Abstract
The use of medicinal plants in the management of diverse ailments is entrenched in the culture of indigenous people in African communities. This review provides a critical appraisal of the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants for the management of headache in Africa. Research articles published from 2010 (Jan) to 2021 (July) with keywords such as Africa, ethnobotany, headache, medicinal plant and traditional medicine were assessed for eligibility based on sets of pre-defined criteria. A total of 117 plants, representing 56 families, were documented from the 87 eligible studies. Asteraceae (10%), Fabaceae (10%), Lamiaceae (9%) and Mimosaceae (5%) were the most represented plant families. The most popular plant species used in the management of headache were Ocimum gratissimum L. (n = 7), Allium sativum L. (n = 3), Ricinus communis L. (n = 3) and Artemisia afra Jack. ex. Wild (n = 2). The leaves (49%), roots (20%) and bark (12%) were the most common plant parts used. Decoction (40%) and infusion (16%) were the preferred methods of preparation, whereas the oral route (52%) was the most preferred route of administration. The data revealed that medicinal plants continue to play vital roles in the management of headache in African communities. In an attempt to fully explore the benefits from the therapeutic potential of indigenous flora for common ailments, further studies are essential to generate empirical evidence on their efficacies, using appropriate test systems/models. This approach may assist with the ongoing drive towards the integration of African traditional medicine within mainstream healthcare systems.
Highlights
From time immemorial, humans have relied on medicinal plants to fight diseases and provide for diverse health needs
The countries that recorded the highest number of plant species were as follows: South Africa (n = 30), Nigeria (n = 16), Ethiopia (n = 13) and Uganda (n = 12)
This review focused on the use of medicinal plants in the treatment and management of headache on the African continent
Summary
Humans have relied on medicinal plants to fight diseases and provide for diverse health needs. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 80% of the world’s population relies on medicinal plants for their primary health care needs [1]. Headache is a common health condition in both children and adults [2]. Primary headache has no fundamental cause, whereas secondary headache is caused by conditions such as brain tumor, neck injury and sinus infection [3]. The pain experienced during headache emanates from a combination of signals in the brain, blood vessels and proximate nerves of an individual. Precise nerves in an individual’s blood vessels and the muscles in the head switch on, which send pain signals to the brain [4]. The prevalence rate varies across different countries, such as 3% in Ethiopia [7], 52.2% in Turkey [8] and 92.4%
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