Traditional Medicines in Africa: An Appraisal of Ten Potent African Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants as a fundamental component of the African traditional healthcare system is perhaps the oldest and the most assorted of all therapeutic systems. In many parts of rural Africa, traditional healers prescribing medicinal plants are the most easily accessible and affordable health resource available to the local community and at times the only therapy that subsists. Nonetheless, there is still a paucity of updated comprehensive compilation of promising medicinal plants from the African continent. The major focus of the present review is to provide an updated overview of 10 promising medicinal plants from the African biodiversity which have short- as well as long-term potential to be developed as future phytopharmaceuticals to treat and/or manage panoply of infectious and chronic conditions. In this endeavour, key scientific databases have been probed to investigate trends in the rapidly increasing number of scientific publications on African traditional medicinal plants. Within the framework of enhancing the significance of traditional African medicinal plants, aspects such as traditional use, phytochemical profile, in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies and also future challenges pertaining to the use of these plants have been explored.

Essential oil composition and variability of Artemisia herba-alba Asso. growing in Tunisia: comparison and chemometric investigation of different plant organs

“…Curcumen-15-al has been reported for the first time in Artemisia herba-alba oil and the correspondent oil should be considered as a new chemotype. α-Thujone has been reported as the major constituent of the Artemisia herba-alba essential oil originating from Tunisian semi-arid and south region (Akrout, 2004;Kadri et al, 2011), Jordan (Hudaib and Aburjai, 2006), Algeria (Belhatta et al, 2014), Morocco (Paolini et al, 2010) and Israel (Fleisher et al, 2002). This monoterpenic cetone confers to this plant its characteristic smell of Mentha and its bitter taste.…”

“…The genus Artemisia is one of the largest and most widely distributed genera of Asteraceae family includes 400 species (Judd et al, 2002). Artemisia species are of great socio-economic thanks to their antioxidant potential besides antimicrobial and anti-parasital activities of their essential oils (Eos).…”

“…Artemisia herba-alba is a medicinal and aromatic dwarf shrub that grows wild in arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin, extending into northwestern Himalayas (Mohamed et al, 2010). In Tunisia, Artemisia herba-alba is found from the mountains around Jebel Oust to the south of the country (Mighri et al, 2009). Herbal tea from this plant has been used as analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic and hemostatic agents (Laid et al, 2008).…”

“…In Tunisia, Artemisia herba-alba is found from the mountains around Jebel Oust to the south of the country (Mighri et al, 2009). Herbal tea from this plant has been used as analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic and hemostatic agents (Laid et al, 2008).…”

Concise review: Medicinal plants are effective against leishmaniasis

“…Great tendency of people toward natural treatments, which are harmless, cost-effective, and cultural compatible, has caused extensive use of pharmaceutical plants in Iranian traditional medicine Mahomoodally and Fawzi, 2013;Mustafa et al, 2017;Rouhi-Boroujeni et al, 2017). Although in the past half century, the use of chemical and synthetic drugs has advanced; the adverse effects of these drugs on life have caused a second trend to herbal drugs (Li et al, 2011;Sarrafchi et al, 2016;Tomlinson and Akerele, 2015).…”