Unveiling the therapeutic and nutritious potential of Vigna unguiculata in line with its phytochemistry

Background: Vigna unguiculata, belonging to the Fabaceae family, commonly known as cowpea is an important edible legume, distributed mainly across the African and Asian countries. Traditionally, the plant has an outstanding background for the management of multiple diseases, animal feeding and human consumption.

Objective: This review aims to mainly focus on the traditional applications, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry as well as nutritious composition of the V. unguiculata.

Methods: Data present in the literature on the V. unguiculata, were collected from major scientific databases including Science Direct, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, Medline Plus, Web of Science, PubMed and Elsevier.

Results: Number of compounds have been isolated including flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, saponins, fatty acids, tannins, carbohydrates, vitamins, amino acids, carotenoids and fibers from various parts of plant. These compounds exhibit widespread pharmacological potentials both in-vitro and in-vivo including anthelmintic, antibacterial, antinociceptive, thrombolytic, antidiabetic, hypocholestrolemic and antiatherogenic effect, antimicrobial, anti-sickling, antioxidant, anti-covid activity, anticancer and neurobehavioral activities. These compounds have strong pharmacological background and might be responsible for the traditional uses of this plant that are not investigated.

Conclusion: It is concluded that V. unguiculata possessed strong pharmacological, nutritious and phytochemical potential, therefore, it is strongly recommended for additional comprehensive investigations in order to determine its clinical utility.