Exploring African traditional medicine: Insights from Northern Maputaland, KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa

Northern Maputaland has a diverse and novel source of ethnobotanical knowledge where indigenous communities rely on medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases. This study aims to collate ethnobotanical survey studies undertaken over a 10-year period where our field work focused on traditional plant use for various infectious diseases involving the respiratory tract, gut, skin and sexually transmitted infections (STI). In addition, the concept of blood purification was explored, as well as ailments related to woman health and hypertension. This diverse set of medical conditions revealed a number of plant species that were documented for the first time and a quantitative analysis demonstrates common medicinal plants used across all medical conditions. Scientific validation studies were undertaken from plant species collected in situ and the antimicrobial model (minimum inhibitory concentration assays) was used to validate medicinal use for infectious diseases. Ranunculus multifidus for example was found to demonstrate excellent (MIC 20 µg/mL) STI activity. Brine shrimp lethality assays were used to evaluate toxicity. The plant species Trichilia dregeana was found to be highly toxic (75-92% mortality), and this correlated with the traditional use as an abortifacient. The most antimicrobially active plant species across all the studies will be presented together with combination studies based on traditional practices. One synergistic plant combination was Acanthospermum glabratum with Krauseola mosambicina, having fractional inhibitory concentrations between 0.01-0.30 against five diarrhoeal pathogens. These findings provide valuable ethnobotanical insight and strengthen the in vitro evidence of traditional plant knowledge in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023