5 - Essential Oils from the Medicinal Plants of Africa

Abstract

Numerous species of medicinal plants from Africa are important aromatic and ornamental plants, as well as being medicinal. Many of these species produce essential oils, which have applications in folk and modern medicine, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Essential oils generally have a broad spectrum of bioactivity, owing to the presence of several active ingredients that work through various modes of action. Due to their mode of extraction, mostly by distillation, essential oils contain a variety of volatile molecules such as terpenes and phenol-derived aromatic and aliphatic components. Aromatic and medicinal plants of Africa, comprises of important families which are currently the subject of phytochemical attention due to their biological and chemical diversity. The genera are widespread throughout the world, and are important plants in African traditional medicine, being used for the treatment of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation, and infections by fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Extensive studies on aromatic and medicinal plants from Africa have led to the identification of many novel compounds as well as essentials oils. This review summarizes the research into the major constituents and biological activities of essential oils from aromatic and medicinal plants of Africa between the years 2007 and 2012.