A review of the traditional use of southern African medicinal plants for the treatment of inflammation and inflammatory pain

Gugulethu P Khumalo; Ben Erik Van Wyk; Yunjiang Feng; Ian E Cock

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114436

A review of the traditional use of southern African medicinal plants for the treatment of inflammation and inflammatory pain

J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Jan 30:283:114436. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114436. Epub 2021 Jul 18.

Authors

Gugulethu P Khumalo¹, Ben Erik Van Wyk², Yunjiang Feng³, Ian E Cock⁴

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Futures Research Institute, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia; School of Environment and Science, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia; Griffith Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, 46 Don Young Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia.
² Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.
³ School of Environment and Science, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia; Griffith Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, 46 Don Young Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia.
⁴ Environmental Futures Research Institute, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia; School of Environment and Science, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia. Electronic address: i.cock@griffith.edu.au.

PMID: 34289396
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114436

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Inflammation is a serious global concern due to its debilitating symptoms, resulting in considerable suffering and lost productivity. Chronic and auto-immune inflammatory diseases are of particular concern. Several pharmaceutical therapies are already available. However, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) is accompanied by harmful and toxic side effects. Hence, the search for safer alternative therapeutics with limited side effects is imperative. The use of medicinal plants is common practice amongst the southern African population and may provide targets for drug development.

Aim of the study: This study aims to review and document the medicinal uses and pharmacological properties of southern African medicinal plants used for inflammation and pain-related ailments.

Material and methods: An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify southern African plants used traditionally to treat inflammation. A variety of ethnobotanical books and grey literature, as well as ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scopus search engines were used as sources of information.

Results: This review identified 555 medicinal plants from 118 families which were traditionally used in southern Africa to treat inflammation and pain. Fabaceae was the most prominent family with 63 species, followed by Asteraceae (54 species) and Apocynaceae (33 species). The top category of ailments indicated include non-specific inflammation with 150 species, followed by inflammatory pain (148 species), headache (114 species) and toothache (114 species).

Conclusion: Despite a large number of southern African medicinal plants used to treat inflammation and pain, relatively few have been screened for their anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, biologically active plant extracts have been tested against relatively few inflammatory markers and considerable further work is required.

Keywords: Biological activity; Chronic pain; Cyclooxygenase; Ethnobotany; Lipoxygenase.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Africa, Southern
Animals
Ethnobotany
Ethnopharmacology
Humans
Inflammation / drug therapy*
Medicine, African Traditional / methods
Pain / drug therapy
Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*

Substances

Plant Extracts