Polar compounds isolated from the leaves of Albertisia delagoensis (Menispermaceae)

The traditional use of Southern African medicinal plants to alleviate fever and their antipyretic activities

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Multiple plant species are used traditionally in southern Africa to treat fever. This review summarises the traditional use, highlights promising plant species and focuses on validation studies to highlight future areas of research.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to critically review the use of southern African plants to alleviate fever. Additionally, an examination of research into those plants was undertaken to highlight gaps in the literature with the aim of stimulating further research in this field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethnobotanical books, reviews and primary research studies were searched to identify plant species traditionally used to treat fever in southern Africa and to summarise the current knowledge and identify areas requiring further research. This study was non-biased and did not have any taxonomic preferences, nor did it favour any southern African healing systems over the others.

RESULTS

The traditional therapeutic uses of 203 southern African plant species to alleviate fever were recorded. Leaves and roots/bulbs/rhizomes were the most commonly used plant part, and they were most commonly prepared as decoctions or infusions and consumed orally. Notably, only twenty-two species (∼11% of the identified species) have been scientifically evaluated for antipyretic properties, with substantially fewer mechanistic studies evident.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the availability of ethnobotanical records, the antipyretic properties of southern African medicinal plants are poorly reported. Indeed, the efficacy of most plants is yet to be verified and very few mechanistic studies are available.

Structural Characterisation of Alkaloids in Leaves and Roots of Stephania kwangsiensis by LC-QTOF-MS

INTRODUCTION

The tuberous roots of Stephania kwangsiensis, which contain bioactive alkaloids, are used as a traditional Chinese medicine. Overexploitation of the roots has made the plant increasingly rare, and the abundant leaves of the same plant may offer a potential alternative. However, there is insufficient phytochemical information for a comparison of alkaloid compositions in the two parts.

OBJECTIVE

To characterise and compare the alkaloids in the leaves and roots of S. kwangsiensis.

METHODS

The alkaloids in S. kwangsiensis were characterised using high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with positive electrospray ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-(+)ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). The alkaloid compositions in the leaves and roots were compared by visual inspection combined with principal component analysis (PCA) of the HPLC-MS data.

RESULTS

Seventy-five alkaloids comprising aporphine-, proaporphine-, protoberberine-, benzylisoquinoline-, bisbenzylisoquinoline- and morphine-type alkaloids were identified or tentatively identified in the roots and leaves of S. kwangsiensis. Sixty-three of these alkaloids have not been previously reported in this species, and three have not been previously reported in the literature. The roots and leaves had similarities in alkaloid composition but differences in the peak intensities of most alkaloids. The PCA revealed that the samples were clustered into two distinct groups, which corresponded to leaves and roots.

CONCLUSION

This study further clarified the chemical constituents in the roots of S. kwangsiensis, and revealed that diverse alkaloids were also present in the leaves. The comparative chemical profiling of the two parts provides useful information on their potential medicinal use. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.