Medicinal properties of Muntingia calabura L.: a review

Indonesia has abundant medicinal plants, which have been historically used by the population in treating diseases for generations. Traditional Indonesian medicine and the medicinal plants used could lead to the discovery of novel drugs. For example, Muntingia calabura L., also known as kersen, is a well-known medicinal plant that has been used to treat various diseases worldwide. The pharmacological activities and phytochemical composition of the whole plant of M. calabura L. have been investigated and identified by scientists in recent decades. These studies have established the therapeutic potential of kersen for drug discovery. This present review provides an overview of the ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, and phytochemistry of M. calabura L. as they relate to its use against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).