African ethnobotany and healthcare: Emphasis on Mozambique
African ethnobotany and healthcare: Emphasis on Mozambique
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DOI：
10.1076/phbi.39.s1.70.0002
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发表时间：
2001-01-01
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Pagula, FP
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bandeira, SO;Gaspar, F;Pagula, FP
本文介绍了非洲（特别是莫桑比克）常见药用植物与主要健康问题之间的关系。重点关注主要用于解决或减缓腹泻、疟疾、呼吸道疾病和性病症状的植物物种。这些疾病与营养不良/贫血、精神疾病和风湿/关节炎一起是全国医疗保健的主要关注点。腹泻分为普通腹泻、血性腹泻和霍乱；植物种类通常用于减缓腹泻复发。单宁是具有止泻和防腐作用的主要化合物。传统医学似乎对缓解发烧、呕吐和腹泻等疟疾症状相当有帮助。特别值得一提的是苦瓜，它被广泛用于治疗明显与胆汁和发烧有关的呕吐。萝芙木含有利血平，一种用作抗高血压剂的化合物。该物种也被用作抗疟疾剂。传统医学似乎可以减缓与艾滋病病毒相关的机会性感染，如腹泻、肺炎和皮肤感染。前列腺肥大传统上主要使用非洲李和黄花菜（已知含有植物甾醇的物种）进行治疗。对非洲植物生物活性化合物的研究仍处于起步阶段。
The relationship between common medicinal plants and major health problems in Africa, specifically Mozambique, is presented here. Emphasis is given to plant species largely used to solve or slow down diarrhoea, malaria, respiratory, and sexual complaints. These diseases, together with malnutrition/anaemia, mental diseases, and rheumatism/arthritis are the main concern of healthcare countrywide. Diarrhoea is divided into common diarrhoea, bloody-diarrhoea, and cholera; plant species are normally used to slow down diarrhoea recurrence. Tannin is the main chemical compound with both anti-diarrhoeal and antiseptic properties. Traditional medicine seems to be rather helpful in alleviating malaria symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Special reference is made to Momordica balsamina, which is highly used to cure vomiting apparently associated with bilis and fever. Rauvolfia caffra contains reserpine, a compound used as anti-hypertension agent. This species is also used as an anti-malarial agent. Traditional medicine seems to have a role in slowing opportunistic infections related to the AIDS virus such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and skin infections. Prostate hypertrophy is traditionally medicated using mostly Prunus africana and Hypoxis hemerocallidea, species known to contain phytosterol. Research for bioactive compounds in African plants is still in its infancy.