Traditional Guinean management of breast diseases in low and Middle Guinea

The role of traditional healers along the cancer care continuum in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Traditional healers play a significant role in Sub-Saharan Africa's healthcare system, but little is known about their role across the cancer care continuum in this context. Given the prevalence of patients consulting healers, we aimed to elucidate their role and impact on cancer care delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA reporting standards, all research focused on the role of traditional healers in the cancer care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa was included in this scoping review. Data sources assessed include PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, African Journals Online, African Index Medicus, and Google Scholar. Studies that lacked perspectives on the healers' role, focused solely on the actual herbal medicines, were written in non-English language, were not primary research, or the full-text was unavailable were excluded. Two reviewers performed screening and data extraction for each article, confirmed by a third reviewer.

RESULTS

One thousand four hundred seventy-one studies were identified, with 1437 screened and 191 full-texts reviewed. Of those, 158 were excluded, and 33 (comprising of 1564 healers) were included for final data extraction and analysis. Five studies (64 healers) showed their role in prevention, eleven (454 healers) in diagnosis, twenty-seven (1524 healers) in treatment, and two (25 healers) in palliative care in Sub-Saharan Africa. While some desired increased collaboration with the biomedical system and referred patients, others lacked trust and remained hesitant to provide referrals.

CONCLUSION

Results showed that traditional healers play an important role in cancer treatment. This provides an opportunity to leverage the skills of traditional healers to improve cancer outcomes, in a way that recognizes and respects local culture. Future research focused on improving the collaboration between traditional healers and the biomedical healthcare system may lead to strengthening the referral system and early detection and treatment of cancer.

REGISTRATION

 This study was registered on PROSPERO, CRD42022293055.

The genus Landolphia P.Beauv. (Apocynaceae): A comprehensive review on its ethnobotanical utilizations, pharmacology and nutritional potential

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Landolphia is an important resource for African traditional medicine. Among the 60 different accepted species, nearly every plant part of the genus (bark, fruit, latex, leaf, leaf sap, root, rootbark, twig) from 13 species is utilized by traditional healers around Africa. Accordingly, many pharmacological studies (42) were performed on the most common species (11).

AIM OF THE STUDY

This comprehensive literature review summarizes all publications dealing on one of the 60 plant species from the genus Landolphia. An overview about already performed analysis is given and important aspects and knowledge gaps are highlighted for the direction of future research activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic web search taking into account the major platforms Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, SciFinder and Google Scholar was performed for the term Landolphia. All relevant datasets, published between 1804 and 2022, were ordered according to their topics in different sections and compared to each other. A network visualization of the keywords via VOS Viewer was additionally performed.

RESULTS

In total, 209 publications were retrieved from the search engines, mainly written in English. Predominant are ethnopharmacological studies, which identified 292 phytochemicals in plant parts of the whole genus. Diverse biological activities were detected in different plant extracts, and five species were determined as of special interest for the treatment of malaria. Further research topics identified are botanical aspects, ethnobotanical utilizations, ecological aspects, the potential as source for human and animal nutrition, the manufacturing of rubber, economic aspects, biomechanical studies and others. L. owariensis is the most studied plant as it is abundant in continental Africa.

CONCLUSIONS

This review serves as a database for upcoming research on the genus Landolphia and directs existing knowledge gaps. A wide range of chemical components are already identified, but their exact content in the respective plant parts and their biological activity remains mainly unknown. Utilization patterns from traditional medicine are only partially analyzed as demonstrated for the applications as aphrodisiac, to treat skin diseases or as antidiabetic. Nutritional analyses likewise focus on several species of Landolphia and lack for the wide range of known edible fruits. The demand for new natural products in terms of medicine, rubber and nutrition is still high and the genus Landolphia seems to be a promising resource covering many aspects at once.

Comparative Evaluation of Various Extraction Techniques for Secondary Metabolites from Bombax ceiba L. Flowering Plants along with In Vitro Anti-Diabetic Performance

Bombax ceiba L. (Family: Malvaceae) was rightly called the “silent doctor” in the past as every part of it had medicinal value. For centuries, humans have used this plant according to the traditional medicinal systems of China, Ayurveda, and tribal communities. Recently, with an emerging interest in herbals, attention has been paid to scientifically validating medicinal claims for the treatment of diabetes using secondary metabolites of B. ceiba L. flowers. In the present study, specific secondary metabolites from the flowers of B. ceiba L. were isolated in good yield using the solvent extraction methodology, and their in vitro anti-diabetic efficacy was examined. Extraction efficiency of each solvent for secondary metabolites was found in following order: water > ethanol> methanol > chloroform > petroleum ether. Quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites showed 120.33 ± 2.33 mg/gm polyphenols, 60.77 ± 1.02 mg/g flavonoids, 60.26 ± 1.20 mg/g glycosaponins, 0.167 ± 0.02 mg/g polysaccharides for water extract; 91.00 ± 1.00 mg/g polyphenols, 9.22 ± 1.02 mg/g flavonoids, 43.90 ± 0.30 mg/g glycosaponins, 0.090 ± 0.03 mg/g poly saccharides for ethanol extract; 52.00 ± 2.64 mg/g polyphenols, 35.22 ± 0.38 mg/g flavonoids, 72.26 ± 1.05 mg/g glycosaponins, 0.147 ± 0.01 mg/g polysaccharides for methanol extract; 11.33 ± 0.58 mg/g polyphenols, 23.66 ± 1.76 mg/g flavonoids, 32.8 ± 0.75 mg/g glycosaponins, 0.013 ± 0.02 mg/g polysaccharides for chloroform extract; and 3.33 ± 1.53 mg/g polyphenols, 1.89 ± 1.39 mg/g flavonoids, 21.67 ± 1.24 mg/g glycosaponins, 0.005 ± 0.01 mg/g polysaccharides for petroleum ether extract. Glucose uptake by yeast cells increased 70.38 ± 2.17% by water extract.