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Background: Knowledge of medicinal plants used by the traditional healers are mostly confined among the locals and the adherents, hence, proper enquiry and documentation can help the ever dynamic scientific world to find permanent cure to the menace of such deadly diseases such as cancer. This study aimed at (1) specifically recording medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer in Hammanskraal and Winterveld, South Africa, and (2) documenting the different methods of preparation and administration of those medicinal plants as recorded during the study. Method: An open-ended semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 90 willing traditional healers in Hammanskraal and Winterveld area, Tshwane Municipality, South Africa to document plants used for cancer treatments. The study was conducted over a period of six months (July – December, 2018). Descriptive statistics was used to present the obtained data. Results: The study recorded twenty-eight plant species belonging to 18 families for the treatment of different types of cancer. Plant species in the Fabaceae family particularly Lessertia frutescens (L.) Goldblatt and J.C. Manning, Senna italica Mill and Trifolium pratense L. were the most prominently mentioned (highest citation frequency) by the traditional healers for lung, and skin cancer treatment. Based on the citation frequency, the most treated cancer by the traditional healers is in the order: skin cancer > lung cancer > breast cancer > prostate cancer > cervical cancer. The method of preparation included decoction(32.3%), infusion (29%), paste (16.1%) and maceration (22.6%). Conclusion: In addition to the documentation of indigenous knowledge related to the use of medicinal plants in the traditional management of cancer in South Africa, this study opens a vista for investigations into the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the documented plants. Keywords: Cancer; Indigenous plants; Medicinal plants; South Africa; Traditional practitioners.

The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases, including cancer, is acknowledged and accepted in many African nations. Heavy metal contamination of plant materials poses a potential health risk, particularly for populations that are already vulnerable. This study determines the levels of heavy metals in medicinal plant samples used for treatment of skin cancer and evaluate the health risk caused by heavy metals to the adult population in Pretoria, South Africa using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of metals were as follows; As (<0.2 – 1.04±0.026), Cd (0.02 ±0.00026 – 0.167±0.006), Pb (0.38 ±0.01 – 2.27±0.05), Cr (5.31±0.21– 26.9 ±3.96) mg/kg, and Hg which were lesser than 0.02 mg/kg. The mean concentrations of all analyzed heavy metals are above permissible limit except for Hg which are lower than the permissible limit. The Hazard Quotient (THQ) was less than 1 for all the heavy metals, suggesting that there are no obvious non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption of these medicinal plants for now even though the prolonged use may result in health risks. The ingestion route was identified as the primary contributor to the overall risk by the health index (HI) values in the present study, which were more than 1, indicating that the combined effects of the heavy metal contaminants present in a particular herbal preparation pose health risk in the long term. Our findings support the need for close monitoring of potential heavy metal concentrations in medicinal plants given to patients from herbal shops.

The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases, including cancer, is acknowledged and accepted in many African nations. Heavy metal contamination of plant materials poses a potential health risk, particularly for populations that are already vulnerable. This study determine the levels of heavy metals in medicinal plant samples used for treatment of skin cancer and evaluate the health risk caused by heavy metals to the adult population in Pretoria, South Africa using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of metals were as follows; As (< 0.2–1.04 ± 0.026), Cd (0.02 ± 0.00026–0.167 ± 0.006), Pb (0.38 ± 0.01–2.27 ± 0.05), Cr (5.31 ± 0.21– 26.9 ± 3.96) mg/kg and Hg which were lesser than 0.02 mg/kg. The mean concentrations of all analyzed heavy metals are above permissible limit except for Hg which are lower than the permissible limit. The Hazard Quotient (THQ) was less than 1 for all the heavy metals, suggesting that there is no obvious non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption of these medicinal plants for now even though the prolonged use may result in health risks. The ingestion route was identified as the primary contributor to the overall risk by the health index (HI) values in the present study were more than 1, indicating that the combined effects of the heavy metal contaminants present in a particular herbal preparation pose health risk in the long term. Our findings support the need for close monitoring of potential heavy metals concentrations in medicinal plants given to patients from herbal shops.