From Traditional Usage to Pharmacological Evidence: Systematic Review of Gunnera perpensa L.

Table 1

Traditional herbal tonics of Gunnera perpensa mixed with other plant species.

Herbal preparation	Plant species composition and parts used	Ethnomedicinal uses	Country practised	References
Decoction	Roots of Acorus calamus L. taken with rhizome of G. perpensa	Impotence	South Africa	[24]
Decoction	Leaves of Asclepias humilis (E. Mey.) Schltr. and roots of Scabiosa columbaria L. taken with G. perpensa	Regulate menstrual cycle	Lesotho	[28, 43]
Decoction/infusion	Chopped Crinum spp. bulb mixed with a handful of pounded G. perpensa roots	Urinary complaints and pain in rheumatic fever	South Africa	[20]
Decoction/infusion	Roots of Gladiolus sericeovillosus Hook. f. subsp. sericeovillosus mixed with roots of G. perpensa	Administered to facilitate expulsion of the afterbirth	South Africa	[17]
Inembe decoction	Roots of Cyphostemma natalitium (Szyszyl.) J.J.M. van der Merwe, Rhoicissus tridentata subsp. cuneifolia (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Urton, and Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq. mixed with roots of G. perpensa	Induce or augment labour, postnatal medication to expel afterbirth, abortifacient, administered to animals to expel placenta and treatment of endometritis	South Africa	[16, 20, 22–24, 27]
Infusion	Rootstock of Alepidea amatymbica Eckl. & Zeyh. var. amatymbica is mixed with that of G. perpensa	Stomachache	South Africa	[20]
Infusion	Bark of Cassine transvaalensis (Burtt Davy) Codd taken with rhizome of G. perpensa	Psoriasis	South Africa	[84]
Imbiza ephuzwato decoction	Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Codd (roots), Aster bakeranus Burtt Davy ex C.A. Sim. (roots), Corchorus asplenifolius Burch. (roots), Cyrtanthus obliquus (L.f.) Aiton (bulb), Drimia elata Jacq. (bulbs), Eriosema cordatum E. Mey. (roots), Fusifilum physodes (Jacq.) Raf. ex Speta (bulbs), Gnidia kraussiana Meisn. var. kraussiana (roots), Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T. Aiton (roots), G. perpensa (rhizomes), Hypericum aethiopicum Thunb. (leaves, stems), Ledebouria spp. (bulbs), Lycopodium clavatum L. (whole plant), Momordica balsamina L. (leaves), Rubia cordifolia L. (roots), Scadoxus puniceus (L.) Friis & Nordal (bulb), Stephania abyssinica (Quart.-Dill. & A. Rich.) Walp. (roots), Tetradenia riparia (Hochst.) Codd (leaves), Vitellariopsis marginata (N.E. Br.) Aubrév (roots), Watsonia densiflora Bak. (corms), and Zanthoxylum capense (Thunb.) Harv. (roots)	A detoxifying and energizing tonic used to increase sexual prowess and relieve constipation, stress, high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney problems, and general body pains	South Africa	[60]
Isihlambezo decoction	Agapanthus africanus (L.) Hoffmans (roots), Callilepis laureola DC. (roots), Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Bosse (leaves), Combretum erythrophyllum (Burch.) Sond. (roots), Crinum spp. (bulb), Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T. Aiton (roots), G. perpensa (rhizomes), Gymnanthemum corymbosum (Thunb.) H. Rob. (roots), Pentanisia prunelloides (Klotzsch) Walp. (roots), Rhoicissus tridentata subsp. cuneifolia (roots), Scadoxus puniceus (bulb), and Typha capensis (Rohrb.) N.E.Br. (rhizome)	Used to induce or augment labour and as postnatal medication to expel the afterbirth, administered to animals to expel the placenta and treatment of endometritis	South Africa	[16, 20, 22–24, 27]
Re-Joovena	A concoction containing G. perpensa (0.3 mg/ml), Ocotea bullata (Burch.) E. Meyer (0.3 mg/ml), and unspecified quantities of Vitamin E	Used to treat haemorrhoids, pregnancy-related complications, painful breasts during menstruation, and management of several inflammatory disorders	South Africa	[67]