A Scoping Review on Ethnomedicinal and Ethnopharmacological Aspects of Rhizoclonium riparium (Roth) Harvey and Their Relationship with the Phytochemical Contents
Validation Malay OCI-R
Vol. 21 No. 2 : 2026 (575-588)
Abstract
Rhizoclonium riparium (Roth) Harvey, a freshwater green alga, has been traditionally utilised across various cultures for its purported medicinal properties. Though it has many potential medicinal properties, there is not enough knowledge about this alga. This study delves into the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological aspects of R. riparium, aiming to elucidate its traditional uses and unravel the underlying phytochemical constituents responsible for its therapeutic potential. A critical literature search from various scientific electronic databases, such as SCOPUS, PubMed, EBSCOhost and additional sources, such as Google Scholar and ScienceDirect was conducted for related articles published from the year 2006 to 2025. The initial search found total 1409 relevant articles. Through a meticulous selection process, only 12 articles were chosen as they successfully met all the inclusion criteria. All of the studies reported moderate to noticeable positive effects of R. riparium against ethnomedicinal properties. In vitro chemical assay revealed significant antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimutagenic properties. The phytochemical analysis unveiled a plethora of secondary metabolites, including phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and polysaccharides, which are known for their pharmacological activities. As this alga is commonly available in Asia-Pacific region and consist of effective phytochemicals like flavonoid, polysaccharide, phenol, carotenoid, it could be used in the future to develop new drugs. This scoping review highlights the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological effects and their relation with phytochemicals of R. riparium extracts.
Keywords :
Ethnomedicinal; ethnopharmacological; phytochemicals; Rhizoclonium riparium,
Correspondance Address
*Correspondence: shihab@uap-bd.edu
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