Elephantorrhiza elephantina: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of an Important Medicinal Plant Species in Southern Africa

Abstract

Elephantorrhiza elephantina is used in southern Africa as traditional remedy for a wide range of human diseases and ailments including dermatological diseases, gastrointestinal system disorders, sexual dysfunction, sexually transmitted infections, and wounds. The rhizome decoction of E. elephantina is widely used by small-scale farmers in Botswana and South Africa as ethnoveterinary medicine for cattle, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, and sheep. Several classes of phytochemical compounds including anthocyanidins, anthraquinones, esters, fatty acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, glycosides, polysterols, saponins, sugars, tannins, and triterpenoids have been isolated from E. elephantina. Scientific studies on E. elephantina indicate that it has a wide range of biological activities including anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive, antiplasmodial, antioxidant, antibabesial, and antirickettsial activities. Elephantorrhiza elephantina is a valuable source of traditional medicine in southern Africa that it is worth additional research attention because of its wide ethnomedicinal applications and promising biological activities. However, the current health-related information on E. elephantina is not sufficiently explored as diverse studies on its chemical and pharmacological activities are required to understand its mechanism of action and to characterize the metabolites responsible for these activities.

Food Environment Typology: Advancing an Expanded Definition, Framework, and Methodological Approach for Improved Characterization of Wild, Cultivated, and Built Food Environments toward Sustainable Diets

“…With trade, these agrarian societies began to rely on informal food markets in addition to natural food environments. This societal pattern resembles middle SDI countries in many parts of rural Africa, Asia, and Latin America today, where consumers acquire food primarily through wild, cultivated, and informal food markets [39,[98][99][100][101]. The 19th and 20th centuries saw agricultural intensification globally with mechanization, selective breeding, and increased agricultural production that allowed for greater societal specialization away from the farm (Pattern 4).…”

Medicinal plants sold for treatment of bacterial and parasitic diseases in humans in Maputo city markets, Mozambique

“…Elephantorrhiza elephantina, was also cited in other South African studies for the treatment of diarrhea, helminthiases but results from this study revealed other diseases including cough, tuberculosis, dysentery and haemorrhoids. Active principles have already been isolated and biological activity against several pathogens has been studied, with positive results [29,30]. Hypoxis hemerocallidea, also known as a miracle plant because it has various therapeutic uses has been used in traditional African medicine for many years.…”

A Review of Botany, Medicinal Uses, and Biological Activities of Pentanisia Prunelloides (Rubiaceae)

“…as herbal medicine for blisters, bruises, burns, and cuts [24,25]. The roots of P. prunelloides are mixed with those of E. elephantina as herbal medicine for eczema [7,[24][25][26][27]. According to Bryant [28] and Hutchings et al [23], the roots of P. prunelloides are mixed with those of Withania somnifera (L.) Dun.…”

“…and Zeyh., Hypoxis obtusa Burch. ex Ker Gawl., deionized water, and potassium sorbate as a preservative, which is used as a remedy for constipation, heartburn, indigestion, loss of appetite, stomach ailments, and vomiting [5][6][7]. Research by Famewo et al [8,9] revealed that P. prunelloides is an ingredient of a polyherbal medicine mixed with Centella eriantha (A.Rich.)…”