- Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Published Online: 4 APR 2014
DOI: 10.1002/9781118460566.ch19
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Book Title
Novel Plant Bioresources: Applications in Food, Medicine and Cosmetics
Keywords:
- ethnoveterinary plants;
- animal health;
- African traditional medicine;
- commercialization
Summary
Ethnoveterinary
medicine forms an integral part of the cultural heritage associated
with traditional medicine in Africa, where plants and natural products
treat ailments both in animals and humans. Plants are a rich source of
novel biologically active phytochemicals. Africa is blessed with an
abundance of plant species, many of which are used in ethnoveterinary
medicine across the continent, particularly to control parasitic
diseases in livestock. The evaluation of efficacy and safety of many of
these remedies remains to be done. Those proven to be effective with low
toxicity may find application in commercial preparations, but this is a
long and complicated process. Standardization of the active and
nontoxic extracts using low technology may be of value in promoting
animal health in rural areas. This chapter gives an overview of
ethnoveterinary medicine in Africa and examples of African plants with
potential for development are given.
