@article {23, title = {A revision of Borassus L. (Arecaceae)}, journal = {Kew Bulletin}, volume = {62}, year = {2007}, chapter = {561-586}, author = {Bayton, R.P.} } @article {3, title = {African palm ethno-medicine.}, journal = {J Ethnopharmacol}, volume = {165}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 May 13}, pages = {227-37}, abstract = {

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: This study is the first to demonstrate the breadth and patterns of the medicinal applications of African palms. It sheds light on species with the potential to provide new therapeutic agents for use in biomedicine; and links the gap between traditional use of palms and pharmacological evaluation for the beneficial effects of palm products on human health. Last but not least, the study provides recommendations for the areas that should be targeted in future ethno-botanical surveys.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The primary objective of this survey was to assemble all available ethno-medicinal data on African palms, and investigate patterns of palm uses in traditional medicine; and highlight possible under-investigated areas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: References were found through bibliographic searches using several sources including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar and search engines of the State and University Libraries of Aarhus, National Library of Denmark and Copenhagen University Libraries, Harvard University Libraries, and the Mertz Library. Information about ethno-medicinal uses of palms was extracted and digitized in a database. Additionally, we used an African palm distribution database to compute the proportion of palm species that have been used for medicinal purposes in each country.

RESULTS: We found 782 medicinal uses mentioned in 156 references. At least 23 different palm species (some remained unidentified) were used medicinally in 35 out of Africa\&$\#$39;s 48 countries. The most commonly used species were Elaeis guineensis, Phoenix dactylifera, Cocos nucifera, and Borassus aethiopum. Medicinal uses were in 25 different use categories of which the most common ones were Infections/Infestations and Digestive System Disorders. Twenty-four different parts of the palms were used in traditional medicine, with most of the uses related to fruit (and palm oil), root, seed and leaf. Palms were used in traditional medicine mostly without being mixed with other plants, and less commonly in mixtures, sometimes in mixture with products of animal origin. Future ethno-botanical surveys should be directed at the central African region, because palm species richness (and plant species richness in general) is particularly high in this area, and only few ethno-botanical studies available have focused on this region.

CONCLUSION: The wide time span covered by our database (3500 years) shows that African palms have been used medicinally by many societies across the continent from time immemorial until today. Most medicinal use records for African palms were found in two categories that relate to most prevailing diseases and disorders in the region. By analyzing ethno-medicinal studies in one database we were able to demonstrate the value of palms in traditional medicine, and provide recommendations for the areas that should be targeted in future ethno-botanical surveys.

}, keywords = {Africa, Arecaceae, Ethnobotany, Humans, Medicine, African Traditional, Plant Extracts, Plants, Medicinal}, issn = {1872-7573}, doi = {10.1016/j.jep.2015.02.050}, author = {Gruca, Marta and Blach-Overgaard, Anne and Balslev, Henrik} } @article {2, title = {Ethnomedicinal survey and in vitro anti-plasmodial activity of the palm Borassus aethiopum Mart.}, journal = {J Ethnopharmacol}, volume = {175}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Dec 4}, pages = {356-69}, abstract = {

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Malaria remains a major global health threat, with the heaviest burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Effective treatment is not available in many affected areas, and the Plasmodium falciparum parasite is becoming resistant to existing drugs. Alternative therapies are necessary to overcome these challenges. Borassus aethiopum is the third most used palm species in traditional medicines in Africa. Yet, there is only limited information substantiating medicinal properties of the palm. The objective of this study was to document medicinal uses of B. aethiopum and investigate anti-plasmodial activity of the palm extracts used in traditional medicine to treat malaria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The fieldwork and collection of samples was done in Ghana in the Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, and Volta regions. Our ethnomedicinal survey did not specifically focus on medicinal uses against malaria; any medicinal application of B. aethiopum was of interest. Data collection employed a structured questionnaire, open-ended questions, and group discussion. The experimental extraction of samples was carried out using three common solvents: distilled water, absolute ethanol, and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2). Anti-plasmodial activity of compounds was determined against erythrocytic stages of the FCR3 strain of P. falciparum by a [3H]-hypoxanthine incorporation assay.

RESULTS: A total of 37 use records were documented regarding the medicinal uses of B. aethiopum for the management of 24 different disorders. The highest medicinal use value was recorded for the use of B. aethiopum against malaria, and a subsequent laboratory investigation focused on evaluating anti-plasmodial activity of the palm. Several root and leaf extracts displayed anti-plasmodial activity, with the highest (78\% at 50\μg/mL) elicited by one of the dichloromethane root extracts.

CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the value of integrating ethnobotanical and pharmacological research in the study of beneficial effects of palm products on human health. While the high inhibitory activity found in dichloromethane extracts cannot validate the ethnomedicinal use, the anti-plasmodial effect observed cannot be nullified. We brought preliminary evidence that this palm is a promising source of alternative medicines that could contribute to improving health conditions in malaria endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

}, issn = {1872-7573}, doi = {10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.010}, author = {Gruca, Marta and Yu, Wanwan and Amoateng, Patrick and Nielsen, Morten Agertoug and Poulsen, Thomas B and Balslev, Henrik} }