Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the genus, Kirkia

Purpose: To review the phytochemical, ethnopharmacology and traditional uses of the Kirkia species throughout their distributional range.Methods: The information documented in this article is from scientific journals, books, theses and reports obtained from library collections and electronic search engines such as Google, Google scholar, publishing sites such as Elsevier, ScienceDirect, BioMed Central (BMC), PubMed and other scientific database sites such as ChemSpider and PubChem.Results: Kirkia species are used as herbal remedies for abdominal pain, cholera, cough, snake bites and toothache in East, Central and Southern Africa. There are similarities in the use of Kirkia species as herbal medicines in Central and Southern Africa in terms of plant parts used, herbal preparation, route of administration and dosage. The chemical composition of Kirkia species is dominated by fatty acids, flavonols, isocoumarin, lignans, neolignans, nor-carotenoids, phenols and tannins isolated from leaves, stem bark and roots. Major biological activities demonstrated by Kirkia species include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and antiplatelet activities.Conclusion: Kirkia species are valuable herbal medicines with multiple pharmacological effects. Kirkia extracts and their isolates are potential sources of modern medicines following future detailed studies to elucidate their mechanisms of action, toxicity and clinical trials.Keywords: Africa, Ethnobotanical, Isocoumarin, Kirkia species, Lignans, Livelihood needs, Neolignans, Traditional medicin

LANNEA SCHIMPERI: REVIEW OF ITS BOTANY, MEDICINAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Lannea schimperi is a well-known fruit tree and medicinal plant in tropical Africa. The current study critically reviewed the botany, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of L. schimperi. Literature on botany, medicinal uses, phytochemical and biological activities of L. schimperi were collected from multiple internet sources including Elsevier, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, BMC, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Complementary information was gathered from pre-electronic sources such as books, book chapters, theses, scientific reports, and journal articles obtained from the University Library. This study revealed that the species is used as a source of fiber, edible fruits, and herbal medicine. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include cyclohexenones, cardanols, alkaloids, anthocyanins, anthracene glycosides, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, carotenoids, condensed tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, phenolic glycosides, phenols, polyoses, polyuronoids, reducing sugars, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenoids, and volatile compounds. Pharmacological research revealed that extracts and phytochemical constituents isolated from L. schimperi have anesthetic, antibacterial, antifungal, anticoccidial, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, anti-trypanosoma, antiulcerogenic, cytotoxicity, and toxicity activities. L. schimperi should be subjected to detailed phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological evaluations aimed at correlating its medicinal uses with its phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the species

Alternative Medicines for HIV/AIDS in Resource-Poor Settings: Insight from Traditional Medicines Use in Sub- Saharan Africa

Purpose: To document the utilization of traditional medicines in managing human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) opportunistic infections in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: This study is based on a review of literature published in  scientific journals, books, reports from national, regional and international organizations, theses and conference papers obtained from libraries and electronic search of Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE, Pubmed, Scopus and Science Direct.Results: A total of 79 medical conditions related to HIV/AIDS were treated using 74 plant species. The common diseases treated by herbal remedies were bacterial/fungal infections, boosting of appetite/immunity, cold/cough, cryptococcal meningitis, diarrhea, fever, herpes simplex/zoster, oral/oesopharyngeal candidiasis, skin infections/rash, tuberculosis and wounds. More than threequarters of the documented plant species (63 species, 85.1 %) have anti-HIV active compounds.Conclusion: This study reveals that traditional medicines are often used as alternative sources of medicines for HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Further investigations are needed to explore the bioactive compounds of these herbal medicines, aimed at exploring the bioactive compounds that can be developed into anti-HIV drugs.Keywords: Antiretroviral, HIV/AIDS, Sub-Saharan Africa, Traditional medicine

Utilization of Bridelia mollis as herbal medicine, nutraceutical and functional food in southern Africa: A review

Purpose: To evaluate the functional food, nutraceutical and ethnomedicinal properties of Bridelia mollis throughout its geographical range.Methods: Retrieval of information on the medicinal, nutraceutical and functional food properties of B. mollis was undertaken using electronic databases, including PubMed, EThOS, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, ProQuest, SciFinder, Medline, Open-thesis, OATD and Google Scholar. Pre-electronic literature was sourced from the University library.Results: Literature search revealed that fresh or dried fruits of B. mollis can be commercially processed into new food products and beverages in southern Africa. Bridelia mollis is traditionally used as herbal medicine for cough, itching, fever, gastro-intestinal problems, malaria, piles, parasitic worms and wounds. Pharmacological studies on B. mollis indicate that the species has antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, antioxidative and antiplasmodial properties.Conclusion: Detailed studies on the phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological properties of B. mollis are needed in order to establish the real nutraceutical potential benefits of the species that might improve human health.Keywords: Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antileishmanial, Antioxidative, Antiplasmodial, Bridelia mollis, Phyllanthacea

LANNEA DISCOLOR: ITS BOTANY, ETHNOMEDICINAL USES, PHYTOCHEMISTRY, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Lannea discolor is an important component of the traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine health-care systems in several countries. This study is aimed at reviewing the botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical and biological activities of L. discolor. Information on its botany, medicinal uses, chemistry and pharmacological properties was undertaken using electronic databases such as Pubmed, SCOPUS, Medline, SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, EThOS, ProQuest, OATD and Open-thesis. Pre-electronic literature was sourced from the University Library. The species is used as herbal medicine for 24 human diseases. The major diseases and ailments treated using concoctions prepared from L. discolor include gastrointestinal problems, gonorrhea, infertility in women, convulsions, dizziness, injury, and wounds. Different aqueous and organic extracts of L. discolor exhibited anthelmintic, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, and nematicidal activities. Detailed studies on the phytochemistry, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of L. discolor are required to correlate the medicinal uses of the species with its phytochemistry and pharmacological properties

Kirkia acuminata Oliv.: a review of its ethnobotany and pharmacology

Background: Local communities in sub-Saharan Africa have a long history of medicinal plant usage. Like in other parts of the developing world, rural and urban communities are still dependent on herbal medicines for primary health care, and the use of herbal medicines is still an integral part of their daily life and socio-cultural life style. The objective of this paper is to summarise information on the ethnobotany and pharmacology of Kirkia acuminata Oliv. throughout its distributional range.Materials and Methods: The information documented in this article is derived from books, theses, scientific journals and reports obtained from library collections, Scopus, Pubmed, MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct.Results: Kirkia acuminata is the most known and widely distributed Kirkia species in the genus and is one of the most popular and promising plant resources due to its several beneficial uses. Kirkia acuminata is used to treat abdominal pains, backache, cholera, constipation, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, snake bites, toothache and wounds. Other applications include its use as charcoal; hedge, ornamental or shade; stock feed, timber and source of water during drought periods. Preliminary phytochemical assessment of roots and stem bark of K. acuminata showed presence of lignans, neo-lignans, nor-carotinoids and other compounds. The extracts of K. acuminata exhibited antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities. These phytochemical compounds may be responsible for the medicinal uses and biological activities demonstrated by K. acuminata.Conclusion: Detailed research is required aimed at exploring mode of action of bioactive compounds of Kirkia acuminata that are responsible for the documented pharmacological effects. Kirkia acuminata is an important plant species that has potential to contribute to the primary health care and livelihood improvement of local communities in the geographical areas where it is indigenous and found in abundance.Keywords: Africa, ethnobotanical, Kirkia acuminata, livelihood needs, traditional medicin

Astraea lobata (L) Klotzsch (Euphorbiaceae): An ethnopharmacological review

This is a review on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of A. lobata with a view to present a better understanding of the medicinal potentials of the species. Published literature on A. lobata were sourced from databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, SciFinder, Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo, Springerlink, Google Patents, Espacenet, BioMed Central (BMC) and Medline. Astraea lobata is native to north, central and south America, and now naturalized in Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo where it is used to treat numerous diseases including dysentery, malaria, menstrual problems, scorpion bite, rheumatism pain, skin cancer, sterility in women and as purgative. Multiple classes of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, anthraquinones, esters, diterpene alcohols, flavonoids, hydroxy ketones, peptides, phenolics, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenes and triglycerides have been isolated from fruits, leaves, roots and stems of A. lobata. Scientific studies on A. lobata indicate that it has a wide range of pharmacological activities which include antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiplasmodial, antioxidant, antitrypanosomal and leishmanicidal activities. The wide usage of A. lobata as a herbal medicine calls for detailed pharmacological and phytochemical studies aimed at correlating the documented medicinal uses of the species with its biological activities and phytochemistry.Keywords: Astraea lobata, Euphorbiaceae, herbal medicine, pharmacology, phytochemistr

Opuntia elata Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck (Cactaceae): A new record for the flora of Zimbabwe

Opuntia elata Link & Otto ex Salm-Dyck is recorded as having become naturalised in Zimbabwe. Illustration, distribution map and description of the species are provided. A dichotomous key based on vegetative characters to distinguish among O. elata, O. microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff. and O. ficus-indica (L.) Mill., the 3 naturalised Opuntia species in Zimbabwe, is included to assist with the identification of the species