed high antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anticancer activity due to the presence of phenolic compounds. It has been shown that tannins have high antimicrobial activity than other phenolic compounds. This review is an attempt to cover the pharmacognostic characteristics, traditional uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of the plant