Investigations of African plants for alkaloids, antimalarial agents, and antineoplastic agents

Ayurveda, malaria and the indigenous herbal tradition in Sri Lanka

Using key informants and available records, the way in which inhabitants of purana villages in Nuwarakalaviya, Sri Lanka coped with malaria during the pre-DDT era is examined. This study found that the Nuwarakalaviya peasants responded to endemic malaria through a localized herbal tradition, which was to some extent independent of the scholarly ayurveda system common to the whole of South Asia. The relevant herbal tradition, consisting of a combination of antiparasite and antivector strategies using locally available natural resources, represented an effective adaptation to the local ecosystem.

A Hausa herbal pharmacopoeia: biomedical evaluation of commonly used plant medicines

Biochemical analysis of a selected sample of the Hausa (northern Nigeria) medicinal flora is presented in order to assess potential chemotherapeutic values. Laboratory investigation, supplemented by previously published phytochemical constituent analyses of pertinent taxa, suggests that a number of disorders can be effectively treated by the Hausa practitioner. The Hausa herbal pharmacopoeia is analysed first with reference to its efficacy in the treatment of oral disease. Examined subsequently are Hausa plant medicines considered to be of potential value in the treatment and/or prevention of malaria infection, with particular attention focussed on the malaria symptom complex and parasite-host cell biochemistry. Results are discussed in the context of the adaptive potential of non-Western medical systems and the significance of this aspect for medical policy development programs.