Africa is endowed with up to 45,000 plant species. More than 5,000 species from this enormous African resource are used in traditional medicines.
Plants have directly contributed to the development of important drugs. The antimalarial treatment artemisinin, pain medication morphine, and cancer chemotherapy taxol are just three examples of drugs derived from plants. Africa is endowed with up to 45,000 plant species – about 25% of the world’s plant genetic resources. More than 5,000 plant species from this enormous African resource are used in traditional medicines.
The traditional uses and increasing popularity of African wormwood have resulted in a number of commercial herbal products. But with insufficient clinical data, it’s not yet known whether African wormwood is a treasure chest of new drugs. Griffonia simplicifolia Baill. Griffonia simplicifolia is a woody climbing shrub. It is native to west and central African countries including Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo. In African traditional medicine, the seeds are reputed to exert several medicinal effects and have been explored as an aphrodisiac, and a remedy for diarrhoea, stomach ache and dysentery.
Sceletium tortuosum N.E.Br. Kanna is an endemic South African succulent. It is sparsely distributed in semi-arid areas and used for conditions relating to stress, depression, pain and anxiety. Mesembrine-type alkaloids are dominant and typically responsible for the pharmacological effects exerted by kanna as a psychoactive plant and mood stimulant. Zembrin® has been developed as a standardised extract of the plant.
Cardiac glycosides, which are organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart, are the signature compounds in the plant. Particularly, ouabain has been identified as the main glycoside which is dominant in the seed. Clinical evidence suggests the effectiveness of extracts prepared from this species for the management of acute respiratory tract infections. These data support the use of this medicinal geranium especially for alleviating symptoms of acute inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses and the common cold in adults. Umckaloabo® , a standardised proprietary extract, is one of most successfully produced plant-derived pharmaceuticals from this species.
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