Togo to go: Products and compounds derived from local plants for the treatment of diseases endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

TOGO TO GO: PRODUCTS AND COMPOUNDS DERIVED FROM LOCAL PLANTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES ENDEMIC IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AbstractBackground: Many African countries suffer from endemic diseases which are often caused by infections and seriously affect the social and economic development of these nations. While the access to proper medication is still limited, many of these countries are, at the same time, rich in medical plants. Materials and Methods:A review of relevant scientific (and gray) literature was carried out and information obtained from local authorities in medicinal plants. A synthesis of the data obtained was thereafter performed and recommendations for the future proposed.Results: Plants such as Cissus aralioides, Securidaca longipedunculata, Piliostigma thonningii, Nauclea latifolia, Ocimum gratissimum and Newbouldia laevis are widely reported to be used in the treatment of endemic diseases in Togo and her neighbouring countries.These plants often contain highly potent chemical compounds, such as quinones, xanthones, tannins and terpenes and therefore may provide an alternative avenue to short-term treatment. A combination of further analysis of plant materials and their active ingredients on the one hand, and modern technology to turn such natural products into commercial equivalents on the other, is required in order to identify the targets and modes of action of these natural materials, unlock access to them, and ultimately produce valuable medicines and phytoprotectants based on locally grown plant materials. Conclusion:The production of plant-derived products, as advocated in this paper, is in line with the WHO's traditional medicine strategy 2014-2023, and will eventually yield a sustainable health-and-wealth generating cycle that will benefit a countries in the region, economically and ecologically.Keywords: Togo, redox active secondary metabolites, phytochemicals, antimalarial activity, antidiarrheal activity, tropical diseases. Plants as a widely used natural resource in TogoMany sub-Saharan African countries suffer from immense health-related problems, diseases and epidemics, which impact heavily on their populations, and hold back the development of their societies and economies. This issue has recently been highlighted by the outbreak of Ebola, yet there are also many other, equally damaging diseases, including, for instance, malaria, various types of fevers and infections by bacteria and infestations by pathogenic nematodes (Hotez and Kamath, 2009;Crump, 2012). Paradoxically, whilst these countries are a hotbed of infectious diseases, they are also rich in natural resources, and among them a myriad of plants containing biologically active ingredients which seem to be active against many microbes. By unlocking this treasure chest of local "green gold", it should therefore, in theory, eventually be possible to develop affordable medicines locally and to apply them to the populations in need. Since many of these natural products are also active against agricultural pests (Shrivatava et a...

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