Background: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out to document herbal remedies used in the management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Bukoba Rural district, Tanzania. The district is currently an epicenter of HIV/AIDS and although over 90% of the population in the district relies on traditional medicines to manage the disease, this knowledge is impressionistic and not well documented. The HIV/AIDS opportunistic conditions considered during the study were Tuberculosis (TB), Herpes zoster (Shingles), Herpes simplex (Genital herpes), Oral candidiasis and Cryptococcal meningitis. Other symptomatic but undefined conditions considered were skin rashes and chronic diarrhea.

BackgroundAn ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document medicinal plants used in the treatment of ailments in villages surrounding Kimboza forest reserve, a low land catchment forest with high number of endemic plant species.MethodsEthnobotanical interviews on medicinal plants used to treat common illnesses were conducted with the traditional medical practitioners using open-ended semi -structured questionnaires. Diseases treated, methods of preparation, use and habitat of medicinal plants were recorded.ResultsA total of 82 medicinal plant species belonging to 29 families were recorded during the study. The most commonly used plant families recorded were Fabaceae (29%), Euphorbiaceae (20%), Asteraceae and Moraceae (17% each) and Rubiaceae (15%) in that order. The most frequently utilized medicinal plant parts were leaves (41.3%), followed by roots (29.0%), bark (21.7%), seeds (5.31%), and fruits (2.6%). The study revealed that stomach ache was the condition treated with the highest percentage of medicinal plant species (15%), followed by hernia (13%), diarrhea (12), fever and wound (11% each), and coughs (10%). Majority of medicinal plant species (65.9%) were collected from the wild compared to only 26.7% from cultivated land.ConclusionsA rich diversity of medicinal plant species are used for treating different diseases in villages around Kimboza forest reserve, with the wild habitat being the most important reservoir for the majority of the plants. Awareness programmes on sustainable utilization and active involvement of community in conservation programmes are needed.

The success of snake bite healers is vaguely understood in Kenya, partly due to their unknown materia medica and occult-mystical nature of their practice. A comparison is made of plants used in snake bite treatments by two culturally distinct African groups (the Kamba and Luo). Thirty two plants used for snakebite treatment are documented. The majority of the antidotes are prepared from freshly collected plant material -frequently leaves. Though knowledge of snake bite conditions etiological perceptions of the ethnic groups is similar, field ethnobotanical data suggests that plant species used by the two ethnic groups are independently derived. Antivenin medicinal plants effectively illustrate the cultural context of medicine. Randomness or the use of a variety of species in different families appears to be a feature of traditional snake bite treatments. A high degree of informant consensus for the species was observed. The study indicates rural Kenya inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for healthcare.

Plants used in traditional medicine in Bukoba Rural district in Tanzania were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities. Plant materials from eight plant species (Harungana madagascariensis (Lam) Poir., Jatropha curcas L., Lantana trifolia L., Plectranthus barbatus Andr., Pseudospondias microcarpa Engl., Psorospermum febrifugum Spach, Teclea nobilis Del. and Vernonia adoensis [Warp.] SL) were collected based on ethnomedical information provided by traditional herbal practitioners. Results of the study indicate that extracts from the eight plant species were active against at least one or more of the test organisms (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus [gram positive], Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa [gram negative] and Candida albicans [Yeast]). A profile of secondary metabolites (alkaloids, terpenoids, triterpenes, phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, flavonols/flavones and /or chalcones, sterols and saponins) was obtained for three plant species (Jatropha curcas L., Plectranthus barbatus Andr., and Pseudospondias microcarpa Engl.). The paper discusses the probable therapeutic basis of these traditional plants based on their secondary metabolite profiles and for the first time draws research attention to Bukoba Rural district as a source for plants with potential pharmaceutical applications.

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The bioassay-guided phytochemical investigation of Sarcococca hookeriana with respect to cholinesterase inhibitory properties has yielded two new 5alpha-pregnane-type steroidal alkaloids, hookerianamides J (1) and K (2), along with eight known compounds (3-10). The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. These compounds displayed good to moderate activities in vitro against the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (IC 50 8.1-48.5 microM) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC 50 0.4-4.0 microM). Compounds 1-10 were also tested in vitro for their leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania major and for their antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas pallida.

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