Unveiling the therapeutic benefits and potentials of Water Hyacinth in promoting a sustainable healthy living: an overview

Abstract

Water hyacinth (Eicchornia crassipes) is a notorious aquatic weed with an extraordinary proliferation rate globally, it can grow in different aquatic ecosystem types and varying climatic conditions, outcompete other indigenous plants, and establish to endanger biodiversity, shelter pests, clog fresh waterways, increase evapotranspiration, and hinder waterways traffic; but a little is known about the importance of its wide range of metabolites. The Nigerian health sector is faced with setbacks in meeting its increasing population's basic health (medicine) needs. This situation has led to a call for the exploration of herbal plants as alternatives to synthetic drugs, primarily due to their availability and affordability. Despite the negative impacts of the invasive hydrophyte, water hyacinth, on the economy, ecology, and society, it remains an untapped bioactive resource. Given to the United Nations Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3), this review aims to highlight the bioactive components of water hyacinth and their potential for various therapeutic applications in improving human health, instilling a sense of hope for the future. Literatureswere sourced from databases including; Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google, and Google Scholar. Water hyacinth is a natural, easily accessible reservoir of various bioactive compounds comprising those that have been used for therapeutic purposes which include: the treatment of specific fungi and bacteria-related infections, malaria, cancer, ulceration, and malnutrition in various parts of the world. This plant therefore offers a promising sustainable supplementary solution in meeting the health sector's needs.