A review of indigenous knowledge and ethnopharmacological significance of African Copaiba Balsam Tree, Daniellia oliveri (Fabaceae).

Daniellia oliveri has found its indigenous relevance in the management of diseases including but not limited to diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, fever, ulcers, pain, worm manifestation, pneumonia, skin ailments, infectious diseases, sickle cell anaemia, hence, a review of its indigenous knowledge, ethnopharmacological and nutritional benefits was undertaken. Information used for the review was sourced from popular scientific databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, BioMed Central, JSTOR, African Plant, Global Biodiversity Information and others), conference proceedings, dissertations or theses, chapters in books, edited books, and journal collections. The materials obtained from 121 scientific documents targeting majorly between 1994 and 2023 established the presence of major secondary metabolites (such as polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, etc.), minerals (e.g., sodium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), vitamins (beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, etc.), and nutrients (crude protein, moisture, dry matter, ether, carbohydrates, and energy). Literature also lent credence to the preliminary safety profiles of the plant and its pharmacological potentials as analgesic, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidiarrhoeal, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antimelanogenesis, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, antisickling, cardiotoxic, cytotoxic, and neuroprotective agents. While the review is majorly limited to Africa particularly western countries (such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, Togo, and Benin) and the plant is found to be largely underutilized, it is evident that limited information exists on the in vivo pharmacological evaluation, bioactive compounds identification, and there is a lack of preclinical and clinical trials for possible drug development. Based on the aforementioned, it is hoped that further research studies geared toward providing insights into the established grey areas (such as traditional use investigation, targeted or assay-guided compounds identification, and preclinical and clinical studies) are necessary in order to fully explore the therapeutic, nutritional, and economic benefits of the plant.

Network Pharmacology- and Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Bioprospection of Aspalathus linearis for Type-2 Diabetes Care.

The medicinal herb Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) is globally recognized in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment due to its known and distinctive compounds. This work utilized network pharmacology (NP) coupled with molecular dynamics simulation in gaining new insight into the anti-diabetic molecular mechanism of action of rooibos teas. It looked at the interactions between rooibos constituents with various relevant protein receptors and signaling routes associated with T2DM progression. The initial analysis revealed 197 intersecting gene targets and 13 bioactive rooibos constituents linked to T2DM. The interactions between proteins and compounds to the target matrix were generated with the Cystoscope platform and STRING database. These analyses revealed intersecting nodes active in T2DM and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as an integral receptors target. In addition, KEGG analysis identified 11 other pathways besides the hub HIF-1 signaling route which may also be targeted in T2DM progression. In final molecular docking and dynamics simulation analysis, a significant binding affinity was confirmed for key compound-protein matrices. As such, the identified rooibos moieties could serve as putative drug candidates for T2DM control and therapy. This study shows rooibos constituents' interaction with T2DM-linked signaling pathways and target receptors and proposes vitexin, esculin and isovitexin as well as apigenin and kaempferol as respective pharmacologically active rooibos compounds for the modulation of EGFR and IGF1R in the HIF-1 signaling pathway to maintain normal homeostasis and function of the pancreas and pancreatic ß-cells in diabetics.

Wandering through southwestern Nigeria: An inventory of Yoruba useful angiosperm plants.

This paper is a compilation of all known uses of angiosperm plants by the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Information was gathered from the past experiences of authors and surveys of books, journal articles, dissertations (published and unpublished) and theses using online databases. The review presents 493 angiosperm species (65 monocots and 428 dicots) belonging to 99 families, of which Fabaceae contributed the highest number of useful plants (72 spp.), followed by Euphorbiaceae (31 spp.), Malvaceae (30 spp.), and Asteraceae (25 spp.). Generally, of the identified plants, 418 species are for medicinal purposes, 85 species are utilized as food and beverages, 65 species for other uses including games, food packaging, and arts and crafts while 22 species are used for magical purposes such as success charm, enhancing disappearance, protection from witches and escaping from the repercussion of an act. This study provides baseline ethnobotanical data for future quantitative analyses of useful plants in the region, as indigenous plant knowledge has not been properly explored and documented among the Yoruba people.

Which Plants for What Ailments: A Quantitative Analysis of Medicinal Ethnobotany of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria.

Studies on medicinal ethnobotany in rural areas and communities are important for documentation and generation of indigenous knowledge on the medicinal use of plants, as well as identification of new botanicals of pharmacological significance. This paper presents, for the first time, the quantitative ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The ethnobotanical survey was carried out by conducting semistructured interviews with 70 informants/collaborators. Data were analyzed using various quantitative indices, namely, Ethnobotanical Knowledge Index (EKI), Species Popularity Index (SPI), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Cultural Importance Index (CII), Informant Consensus Factor (FIC), Fidelity Level (FL), and Species Therapeutic Index (STI). A total of 87 plant species belonging to 43 families were documented along with their medicinal uses. Euphorbiaceae is the most implicated family (9%) of the plants documented, and herbs (36%) were the prevalent life form while leaf (46%) was the most used plant part. Fevers are the most common diseases treated with the medicinal plants with 1012 use-reports, followed by skin diseases with 314 use-reports while the most common mode of preparation is decoction (37%). Telfaria occidentalis has the highest SPI and RFC (0.99, 0.99) while Khaya grandifoliola has the highest CII of 1.91. The community has EKI of 0.57 indicating a good knowledge of medicinal plants around them. Species such as Citrus aurantifolia, Khaya grandifoliola, and Ocimum gratissimum have high quantitative indices suggesting that they are effective in the treatment of various diseases in the community and therefore should be considered for pharmacological studies to validate their folkloric usages.

Khaya grandifoliola C. DC. (Meliaceae: Sapindales): Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and toxicology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Khaya grandifoliola is a well-known tree species in Africa with a conservation status of 'vulnerable' due to its overexploitation by the wood industry. Several studies have recorded numerous ethnobotanical uses of this plant, as well as the scientific validation of the efficacy of extracts from different plant parts used for the treatment of various ailments. However, this useful information is scattered throughout the literature and thus there is no opportunity to identify the existing knowledge gaps. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review aims to highlight the medicinal importance of Khaya grandifoliola including its known phytochemistry, biological activities and toxicology, to encourage a refocused conservation strategy since all current efforts are geared towards maintaining its continuous supply to the wood industry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Articles on K. grandifoliola were sourced from online databases such as Google Scholar, Medicine, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, SciFinder and other science journal websites up to May 2020. The search was conducted using various combinations of keywords such as biotechnological uses, biological activity, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, indigenous uses, pharmacological activity, phytochemistry, proximate composition, toxicity, and traditional uses of K. grandifoliola. All downloaded articles were screened to determine their relevance to the scope of the review and the selected papers were included. RESULTS: The review revealed a host of ethnomedicinal uses such as anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-sickling, anti-ulcerogenic, and hepatoprotective, many of which are supported by scientific data. More importantly, toxicity tests revealed that many of the extracts are safe at various therapeutic doses. Important knowledge gaps that should be explored include phytochemical characterization and validation of some ethnobotanical claims on the folkloric usage of the plant. CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding the importance of K. grandifoliola in the wood industry, this review reveals that its use as a medicine is equally important. Its medicinal uses are also well supported with scientific studies as well as favourable toxicological studies though some scientific knowledge gaps require further studies.

An Appraisal of Antidotes' Effectiveness: Evidence of the Use of Phyto-Antidotes and Biotechnological Advancements.

Poisoning is the greatest source of avoidable death in the world and can result from industrial exhausts, incessant bush burning, drug overdose, accidental toxication or snake envenomation. Since the advent of Albert Calmette's cobra venom antidote, efforts have been geared towards antidotes development for various poisons to date. While there are resources and facilities to tackle poisoning in urban areas, rural areas and developing countries are challenged with poisoning management due to either the absence of or inadequate facilities and this has paved the way for phyto-antidotes, some of which have been scientifically validated. This review presents the scope of antidotes' effectiveness in different experimental models and biotechnological advancements in antidote research for future applications. While pockets of evidence of the effectiveness of antidotes exist in vitro and in vivo with ample biotechnological developments, the utilization of analytic assays on existing and newly developed antidotes that have surpassed the proof of concept stage, as well as the inclusion of antidote's short and long-term risk assessment report, will help in providing the required scientific evidence(s) prior to regulatory authorities' approval.