Abstract
Natural products endowed of biological activity represent a primary source of commodities ranging from nutrition to therapeutic agents, as well as cosmetic tools and recreational principles. These natural means have been used by mankind for centuries, if not millennia. They are commonly used all over the world in socio-economical contexts, but are particularly attractive in disadvantaged areas or economically emerging situations all over the world. This is very likely due to the relatively easy recovery of these bioactive principles from the environment, at a low if any cost, as well as ease of administration and the general popular compliance concerning their consumption/ingestion. In this concise review, we focus on some popular bioactive principles of botanical origin which find a wide use in the Madagascan populations. However, due to space limitations, only some of the most common and largely diffused principles in this country are considered. Finally, a possible nanotechnological administration is discussed in the case where a potential therapeutic usage is envisaged.
Highlights
Since the dawn of the ages, mankind has catered from nature means of survival and support: food, textiles and furs for shelter and wood for housing, or for cooking fire as well as for defense from cold and adverse climates
To remain among mushrooms and succulents, somebody must have realized at some point that the Amanita muscaria or the Lophophora williamsii had powerful hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties; they could be used for socializing, or to take psycho-trips and, last but not least, as aphrodisiac help tools [1,2,3]
Natural products find a use in many fields of daily life—this applies especially in areas of the world where traditional medicine is practiced for a number of different reasons; essentially, proximity and easy access to natural principles, fairly uncontaminated environment, and low-cost/benefit ratio of the product in question
Summary
Since the dawn of the ages, mankind has catered from nature means of survival and support: food, textiles and furs for shelter and wood for housing (though in more recent eras), or for cooking fire as well as for defense from cold and adverse climates. Natural products find a use in many fields of daily life—this applies especially in areas of the world where traditional medicine is practiced for a number of different reasons; essentially, proximity and easy access to natural principles, fairly uncontaminated environment, and low-cost/benefit ratio of the product in question. It should be pointed out, that the use products of natural origin are becoming ever more popular in areas of the economically advanced world. This is not a negligence but is only for sake of brevity
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