Traditional Medicinal Plants and Malaria
Features
Summary
Malaria is an increasing worldwide threat, with more than three hundred million infections and one million deaths every year. The world’s poorest are the worst affected, and many treat themselves with traditional herbal medicines. These are often more available and affordable, and sometimes are perceived as more effective than conventional antimalarial drugs.
The first book to be published on this subject, Traditional Medicinal Plants and Malaria explores the evidence for the safety and efficacy of some of these traditional medicines, and presents practical guidelines for designing studies on traditional plant-based antimalarial medicines, mosquito repellents, and insecticides. Systematic reviews of the literature and consensus guidelines form the main body of the book. Ethnomedical, ethnobotanical, pharmacological, phytochemical, toxicological, and clinical aspects of herbal antimalarials are also reviewed. These are supplemented by case studies of the most well-known traditional antimalarials.
Table of Contents
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND MALARIA CONTROL
Malaria Control in Africa and the Role of Traditional Medicine, Andrew Kitua and Hamisi Malebo
CASE STUDIES OF PLANT-BASED MEDICINES FOR MALARIA
Cinchona, Mark Honigsbaum and Merlin Willcox
Artemisia annua, Merlin Willcox, Gerard Bodeker, Geneviève Bourdy, Vikas Dhingra, Jacques Falquet, Jorge F.S. Ferreira, Bertrand Graz, Hans-Martin Hirt, Elisabeth Hsu, Pedro Melillo de Magalhães, Damien Provendier, and Colin Wright
Changshan (Diechroa febrifuga), Sean Hsiang-lin Lei and Gerard Bodeker
“Ayush-64”, V.P. Sharma
Neem (Azadirachta indica), Merlin Willcox and Joanne Chamberlain
“Malarial”, Drissa Diallo, Ababacar Maïga, Chiaka Diakité, and Merlin Willcox
Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Jonathan Addae-Kyereme
Strychnos myrtoides, David Ramanitrahasimbola, Jacques Ranaivoravo, Herintsoa Rafatro, Philippe Rasoanaivo, and Suzanne Ratsimamanga-Urverg
ETHNOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Frequency of Use of Traditional Herbal Medicines for the Treatment and Prevention of Malaria: An Overview of the Literature, Merlin Willcox and Gerard Bodeker
An Overview of Ethnobotanical Studies on Plants Used for the Treatment of Malaria, Merlin Willcox, Gemma Burford, and Gerard Bodeker
The Discovery of Indigenous Febrifuges in the British East Indies, c. 1700-1820, Mark Harrison
The Ayurvedic Perspective on Malaria, Unnikrishnan P.M., Venugopal S.N., Sarika D’Souza, and Darshan Shankar
Guidelines for Ethnobotanical Studies on Traditional Antimalarials, Nina Etkin, Maria Madureira, and Gemma Burford
LABORATORY RESEARCH
An Overview of the Pharmacological Properties of Traditional Herbal Antimalarials, Colin Wright
Guidelines for the Non-clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of Traditional Antimalarials, Philippe Rasoanaivo, Suzanne Ratsimamanga-Urverg, and François Frappier
Models for Studying the Effects of Herbal Antimalarials on Non-Erythrocytic Stages of Malaria, Dominique Mazier, J.F. Franetich, O. Silvie, and P. Pino
Guidelines for the Preclinical Evaluation of the Safety of Traditional Antimalarials, Merlin Willcox, Shingu Gamaniel, Charles O.N. Wambebe, Motlalepula G. Matsabisa, Jean René Randriasamimanana, and Philippe Rasoanaivo
CLINICAL RESEARCH
An Overview of Clinical Studies on Traditional Herbal Antimalarials, Merlin Willcox and Gerard Bodeker
Observational Methods for Assessing Traditional Antimalarials, Bertrand Graz
Guidelines for Clinical Studies on Herbal Antimalarials, Merlin Willcox and Idowu Olanrewaju
REPELLENCE AND VECTOR CONTROL
An Overview of Plants Used as Insect Repellents, Sarah Moore and Annick Lenglet
Guidelines for Studies on Plant-based Insect Repellents, Sarah Moore and RITAM Vector Control Group
An Overview of Plants Used for Vector Control, Adebayo Gbolade
Guidelines for Studies on Plant-based Vector Control Agents, Kalenda T. Dibungi, Nzira Lukwa, Adebayo Gbolade, Christopher Boete, and Bart Knols
EPILOGUE: PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE, Merlin Willcox
Editorial Reviews
“This impressive volume is the result of a decade of work by its distinguished editors and over 50 highly-qualified contributing authors from around the world. … [It includes] excellent case studies that provide a detailed, often historical, assessment of the potential and limitations of a significant subject of important anti-malarial plant species from South America, Africa and Asia. … This is an important reference volume for all who realize the need for more effective strategies in the battle against malaria … .”
— Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
“This neatly packaged text … is being recommended for many categories of readers including medical, pharmaceutical, general and industrial drug scientists. Libraries of health care, teaching and research institutions and those who want a current book of facts … will find it useful. Relevant research students and established investigators in this field … can use the well-researched articles … . Traditional healers, who appreciate scientific investigations prior to the claim of efficacy, will love to use this book.”
— Afr. J. Trad. CAM, 2005
“ ... well edited. … of relevance not only in the area of ethnopharmacology and natural product biology, but also to anyone interested in public health and novel approaches to control infectious diseases. I very much hope that the book will stimulate research in this important area.”
— Journal of Ethnopharmacology
”This interesting and informative book deals with the entire field of antimalarial and antivectoral natural products, with much disperse material collected into a single volume. ...does good service to the continued development of natural product research. ... Melding of these different approaches to the malaria problem is much needed, and is a unique characteristic of this book.
“...the book presents a new concept: that investigations should start, rather than end, with the clinical study of traditional treatment. The book is full of new visions for traditional medicine: this is what makes it such an enjoyable read for the interested observer and an extremely
useful reference work.”
— Bill Watkins writing in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2007) 101, 740
