With circa 30% of its terrestrial plants being endemic [1] , Jamaica is known for its rich biodiversity and its abundant usage of medicinal plants as ethno medicines. Referring to the study of traditional medical practice, ethnomedicine is interested in the cultural understanding of health, diseases and illness [2] . The practice of ethnomedicine is a multifaceted system which not only constitutes the understanding of plants being used as a source of healing but also social and spiritual as well [3] . Medicinal plants continue to play a critical role in drug discovery and development because of the vast structural diversity of molecules found in the plant kingdom, some of which become new drugs or leads for the development of new drugs [4] . Among the drugs which have been developed from enthnomedicine are: vinblastine and vincristine from Catharanthus roseus (the periwinkle) used for treating acute lymphoma, acute leukaemias etc., reserpine from Rauwolfia serpentina (Indian snake root) used for treating hypertension, aspirin from Salix purpurea (willow) used for treating inflammation, pain and thrombosis and quinine from Cinchona pubescens (cinchona) used for treating malaria [5] .

The bissy nut, Cola sp., an evergreen originally endemic to West Africa was introduced to many tropical countries, Jamaica being one of them. It belongs to the Sterculiaceae family having more than 125 species [6] and is locally known as bissy, cola or kola nuts [7] . The cola nut fruit is shaped like a capsule (Figure 1) and is comprised of fleshy, irregularly shaped seeds which are pink, red or white when fresh, and become brown and hard once they are dried. The seeds are called nuts because of their bitter and astringent taste [8] . The plant’s rich history of traditional use paved the way for cytotoxic and anti-microbial screens [9] in addition to identifying its key phytochemicals. These findings are highlighted in this review since research is so limited despite the promising efficacy of the bissy nut plant. Such findings should pave the way for future directional research on this plant and so provide a platform where optimized solutions for cancer and bacterial infections among others cancer be identified.

Chewing of the fresh Cola acuminate nut is a well-known practise of the Western and sub-Saharan native populations of Africa particularly in Northern Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierralione Liberia and Sudan [10] -[12] , whereas the dried nuts are used as beverages and as pharmaceutical agents in Europe and North America [13]. Bissy has a bitter taste and high caffeine content [14] . It is used traditionally as a caffeine stimulant and it is chewed in many West African cultures individually or in a group setting and is often used ceremonially, be it at weddings, child naming, funeral, the presentation of tribal chiefs or guests [15] . Chewing kolanut can ease hunger cramps, stimulates digestion and is also used for euphoric qualities. Its effects are comparable to other xanthine containing herbs like cocoa and tea [16] ; nonetheless, the effects are distinctively different as it produces a stronger state of euphoria and well-being [14] . It is thought to enhance alertness and physical energy, elevate mood, increase tactile sensitivity, and suppress appetite. It may also increase body temperature, blood pressure, and res-

piratory rate [17] . It has been used as a common additive to American and European soft drinks [17] . The plant produces fruit pods containing seeds that are used to treat poisoning, digestive disorders [18] and asthma [19] . Small doses are used to treat migraine, motion and morning sickness. In addition, it has been used to relieve inflammation disorders such as rheumatism and gout and has been administered to treat pneumonia and typhoid fever when great nervous irritability was present. Kola nut is also used to treat diarrhoea and has been used as a diuretic [20] .

Kola nuts are rich in xanthine alkaloids such as theobromine (up to 0.1%), caffeine (0.6% - 3.0%) and kolatin [34] . The plant contains 9.73% moisture, 2.72% ash, 3.02% fat, 19.14% protein, 7.3% crude fiber and 58.09% carbohydrate [35] . The plant is a source of other xanthine alkaloids, tannins, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins such as “kola red”. Specimens of African kola yielded more caffeine (2.24 per cent) than Jamaican kola (1.93 per cent) [20] . The plant accumulates approximately 38% amino acids [34] and appreciable levels of appreciable levels of (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, procyanidin B 1 [epicatechin-(4beta-->8)-catechin], and procyanidin B2 [epicatechin-(4beta-->8)-epicatechin] [35] . It also has higher levels of alkaloids, tannins and saponins than Cola nitida [35] . The phenolics and anthocyanins are likely to provide antioxidant activity [35] and the some of the active ingredients have been identified as non-steroidal compounds that are bioactive against prostate and breast cancer cells [23] [24] and so these compounds could be responsible for the observed bioactivity against breast and prostate cancer cell lines. The tannic acid in the kola nuts helps to precipitate a number of toxins in the gut preventing their absorption [22] hence its traditional use as an antidote. Given the potential anti- cancer and microbial properties, high throughput assays can be used to screen the known phytochemicals in hopes of identifying the individual ones or combinations responsible for the observed bioactivities. Further screens can be conducted on these to assess their potential chemopreventive properties.

Kola has been traditionally used for decades to treat cancer, enhance mental alertness, combat fatigue, as an antidote amongst many others. For this reason, researchers were led to explore the biological worth of this plant. So far, Kola promises to be an effective anti-cancer, anti-microbial and chemopreventive agent. Notwithstanding, despite its promising bioactivity, research on the plant is still quite limited and so further work is necessary to ensure the usefulness of Kola both in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. As a result, work is now being conducted in our labs to identify and quantify already identified and novel phytochemicals in addition to screen these against several other cancer and normal cell lines. Additionally, other bioactive screens are underway to confirm the plant’s activity against other microbial organisms and we are in the process of exploiting the flavor and caffeine content of the plant extract to assist in the formulation of a sports energy drink.