Plant Science Today, ISSN 2348-1900 (online) OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE HISTORY Received: 11 March 2023 Accepted: 25 May 2023 Available online Version 1.0 : 11 September 2023 Additional information Peer review: Publisher thanks Sectional Editor and the other anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Reprints & permissions information is available at https://horizonepublishing.com/ journals/index.php/PST/open_access_policy Publisher’s Note: Horizon e-Publishing Group remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afiliations. Indexing: Plant Science Today, published by Horizon e-Publishing Group, is covered by Scopus, Web of Science, BIOSIS Previews, Clarivate Analytics, NAAS,UGC Care etc. See https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/ index.php/PST/indexing_abstracting Copyright: © The Author(s). This is an open- access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) CITE THIS ARTICLE Dewatisari W F, To’bungan N. Biological activity and photochemistry of Dracaena angolensis Welw. ex Carrière. Plant Science Today (Early Access). https://doi.org/10.14719/ pst.2498 Abstract Dracaena angolensis Welw. ex Carriere also known as Sansevieria cylindrica is a decorative plant due to its unique shape. Beside its ornamental value, it is recognized for its ability to eliminate unpleasant odours and absorb air pollutants. In various African and Asian countries, the plant’s leaves and roots have been widely used as traditional medicine to treat an assortment of ailments, including coughs, diarrhoea, hemorrhoids, chickenpox, rheumatism, gynaecological problems, as well as an antiseptic, snake bites, wound healing and refreshing beverage. Previous research showed that leaves and rhizomes of D. angolensis contain bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, saponins, cardenolides, polyphenols, steroids and abamagenin. Therefore, this review aims to provide information on the D. angolensis plant in terms of its distribution, taxonomy, phytochemical content and pharmacological potential. It presents the use of D. angolensis as traditional medicine in various regions as a candidate for natural medicine and identifies the opportunities for its development. Based on pharmacological literature, the plant has the potential as an antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial and antitoxic agent. However, the literature on its antioxidant and anticancer potential is more extensive than its antibacterial and antitoxic properties. Further research on the pharmacological potential of this plant is necessary and its safety parameters need to be research in greater detail. Keywords Dracaena angolensis, ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, Sansevieria. Introduction Most of the species the genus Dracaena originate from the continent of Africa and Asia. Morphologically, the genus has thick leaves with high water content and various of leaf shapes, from cylindrical to rigid sword-like blades (1). Similarly, the colors and patterns also vary, from green, yellow, to white (2, 3). The species of Dracaena that is commonly used and easy to grow is Dracaena angolensis Welw. ex Carrière or commonly known as Sansevieria cylindrica. African spear or Cylindrical snake plant is a succulent indoor decorative plant. Beside its decorative value, this plant is a traditional medicine commonly used to treat influenza, coughs and respiratory tract inflammation (1, 4-7). In ethnobotanical research, it has been used by communities in several regions such as the Buton tribe in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Liwa in Lampung, Lubuk Linggau in South Sumatra, Purwakarta in West Java and Kaliurang Village in Yogyakarta (8-11). The leaves and rhizomes of the genus are used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as cough, asthma, PLANT SCIENCE TODAY ISSN 2348-1900 (online) Vol x(x): xx–xx https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2498 HORIZON e-Publishing Group Biological activity and phytochemistry of Dracaena angolensis Welw. ex Carrière Whika Febria Dewatisari 1 * & Nelsiani To’bungan 2 1 Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Terbuka, Jalan Cabe Raya, Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan,15418, Indonesia 2 Faculty of Biotechnology, Universitas Atma Jaya, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia *Email: whika@ecampus.ut.ac.id REVIEW ARTICLE