The potential of South African plants against Mycobacterium infections.
BACKGROUND
In South Africa, tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most commonly notified disease and the fifth largest cause of mortality, with one in ten cases of TB resistant to treatment in some areas. Many plants are used locally in traditional medicine to treat TB-related symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to summarize currently available knowledge on South African plants used to treat TB symptoms, and antimycobacterial efficacy of plant-derived extracts and compounds.


METHODS
The traditional uses of plants for respiratory ailments and TB were collated and tabulated. The antimycobacterial activity tests of extracts and chemical constituents of several of these plants and others using different methods and target organisms were summarized.


RESULTS
Almost 180 plants used for TB-related symptoms in South African traditional medicine were documented. About 30% of these have been tested for antimycobacterial efficacy, mostly against fast-growing, non-pathogenic Mycobacterium species.


CONCLUSIONS
Many plant species are used in traditional South African medicine to alleviate symptoms of TB, and several interesting leads have originated for further inquiry following in vitro antimycobacterial activity evaluation. However, much work remains to be done on the systematic assessment of anti-TB efficacy of local plants against pathogenic Mycobacterium species, both in vitro and in vivo.
McGaw
L J
LJ
Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa. lyndy.mcgaw@up.ac.za
Lall
N
N
Meyer
J J M
JJ
Eloff
J N
JN
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019448:Ethnobotany; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013019:South Africa; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents