Abstract: The objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the substances isolated
from the African medicinal plant Erythrina senegalensis, focusing on compounds harboring activities
against cancer models detailed in depth herein at both in vitro and in vivo preclinical levels. The
review was conducted through Pubmed and Google Scholar. Nineteen out of the forty-two secondary metabolites isolated to date from E. senegalensis displayed interesting in vitro and/or in vivo
antitumor activities. They belonged to alkaloid (Erysodine), triterpenes (Erythrodiol, maniladiol,
oleanolic acid), prenylated isoflavonoids (senegalensin, erysenegalensein E, erysenegalensein M,
alpinumisoflavone, derrone, warangalone), flavonoids (erythrisenegalone, senegalensein, lupinifolin, carpachromene) and pterocarpans (erybraedine A, erybraedine C, phaseollin). Among the
isoflavonoids called “erysenegalensein”, only erysenealenseins E and M have been tested for their anticancerous properties and turned out to be cytotoxic. Although the stem bark is the most frequently
used part of the plant, all pterocarpans were isolated from roots and all alkaloids from seeds. The
mechanisms of action of its metabolites include apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy and mitophagy via
the modulation of cytoplasmic proteins, miRNA and enzymes involved in critical pathways deregulated in cancer. Alpinumisoflavone and oleanolic acid were studied in a broad spectrum of cancer
models both in vitro and in preclinical models in vivo with promising results. Other metabolites,
including carpachromen, phaseollin, erybraedin A, erysenegalensein M and maniladiol need to be
further investigated, as they display potent in vitro effect.

: Erythrina senegalensis; prenylated isoflavonoid; erysenegalensein; alpinumisoflavone; anticancer