Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics
Open Access

Abstract

The use of herbal medicines as complements or alternatives to modern medicines has been on the increase. This review summarizes research carried out on some Cameroonian medicinal plants between 2007 and 2017 by our research team at the Faculty of Science of the University of Douala in collaboration with some national and international scientists. Medicinal plants are resources of traditional medicines and modern medicine derived from plants. This study was designed to outline some biologic activities of various medicinal plants extracts used by the Camerooniansâ�?�? and central African people. Several medicinal plants growing in Cameroon were identified as having pharmacological properties. These plants species which include Crassocephalum bauchiense, Dichaentanthera africana, Harungana madagascariensis, Milletia conraui, Nauclea latifolia, Pecedanum zenkeri, Ptelopsis hylodendron, Schefflera barteri, Strychnos icaja, Strychnos malacoclados with healing properties are listed alongside their traditional use and a summary of the scientific research achieved are given. They were tested for their in vitro or in vivo biological activity by standard protocols. These ten plants have shown antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, immunomodulatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-Herpes simplex virus and �?±-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Natural products (diterpenoids, alkaloids and flavone) have been identified from five of them. The results suggest that the plants extracts could be a promising rough material for the development of new and more effective modern drugs. Based on these results, drugs from Crassocephalum were developed but no patent is obtained till today.

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