The African Cherry (Prunus africana): from Hoe-Handles to the International herb market

Stewart, Kristine M.

doi:10.1663/0013-0001(2003)057[0559:tacpaf]2.0.co;2

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Maisels et al (2001) record the extirpation of almost all large mammals from the same forest over the past 20 yr. This much more sanguine view of the situation in Kilim-Ijim is further compounded by Stewart (2003), who reports that traditional controls on the harvesting of certain NTFP species had broken down leading to unsustainable harvesting and local extirpation of the main tree resource, Prunus africana. It is then difficult to reconcile the glowing success story reported by those working on the ground with such large-scale biodiversity loss coupled with the context of diminishing local institutions.…”

Section: Selective Reporting: a Case Study Of Compromising Realitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the Gap: How Can Information Access and Exchange Between Conservation Biologists and Field Practitioners be Improved for Better Conservation Outcomes?

et al. 2009

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It is widely accepted that there is a considerable gap between the science of conservation biology and the design and execution of biodiversity conservation projects in the field and science is failing to inform the practice of conservation. There are many reasons why this implementation gap exists. A high proportion of papers published in scientific journals by conservation biologists are seldom read outside of the academic world and there are few incentives for academics to convert their science into practice. In turn, field practitioners rarely document their field experiences and experiments in a manner that can meaningfully inform conservation scientists. Issues related to access to scientific literature, scientific relevance in multidisciplinary environments, donor expectations and a lack of critical analysis at all levels of conservation theory and practice are factors that exacerbate the divide. The contexts in which conservation biologists and field practitioners operate are also often highly dissimilar, and each has differing professional responsibilities and expectations that compromise the ability to learn from each other's expertise. Building on recent debate in the literature, and using case studies to illustrate the issues that characterize the divide, this paper draws on the authors' experiences of project management as well as academic research. We identify five key issues related to information exchange: access to scientific literature, levels of scientific literacy, lack of interdisciplinarity, questions of relevance and lack of sharing of conservation-related experiences and suggest new ways of working that could assist in bridging the gap between conservation scientists and field practitioners.Abstract in French is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.

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Section: Selective Reporting: a Case Study Of Compromising Realitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the Gap: How Can Information Access and Exchange Between Conservation Biologists and Field Practitioners be Improved for Better Conservation Outcomes?

et al. 2009

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“…Extracts from the bark of P. africana are used worldwide for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia, which is an inflammation of the prostate gland mostly found in men over 50 years of age. The tree is also reported to contain ferulic acids, n-docosanol and n-tetracosanol which lower blood cholesterol levels (Stewart, 2003b). Evidence and epidemiological studies suggest that phytosterols are protective against a wide range of diseases and possess anticancer activity on various cancers and only a few studies have been conducted on the anticancer potential of this plant against different cancers (Bradford and Awad, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytochemistry, Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Studies of Β-Sitosterol-3-O-Glucoside and Β -Amyrin From Prunus Africana

Maiyo¹,

Moodley²,

Singh³

2016

Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med

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Background: Prunus africana is used traditionally in many countries for the treatment of cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia. Materials and methods: In this study, compounds from the leaves and bark of this plant were isolated and tested for their cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in two human cancer cell lines (hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and colorectal carcinoma (Caco-2)) and a non-cancer cell line (embryonic kidney (HEK293)). GC-MS profiling of the extract was also conducted. Results: Three compounds (β-sitosterol, β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside) were isolated and the cytotoxic activity of β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside on the HepG2, Caco-2 and HEK293 was determined using the MTT cell viability assay. Both compounds had significant cytotoxic activity towards the Caco-2 cell line with IC50 values of 81 μg mL -1 and 54 μg mL -1 for β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, respectively while low cytotoxicity was observed on HepG2 cell lines with IC50 values of 206 μg mL -1 and 251 μg mL -1 for β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, respectively. Apoptosis induction in cells was studied using acridine orange/ethidium bromide dual staining. In both cases, the compounds tested demonstrated selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells with high apoptosis indices in cells exposed to β-amyrin. Low IC50 values of 156 μg mL -1 and 937 μg mL -1 for β-amyrin and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, respectively, were observed in the HEK293 cell line. Conclusion: This study reveals that the plant is rich biologically active compounds thereby validating its ethno-medicinal use.

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“…africana has been discussed extensively in literature with reference to its plant ecology and genetic diversity, [18][19][20][21][22] traditional uses, 14,23,24 chemical constituents in relation to treating BPH, [25][26][27][28] exploitation and conservation strategies 14,17,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] and policy and regulation aspects of trade. 15,37 Despite the extensive literature, less attention was paid to the legal aspects of trade, which started in a legal vacuum in the early 1970s, until 1992, when the first international agreement on the conservation of nature, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), was signed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…endemic birds; rare primates; insects; and nonvascular canopy epiphytes, such as orchids, ferns, and mosses. 31 The single seed-bearing fruit is eaten and spread by local fauna over tropical and subtropical parts of Africa 14,24,29,31,41 but is most abundant in Cameroon and Madagascar, where montane forests occupy large areas. 42 Within the Prunus genus, P. africana and P. crassifolia (Hauman) Kalkm.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman: The Overexploitation of a Medicinal Plant Species and Its Legal Context

BodekerGerard

KloosterCharlotte²,

WeisbordEmma

2014

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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The linkage between herbal medicines and the sustainability of medical plants from which they are manufactured is increasingly being understood and receiving attention through international accords and trade labeling systems. However, little attention is paid to the fair trade aspects of this sector, including the issue of benefit-sharing agreements with traditional societies whose knowledge and resources are being exploited for commercial herbal medicine development and production.This article examines the case of Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, from equatorial Africa. While the conservation and cultivation dimension of the trade in P. africana has been much discussed in literature, no research appears to have focused on the traditional resource rights and related ethical dimensions of this trade in traditional medicine of Africa. Serving as a cautionary tale for the unbridled exploitation of medicinal plants, the history of P. africana extraction is considered here in the context of relevant treaties and agreements existing today. These include the Nagoya Protocol, a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement from the World Trade Organization, and two African regional frameworks: the Swakopmund Protocol and the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle Initiative.In the context of strengthening medicinal plant research in Africa, a novel international capacity-building project on traditional medicines for better public health in Africa will be discussed, illustrating how access and benefit sharing principles might be incorporated in future projects on traditional medicines.

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The African Cherry (Prunus africana): from Hoe-Handles to the International herb market

Cited by 18 publications

References 16 publications

Bridging the Gap: How Can Information Access and Exchange Between Conservation Biologists and Field Practitioners be Improved for Better Conservation Outcomes?

Bridging the Gap: How Can Information Access and Exchange Between Conservation Biologists and Field Practitioners be Improved for Better Conservation Outcomes?

Phytochemistry, Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Studies of Β-Sitosterol-3-O-Glucoside and Β -Amyrin From Prunus Africana

Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman: The Overexploitation of a Medicinal Plant Species and Its Legal Context

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