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Corresponding Author

Essam Abdel-Sattar

Subject Area

Natural Products and Phytochemistry

Abstract

Solenostemma argel (Del.) Hayne, commonly known as Arghel or Hargal, is a desert plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It has been used in traditional medicine in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Sudan, where it is the primary source. The review is aimed at providing a comprehensive report on Solenostemma argel (Del.) Hayne, including its botanical identification and description, geographical distribution, traditional uses, phytoconstituents, and pharmacological and toxicological properties. A professional search in the available literature was performed through several databases. The search was performed using the following keywords: Solenostemma argel, Argel, chemical structures, biological effects, mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, clinical studies, and toxicity. The review covers the period from its inception to the year 2024. The search resulted in the identification of fifty-three metabolites from S. argel, with pregnanes and pregnane glycosides being the major key metabolites. S. argel demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and anti-obesity activities. Most of the published reports revealed that S. argel is considered a safe drug, and its administration in various forms showed no sign of toxicity in humans. Nevertheless, further bioactivity-guided isolation studies are required to evaluate and confirm its traditional uses, mechanism of action, quality control, and safety regarding its active phytoconstituent(s).

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