State of the art in Cassia grandis L. f. (cañandonga)

Resumen

Introduction: The species Cassia grandis L. f. (cañandonga) is recognized by the Cuban Health System and the population for its antianemic properties, in spite of the unpleasant odor of its fruit.
Objectives: to perform a bibliographic update about the chemical, toxicological and pharmacologic characteristics of the study species.
Methods: an extensive review was conducted in international databases such as HighWire, DOAJ, EBSCO, Scielo, Scopus, Chemical Abstract, Medline, PudMed, and Pharmaceutical Abstract, in addition to the national database CuMed from the year 1900 until 2012.
Results: There are still not enough studies that certify its usefulness and pharmaco-toxicological safety as antianemic, and few pharmaceutical formulations have been developed. The fruit is the most studied organ of the species.
Conclusions: It is necessary to carry out new investigations to certify its antianemic effect and develop new therapeutic alternatives to eliminate the unpleasant odor of Cassia grandis L. f. fruit formulations.