Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ethnobotanical knowledge in Lesotho is passed on orally from one generation to another. As a result it has not been well documented. Existing publications have relied on previous literature and are limited either in terms of scope or coverage. Furthermore, some of them are out of print.
An ethnobotanical survey of plants used for the treatment of cancer was carried out in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Information on the names of plants, parts used and methods of preparation was collected through a questionnaire which was administered to herbalists, traditional healers and rural dwellers.
Information is presented about 177 plants formerly used in healing by the Ua people of southern Zambia. The material is largely drawn from manuscripts held in Kasenga, together with information from various more recent authorities.
An estimated 5.7 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, more than in any other country. Up to 90% of all HIV/AIDS patients develop opportunistic fungi infections (OFIs) at some point during the course of the disease and 10 to 20% dies as a direct consequence of these.
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Traditional remedies from plants have been use to treat male reproductive related disorders for ages in South Africa. Aim: This study reviewed the current status of medicinal plants used in male reproductive healthcare as well as their effectiveness as a mode of treatment.
This paper reviews the antimicrobial research undertaken on South African medicinal plants during the period 1997–2008. Antimicrobial methods (disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), bioautography) are briefly discussed and an analysis of the publications reviewed indicates that the majority of papers use MIC assays for antimicrobial determination.
The traditional medicine involves the use of different plant extracts or the bioactive constituents. This type of study provides the health application at affordable cost. Secondary metabolites are responsible for medicinal activity of plants. Hence in the present study phytochemical screening of some important medicinal plants was carried out.
Sixty-seven crude ethanol extracts from 50 plants (31 families), which are used in North Cote-d’Ivoire as traditional remedies for bacte- ˆ rial diseases, were screened for in vitro activity against Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram positive (Staphyloccocus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes and Bacillus subtilis) bacteria.
Current research in drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, biological, and molecular techniques. Medicinal plant drug discovery continues to provide new and important leads against various pharmacological targets including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, malaria, and pain.
Background: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants in Southern Western Ghats of India (Madurai district, Tamil Nadu). Information presented in this paper was gathered from the paliyar tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections, group discussions and interviews with questionnaires in the years 1998 – 1999.