Décrypter la climatologie d’un espace géographique consiste habituellement en l’interprétation de recherches à partir de corpus de statistiques et d’observations instrumentales. Mais une autre source de connaissances est celle des savoirs des populations locales. Cette posture est appliquée à la région de l’Imerina, sur les Hautes Terres de Madagascar.
Mahafaly uses of plants to treat toothache in the Antongobe region are consistent with those from other countries where related species grow. We identify eight wild plants used in herbal dentistry, describe their manner of preparation and medicinal uses, and discuss their pharmacological properties. We also indicate briefly where dental problems belong in the larger ethnomedical system.
The ethanolic extract of a Malagasy species Euphorbia stenoclada (ES) (Euphorbiaceae), traditionally used as a herbal remedy against asthma and acute bronchitis, was tested to evaluate possible anti-proliferative activity on human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMC). The ES ethanolic extract totally abolished the interleukin-1 (IL-1) induced proliferation of HASMC (IC50 = 0.73 ± 0.08g/mL).