Journal of Plant Sciences

Special Issue

Ethnopharmacological Investigation of Medicinal Plants

  • Submission Deadline: Nov. 30, 2014
  • Status: Submission Closed
  • Lead Guest Editor: Aliou Balde
About This Special Issue
In the past, only infectious diseases have been widespread in developing countries. Now, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory ailments, cancers, inflammatory illnesses are the major cause of death and/or disability as well in developing as in developed countries.

Despite significant medical advances, the antimicrobial or antiparasitic resistance increase and drug effectiveness decrease, the neglected tropical diseases (Buruli ulcer, leishmaniases, African trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis etc) remains a break on both economies and development, the virus emergence (EBOLA, SARS, AIDS etc.) or the re-emergence of diseases (Tuberculosis) continues to be an omnipresent threat to life.

While the health public improvment in the developing countries depend exclusively to international donators, by now, none of the major health-development funds have made any substantive or sustained effort to adress the chronic diseases.

To enable people living in these countries to take control of their own health, an adequate drug supply system has to be developed.

In such way, the importance of traditional medicine is evident since this medicine continues to be the first and most important source of medical solace for more than 80% of the populations living in Africa, Asia and South America.

During the last few decades, a great deal of interest has been given to the role of herbal remedies in the treatment of both infectious and chronic diseases. Although a series of plant species is frequently used in folk medicine for the management of a wide range of illnesses, there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting such claims for most of these natural remedies.

Having in mind that traditional medicines and plant species remain as well an important source for scientific investigations as a hidden wealth of potentially useful natural products, the search for natural plant products as alternative therapy is ongoing and must be intensified. In particular, discovery and development of effective, affordable and safe drugs is an urgent need in the developing countries. Aiming to provide an overview of the worldwide current researches on natural products remedies, this issue is focused on “Herbal remedies in the management of infectious and chronic diseases”. Thus, any results or review from biological, pharmacological, toxicological and/or clinical trial investigations on the following but not limited topics are welcome :

Antimicrobial screening of medicinal plants
Medicinal plants and antiprotozoal activity
Herbal remedies and chronic diseases
Clinical trials using medicinal plants
Lead Guest Editor
  • Aliou Balde

    Department of Pharmacy, University of Conakry, Conakry, Guinea

Guest Editors
  • Bharat Kumar Devapatla

    University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, United States

  • Ihsan Abdul Raheem

    College of Education for Pure Science, Tikrit Uni., Iraq, Kirkuk, Iraq

Published Articles
  • Ethnomedical, Phytochemical and Biological Investigations of Margaritaria discoidea (Baill.) Webster, a Plant Species Widely Used in Guinean Traditional Medicine

    Diallo M. S. T. , Baldé M. A. , Camara A. , Traoré M. S. , Bah M. L. , Diallo A. S. , Camara A. K. , Laurent S. , Roch A. , Muller R. N. , Maes L. , Pieters L. , Baldé A. M.

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 40-46
    Received: Nov. 21, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 24, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.18
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    Abstract: From an ethnomedical survey conducted in Conakry and Dubreka (Guinea), 12 traditional healers and 10 herbalists were interviewed. Their knowledge and experience along with the traditional uses of Margaritaria discoidea (euphorbiaceae) were recorded. The fractionation and purification of the leaf extract led to the isolation of a series of securinan... Show More
  • Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Low and Middle - Guinea for the Treatment of Skin Diseases

    M. A. Balde , M. S. Traore , S. Diane , M. S. T. Diallo , T. M. Tounkara , A. Camara , E. S. Baldé , F. Bah , U. Ouedraogo , H. Drame , H. Diallo , A. M. Balde

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 32-39
    Received: Nov. 06, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 10, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.17
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    Abstract: From an ethnobotanical survey conducted in Low and Middle Guinea, 98 traditional healers and 76 herbalists were interviewed. An increasing involvement of female as traditional practitioners was observed, particularly in Low Guinea where they represented 57% (62/109) of the total traditional practitioners specialized in the treatment of skin disease... Show More
  • Chemotherapeutical Evaluation of Borreria verticillata Extracts

    Balde A. M. , Pieters L. A. , Traore M. S. , Camara A. , Balde M. A. , Oulare K. , Barry M. S. , Diallo M. S. T. , Balde E. S. , Diane S. , Vlietinck A. J.

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 28-31
    Received: Nov. 03, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 06, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.16
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    Abstract: In the Guinean traditional medicine, Borreria verticillata is widely used in the treatment of skin diseases. Extracts of the plant species were found to exhibit in vitro moderate to weak antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Gardnerella... Show More
  • Efficacy and Safety of Englerina lecardii (Engl.) Balle in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

    E. S. Balde , N. M. Balde , M. S. Traore , M. A. Diallo , I. V. Camara , M. S. T. Diallo , M. A. Balde , A. Camara , A. M. Balde

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 24-27
    Received: Oct. 31, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 04, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.15
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    Abstract: The use of phytomedicine to treat many chronic diseases as diabetes is current in developing countries and pharmacological data in some case support this use. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Englerina lecardii leaves in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. An open label study design was designed to examine the effects o... Show More
  • Quinic Acid Esters from Pavetta owariensis var. owariensis (Rubiaceae)

    Baldé A. M. , Pieters L. A. , Claeys M. , Traoré M. S. , Baldé M. A. , Diallo , M. S. T. , Baldé E. S. , Diané S. , Vlietinck A. J.

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 20-23
    Received: Oct. 30, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 02, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.14
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    Abstract: The stem-bark of Pavetta owariensis var. owariensis is used in Guinean traditional medicine as an anthelmintic. Previous biological and chemical investigations reported the in vivo and/or in vitro anthelmintic, antischistosomal, antiviral and antibacterial properties along with the presence of a wide range of proanthocyanidins possessing a doubly-l... Show More
  • Ethnobotanical Survey, Antimicrobial and Anticomplement Activities of Guinean Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases in Conakry and Dubreka

    A. M. Baldé , M. S. Traoré , M. S. T. Diallo , E. S. Baldé , Y. Huang , Z. Liu , K. Oularé , M. S. Barry , M. A. Baldé , A. Camara , D. Vanden Berghe , A. Vlietinck , L. Pieters

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 11-19
    Received: Oct. 30, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 02, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.13
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    Abstract: Based on an ethnobotanical survey related to inflammatory diseases, 67Guinean plant species belonging to 35 botanical families were inventoried. Some plant species frequently used in the treatment of rheumatism, skin diseases and microbial infections were selected and submitted to a biological investigation including antimicrobial and anticomplemen... Show More
  • Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in Guinean Traditional Medicine

    Barry Mamadou Samba , Oulare Kabiné , Traore Mohamed Sahar , Balde Mamadou Aliou , Diallo Mamadou Saliou Telly , Camara Aïssata , Diallo Mamadou Saidou , Guilavogui Patrice , Bah Mamadou Kabirou , Bah Fatoumata , Sow Mamadou Alpha , Barry Raïhanatou , Soumah Fodé Salifou , Camara Fatou Souleymane , Vlietinck Arnold Joseph , Vanden Berghe D. A. , Balde Aliou Mamadou

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 6-10
    Received: Oct. 30, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 02, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.12
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    Abstract: Microbial infections such as sexually transmitted infections are very common in Guinea. Due to the high cost of conventional medicines, the pharmacopeia along with the traditional medicine remains the main medical resources for most of the Guinean populations. An ethnobotanical survey of some medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of se... Show More
  • Anti-Oxidative Activity of Fruit Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants Used against Chronic Diseases (Diabetes, Hypertension) in Kankan, Guinea

    Oulare Kabine , Barry Mamadou Samba , Bah Fatoumata , Keita Namagan , Haba Nyanga Luopou , Balde Aliou Mamadou

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-2, January 2015
    Pages: 1-5
    Received: Oct. 30, 2014
    Accepted: Nov. 02, 2014
    Published: Dec. 27, 2014
    DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030102.11
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    Abstract: Ethnobotanical surveys in Kankan (Guinea) led to an inventory of 78 plants used in the treatment of hypertension and diabetes. Among them, 31 plants producing edible fruits were selected. From these, 16 were anti- hypertensive, 8 anti- diabetic and 7 were used to treat hypertension as well as diabetes. The strongest anti-oxydative activity was obse... Show More