The traditional use of southern African medicinal plants for the treatment of bacterial respiratory diseases: A review of the ethnobotany and scientific evaluations

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Multiple plant species were used traditionally in southern Africa to treat bacterial respiratory diseases. This review summarises this usage and highlights plant species that are yet to be verified for these activities.

Aim of the study: This manuscript reviews the traditional usage of southern African plant species to treat bacterial respiratory diseases with the aim of highlighting gaps in the literature and focusing future studies.

Materials and methods: An extensive review of ethnobotanical books, reviews and primary scientific studies was undertaken to identify southern African plants which are used in traditional southern African medicine to treat bacterial respiratory diseases. We also searched for southern African plants whose inhibitory activity against bacterial respiratory pathogens has been conmfirmed, to highlight gaps in the literature and focus future studies.

Results: One hundred and eighty-seven southern African plant species are recorded as traditional therapies for bacterial respiratory infections. Scientific evaluations of 178 plant species were recorded, although only 42 of these were selected for screening on the basis of their ethnobotanical uses. Therefore, the potential of 146 species used teraditionally to treat bacterial respiratory diseases are yet to be verified.

Conclusions: The inhibitory properties of southern African medicinal plants against bacterial respiratory pathogens is relatively poorly explored and the antibacterial activity of most plant species remains to be verified.

Keywords: Diphtheria; Pertussis; Pneumonia; Southern African plants; Traditional medicine; Tuberculosis; Whooping cough.