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Review
. 2021;7(1):72.
doi: 10.1186/s43094-021-00223-5. Epub 2021 Mar 20.

Ethnomedicinal herbs in African traditional medicine with potential activity for the prevention, treatment, and management of coronavirus disease 2019

Olutayo Ademola Adeleye  1 , Mbang Nyong Femi-Oyewo  2 , Oluyemisi Adebowale Bamiro  2 , Lateef Gbenga Bakre  2 , Akinyinka Alabi  3 , Joseph Senu Ashidi  4 , Olalekan Adeyinka Balogun-Agbaje  2 , Oluwakemi Mary Hassan  5 , Gbemisola Fakoya  6
Affiliations
Review

Ethnomedicinal herbs in African traditional medicine with potential activity for the prevention, treatment, and management of coronavirus disease 2019

Olutayo Ademola Adeleye et al. Futur J Pharm Sci. 2021.

Abstract

Background: Ethnomedicine, a study of traditional medicine, is significant in drug discovery and development. African traditional medicine has been in existence for several thousands of years, and several drugs have been discovered and developed from it.

Main text: The deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 has widely spread globally with high mortality and morbidity. Its prevention, treatment and management still pose a serious challenge. A drug for the cure of this disease is yet to be developed. The clinical management at present is based on symptomatic treatment as presented by individuals infected and this is by combination of more than two drugs such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, and anti-microbials. Literature search was performed through electronic searches of PubMed, Google Scholar, and several research reports including WHO technical documents and monographs.

Conclusion: Drug discovery from herbs is essential and should be exploited for the discovery of drugs for the management of COVID-19. This review is aimed at identifying ethnomedicinal herbs available in Africa that could be used for the discovery and development of a drug for the prevention, treatment, and management of the novel coronavirus disease 2019.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Ethnomedicinal herbs; SARS-CoV-2; Traditional medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Photos of ethnomedicinal herbs with potential activity for the management of coronavirus disease 2019
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