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The bark, leaves, and roots of Albizia adianthifolia are highly sought after in tropical Africa as herbal medicines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the botany, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of A. adianthifolia so as to provide baseline data required for evaluating the therapeutic potential of the species. Information on the botanical profile, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of A. adianthifolia was undertaken using databases such as ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Pubmed, Google Scholar, Medline, SCOPUS, EThOS, ProQuest, OATD, and Open-thesis. Preelectronic literature search of conference papers, scientific articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, and theses was carried out at the University library. Literature search revealed that A. adianthifolia is used as purgative and herbal medicine for diabetes, eye problems, gastrointestinal problems, haemorrhoids, headache, neurodegenerative disorders, reproductive problems in women, respiratory problems, wounds and pain, skin diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and ethnoveterinary medicine. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include apocarotenoids, chalcone, dipeptide, elliptosides, essential oils, fatty acids, flavonoids, histamine, imidazolyl carboxylic acid, prosapogenins, steroids, triterpene saponins, and triterpenoids. Pharmacological studies revealed that A. adianthifolia extracts and compounds have acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory, anthelmintic, antiamoebic, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, anti-sexually transmitted infections, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anxiolytic, and antidepressant, cognitive-enhancing, haemolytic, hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, and cytotoxicity activities. Detailed studies on the pharmacokinetics, in vivo, and clinical research involving compounds isolated from A. adianthifolia and extracts of the species are required.

The Use of Baobab Leaves (Adansonia digitata) for Food in Africa: A Review. The massive long-lived African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is a celebrated member of a small pantropical group of trees in the Malvaceae family. Its much-loved fruit is generally considered the tree's most important food offering, and the baobab is more widely known as a fruit and fiber tree than a vegetable tree. Recent studies indicate that baobab leaves are eaten throughout its range, most notably in West Africa, and there is now ample documentation of the tree being valued in some places chiefly for its edible leaves. This paper presents a review of the use of baobab leaves for food in Africa. It identifies the species as one of Africa's important leafy vegetables and highlights issues related to baobab management strategies for leaf production, the distinguishing characteristics of palatable leaves, and the seasonal dimension of leaf consumption. The culinary uses of baobab leaves and their nutritiousness are discussed, as well as current efforts to cultivate young baobabs for their leaves. The use of baobab leaves for food outside of Africa is also noted, and several suggestions are offered for future studies of baobab leaf consumption in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the importance of elements of the natural world, and particularly plants, among people of different religious affiliations in western Africa. Plants play an overriding role in African folk religions, which in turn are closely associated with health practices and influence management decisions concerning natural resources. In spite of the extensive literature documenting ritual plant use, the cultural importance of plants in this context has not been systematically assessed. Our objective was to see whether the importance of plants was reflected in people’s conceptions of global (i.e., Christianity, Islam) and folk religions (i.e., Vodoun and Bwiti) in Benin (West Africa) and Gabon (Central Africa). By performing a cultural domain analysis (CDA) with 96 individuals, we found that, regardless of the religious affiliation of informants, plants and other elements of the natural world were more present in people’s notions of folk religions than in global religions. We conclude by reflecting on the potentials and limitations of the data presented here as a starting point to explore the topic of cultural keystone species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hallucinogenic plant Tabernanthe iboga is used as a source of visions by various ethnic groups of western equatorial Africa in the context of a complex system of religious, therapeutic and divinatory practices that can collectively be defined as 'iboga cults'. The most renowned are the religious cults known as Bwiti. The author presents a series of studies on the iboga cults, based on field investigations in Gabon undertaken in the period 1991-2022. In this first article, the first written documents attesting to the traditional use of iboga are presented and discussed. At the current state of research, the oldest reference to the existence of Bwiti is dated to 1861, while the oldest reference to iboga is dated to 1862. 1862 is also the first date of the arrival of this plant in Europe. Inconsistencies in the translation of ancient texts from the original English to the French are highlighted, which have generally escaped French-speaking scholars and which also concern the first quotations of Bwiti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a sequence of investigations in parasitology, botany, pharmacology, psychometrics and ethnopsychology focused on Kenyan village children's knowledge of medicinal herbs. We follow this work of making and ordering of knowledge, showing that the different disciplinary perspectives on bodies, medicines, knowledges, children and cultures produced by this research all sought the foundation of knowledge in reference to objective reality, and that they aimed to make the world known in the specific form of distinct and comparable entities with individual properties and capacities. Based on subsequent ethnographic observations of healing in the same village, we outline a different, contrasting modality of knowing, which places ontology above epistemology. Medicinal knowledge and its transformational capacity are here not located within entities but between them; not in objective reality but in effects; 'to know' means 'to come together' with the implication of having an effect on one another. We use this ethnographic sketch of a different form of knowing as a foil against which to contrast the imaginary that had shaped our previous research. Beyond the stark contrast between herbal village healing and pharmacological laboratory analysis, we expand our argument by moving from natural science to social science, from studies of plants and substances to those of humans, minds and cultures; from laboratories to ethno-psychological tests, cultural models, and eventually econometrics. We suggest that by reiterating a particular scientific imaginary, remaking humans (and non-human beings) as known things, a specific notion of man and a related political economy of knowledge is naturalized. Looking back at our involvement with this sequence of research, we realize that, contrary to our intentions, our inclusion as 'social scientists' into a multidisciplinary scientific project may have exacerbated rather than mitigated its potentially problematic effects.

Prostate cancer is one of deadliest cancers in the universe especially in Africa. A lot of work has been done on the treatment and control of breast cancer, colon/colorectal cancer, skin cancer, etc. Only a few works on prostate cancer has been published in literature. The conventional method of treatment used is almost not affordable by many cancer patients due to high cost of drugs and therapy. Also, the cumulative side effects arising from the treatment is enormous to patients. Hence, there is need to exploit local herbs that contain active anticancer ingredients that are readily available and affordable with little or no side effects. The present review was carried out to evaluate published works on medicinal plant species used for treatment and control of prostate cancer in Africa for twenty years (2001-2021). A total number of 48 plant species with 40 families were retrieved from database using ScienceDirect, Google scholar, Web of Science, Springerlink, Scopus, PubMed, and BioMed. All the plant species were reported to possess cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. The most cited plant species according to literature sources are Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Plumbago zeylanica, Gongronema latifolium and Mangifera indica. Plant families that were used more in treating prostate cancer were Apocynaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Bignoniaceae, Lamiaceae. We conclude that more research be carried out on the medicinal plants' usage on the treatment of prostate cancer and further bio-prospecting drugs from the enlisted plants should explored by the pharmaceuticals in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) Lam (Moringaceae) is a perennial plant broadly used in South Asia and Africa as a traditional folk medicine to treat many ailments such as paralysis, helminthiasis, sores and skin infections. The review provides a critical and comprehensive evaluation of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, agricultural economy and dietary benefit of M. oleifera and its future perspectives. Key findings: In this review, the entire plant of M. oleifera, containing diverse phytochemicals, is summarized. The 163 chemical components, included flavonoids, carbamates, glucosinolates, phenols, and so on with various bioactivities, such as anti-tumour, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and so on. Additionally, M. oleifera is toxic at certain doses; and overuse can cause genotoxicity. Summary: Although M. oleifera has been widely used in traditional medicine, the pharmacological studies that have been conducted so far are not sufficient for its use in the setting of evidence-based medicine. Little relevant data from clinical trials of M. oleifera have been reported. The majority of studies of its constituents, such as carbamates and glucosinolates, have been conducted only in vitro. Owing to a lack of available data, the pharmacology, toxicity, agricultural economy and dietary benefit of its constituents and extracts require further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to trace developments in Traditional Medicine (TM) and legislation concerning conservation and use of biodiversity in Africa, with Tanzania as a case study. Based on field trips, interviews with different actors, site visits, and literature we explored the history, current status, re-establishment, and development of TM. A summary of laws and regulations concerning forests, access and benefit sharing is presented. During the last decade the Government of Tanzania put forth legislation to address national health needs, traditional knowledge, and the resource base for TM (e.g., practitioners, biodiversity). Our findings indicate that TM is the most common form of health care, and that the HIV pandemic has highlighted the need to work across health sectors. New legislation has facilitated this need. In Tanzania TM is experiencing a renaissance in being formally recognized, integrated into mainstream health care, formal establishment of practitioners, and gaining the interests of different sectors. More studies on bioactivity, safety, domestication, and sustainability of use of medicinal plants are needed. Development of TM can also, other than making a significant contribution to health care and livelihoods, provide income possibilities. It is however yet to be seen if the recent regulations can be made fully operational and implemented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (W. somnifera) is a herb commonly known by its English name as Winter Cherry. Africa is indigenous to many medicinal plants and natural products. However, there is inadequate documentation of medicinal plants, including W. somnifera, in Africa. There is, therefore, a need for a comprehensive compilation of research outcomes of this reviewed plant as used in traditional medicine in different regions of Africa. Methodology: Scientific articles and publications were scooped and sourced from high-impact factor journals and filtered with relevant keywords on W. somnifera. Scientific databases, including GBIF, PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Science Direct, SciFinder, and Web of Science, were accessed to identify the most influential articles and recent breakthroughs published on the contexts of ethnography, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and commercialization of W. somnifera. Results: This critical review covers the W. somnifera ethnography, phytochemistry, and ethnomedicinal usage to demonstrate the use of the plant in Africa and elsewhere to prevent or alleviate several pathophysiological conditions, including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, reproductive impotence, as well as other chronic diseases. Conclusion: W. somnifera is reportedly safe for administration in ethnomedicine as several research outcomes confirmed its safety status. The significance of commercializing this plant in Africa for drug development is herein thoroughly covered to provide the much-needed highlights towards its cultivations economic benefit to Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides are highly variable and complex biomolecules whose inventory of structures is still very incomplete, as nature still preserves unexplored biotopes. Plants, macroalgae and microalgae are an integral part of the daily life of human being regardless of culture, time, or knowledge development of a country. Natural medicine is an ancestral knowledge widely distributed throughout the world, handed down for centuries from generation to generation by those commonly referred to as "nganga" healers or shamans. It is also called alternative medicine or traditional medicine, and has been associated for millennia to legends. This review gives an emphasis regarding the ethnobotanic approach associated to the structural variability of poly- and oligosaccharides for designing the new polysaccharide-based drugs and hydrocolloids of tomorrow. The guiding thread is to survey the potential of plants (and some macroalgae) from Africa as a source of polysaccharides with original structures and, secondly, to correlate these structures with biological and/or functional properties in particular to address and advance the sustainable development and economic growth of mankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This taxonomic revision of the continental African species of Monanthotaxis (Annonaceae) includes 79 species and one variety. Thirteen new species (M. aestuaria, M. bidaultii, M. confusa, M. glabra, M. hexamera, M. mcphersonii, M. quasilanceolata, M. sterilis, M. submontana, M. suffruticosa, M. ursus, M. vulcanica and M. wieringae) are described and 5 new combinations (M. biglandulosa, M. kenyensis, M. ochroleuca, M. pynaertii and M. seretii) are made. The genus Monanthotaxis consists of lianas or lianescent shrubs. It occurs throughout forests in tropical Africa and the highest species diversity is found in the Western Central African rain forests. A key for flowering material is provided, just like a synoptic key including 45 characters. Topics included in the revision are the history of the taxonomy of Monanthotaxis, morphology, leaf anatomy, floral biology, distribution and habitat, phylogeny and finally ethnobotany and phytochemistry. Each species is fully described including synonymy, notes on distribution, habitat & ecology, vernacular names, uses and a preliminary IUCN conservation status. Distribution maps are provided for all species, illustrations for 48 species and photographs of 22 species. An index of exsiccatae and an index of the scientific names are included at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Medicinal plants have remained an integral part of traditional practice in Southern Africa. Many plants have a history of use in concoctions that promote wound healing and treatment of other ailments. However, the efficacies and mechanisms underlying their wound healing properties have remained undetermined. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scifinder® and Google Scholar were searched using subject specific key words that were matched by MESH in a bid filter for Southern African medicinal plants with wound healing activity, phytochemical composition and the molecular mechanisms underlying the respective wound healing processes. While the paper touches on the empirical medicinal plants – wound healing dogmas, it highlights the importance of mood modifying plant components including cannabinoids on wound healing. This review identified 20 Southern African medicinal plant species from 14 families with a history of use as medicines to promote wound healing. Overall, the selected medicinal plants presented herein are endowed with high content of alkaloids, cannabinoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and/or tannins. These components reportedly promote wound healing through the following mechanisms mopping of reactive oxygen species from wounded tissues, inhibition / cidal effects against infections that delay wound healing, anti-inflammatory activities and modulation of pathways in the endocannabinoid system. Empirical evidence has shown that these components also facilitate wound healing through increased wound contraction, reepithelialisation and collagen synthesis. To help close the knowledge gap, the authors are actively studying the mechanisms and composition of a selection of plants that are frequently used to promote wound healing in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Enslaved Africans in Suriname faced not only a harsh environmentandbrutal conditions, but the challenge of sourcing therapeutically useful plants in an unfamiliar land. How did they discover medicinal herbs in the New World? Literature suggests that slave medicine was already well developed in eighteenth-century Suriname, while herbaria prove that Old World plants were present since 1687. Current vernacular plant names reveal European, Amerindian and African influence. Ethnobotanical research among present-day Afro-Surinamers and related West African groups demonstrates that although most plants used by Afro-Surinamers are Neotropical, preparation methods and applications are still very African. This illustrates the durability and persistence of household medicine despite the disruption during the Middle Passage. Afro-Surinamers have reinvented their household medicine by using familiar OldWorld plants, selecting New World plants that were related to African ones, incorporating knowledge of other ethnic groups and deploying trial and error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palms (Arecaceae) are conspicuous in traditional medicine in Africa, contributing to health care of rural and urban dwellers. Palm species richness in Africa is much lower than in either tropical America or tropical Asia, whereas palm species richness in Madagascar is among the highest in the world when its area is taken into consideration. The African continent is 50 times larger than Madagascar, but has only 65 species of palms, whereas Madagascar in a much smaller area has three times as many species of palms. The objective of this survey was to gather all published ethnobotanical data on medicinal uses of palms in Madagascar and to compare this with the extent of palm use in continental Africa. Information on medicinal uses of palms in Madagascar was found in only 13 published references. We found 55 medicinal use records for at least 17 palm species, of which 14 were endemic to Madagascar and three were introduced. The most used palm was Cocos nucifera, followed by Raphia farinifera. For most of the species, however, we found only a single medicinal use. There are many parts of Madagascar yet to be explored for palms. Further studies and collecting trips may generate a more complete picture and suggest answers to why (or if) there are so few medicinal uses of palms in Madagascar compared to other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies for environmental governance and conservation in Africa have relied on regulatory mechanisms (policies) that further restrict already limited livelihood options by prohibiting certain land uses and isolating people from forest resources. Environmental service rewards (ESR) present an opportunity for incentives-based conservation, enabling livelihood and conservation goals to be more easily reconciled. Yet context has an important effect on the viability of ESR and on the trade-offs or synergies that emerge between conservation and livelihood, local and off-site benefits. This article analyzes ethnobotanical data from three sites in the eastern African highlands to analyze the likely consequences of applying diverse regulatory and incentive (ESR) schemes. Data illustrate that when applied in isolation, carbon rewards can undermine water conservation and local livelihood objectives alike through expansion of fast-growing tree species at the expense of water supply and other land uses. The article presents an approach for building upon local knowledge and scenario analysis during the planning phase of environmental service reward schemes to identify a suite of incentive and regulatory mechanisms most likely to reconcile local livelihood with local, national, and international conservation objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The genus Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) is one of the basal angiosperms in the order Piperales, found in the semi-arid regions of Africa, and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. Plants in this genus play essential roles in communities around the world as revealed by various studies. Currently, there are eight species of the genus Hydnora; seven in Africa and one in the Arabian Peninsula. Notably, Hydnora abyssinica A.Br. and Hydnora africana Thunb. are widely distributed compared to other species. They are widely used for their medicinal and nutritional values. The information on ethnobotany, chemistry, pharmacology, and distribution of genus Hydnora was gathered using phytochemical and ethnobotanical books, electronic sources, and published articles. Preliminary phytochemical screening shows that flavonoids, phenolics, proanthocyanidins, and tannins are the main compounds in H. abyssinica and H. africana. Furthermore, 11 compounds have been isolated from H. abyssinica. The biological activities of H. abyssinica and H. africana have been reported. They include antibacterial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antidiarrhea, and antifungal potentials. Despite the Hydnora species being practiced in ancient folkloric medicine, their traditional uses and pharmacological value are poorly documented. Based on the available information on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and distribution, we aim to provide research gaps and challenges for a better understanding of this genus. This may be resourceful in the development of effective phytomedicines, and aid in conservation. The available studies on this genus on some aspects such as phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and distribution are under-reported hence the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]