Riding the wave: South Africa's contribution to ethnopharmacological research over the last 25 years.

South Africa is a country with both rich floral biodiversity and cultural diversity. Traditional herbal medicines form an important part of the healthcare of most South Africans, and relies heavily on the use of indigenous plants. This article briefly describes the role South Africa has played in recent years, in contributing to the worldwide increase in research in the field of ethnopharmacology.

Improving seedling vigour of indigenous medicinal plants with smoke.

The application of smoke and aqueous smoke solutions stimulates seed germination in a number of plant species. This study highlights the effects of aerosol smoke and smoke solutions on the germination and seedling vigour of three South African indigenous medicinal plants Albuca pachychlamys, Merwilla natalensis and Tulbaghia violacea. The vigour index of one-week-old seedlings of all three species examined was increased with the application of dry smoke and smoke extract dilutions, as compared to control treatments.

Assessing African medicinal plants for efficacy and safety: agricultural and storage practices.

The paper reviews an important but little researched area of ethnopharmacology, namely, the effect of cultivation and post-harvest storage practices on levels of biological activity in traditionally used medicinal plants. Changes in COX-1 inhibition and antibacterial activity, for example, occur at the onset of senescence and, in some species, are influenced by plant age. Plants in cultivation were also shown to have reduced anthelmintic and antibacterial activity while hypoxoside production was affected by nitrogen and phosphorous.

Biological activities and distribution of plant saponins.

Plant saponins are widely distributed amongst plants and have a wide range of biological properties. The more recent investigations and findings into their biological activities were summarized. Isolation studies of saponins were examined to determine which are the more commonly studied plant families and in which families saponins have been identified.

Assessing African medicinal plants for efficacy and safety: pharmacological screening and toxicology.

This paper reviews progress in establishing the scientific rationale for and safety of traditional medicine use in Africa. Selected plants were screened for antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, anti-amoebic, antischistosomal, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, as well as psychotropic and neurotropic activity using appropriate in vitro tests. Isolation of active compounds, in almost all cases, provided scientific validation for the use of the plants in traditional medicine.