Table 3 Traditional medicines used for the local treatment of kidney diseases in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
Nomenclature | Uses in other African communities | Active Compounds and Pharmacology | Plant Parts in Use | Potential Side Effects and Toxicities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scientific | English Common Name | Local Vernacular | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Cape aloes, Aloe Vera | Aloe | Southern Africa: arthritis, burns/skin conditions, hypertension, purging/laxative, GI upset/stomach aches, anti-inflammatory, cosmetics, eye ailments/conjunctivitis, sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, impotence | - Gel: Prostaglandin- and bradykinase-mediated anti-inflammatory activity. | Gel extract Leaves Rind Stem | - Volume depletion and electrolyte imbalance | |
- Aloin leaf extracts: increases GI motility and induces emesis | - Hypoglycemia | |||||
-Hyperpigmentation and photosensitivity | ||||||
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania): malaria, purging/laxative for cleansing purposes, GI upset/stomach aches, skin ulcerations/wound healing, cosmetic, infertility, anti-parasitic | Active compounds: glucomannans, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, bradykinase, anthraquinone glycosides (aloin, barbaloin) | -Hepatotoxicity | ||||
-Acute tubular necrosis | ||||||
-Acute interstitial nephritis | ||||||
African myrrh, African bdelium (Hairy) Corkwood, Gumwood | Loduwa | Nigeria: Anti-helminthetic, Hypnotic/sedative, anti-epileptic | -Leaf extract: in-vitro inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and anti-oxidation | Stem Fruits Leaves Bark Resin | -GI upset including diarrhea and nausea | |
Uganda: skins ulcerations/wound healing | -Resin: anti-parasitic activity | -Skin rashes (dermatitis) | ||||
Southern Africa: Malaria/fever, Typhoid, skin ulcerations/wound healing, migraine, stomach aches | Active compounds: flavanoids, tannis, anthraquinone, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids | -Allergy and hypersensitivity reactions | ||||
-Sedation/somnolence | ||||||
Lemongrass | Mchaichai | South Africa: Diabetes, oral thrush | -Oil extracts have anti-bacterial, anti-amebic, anti-fungal, anti-malarial, anti-protozoal, and anti-filarial effects | Leaves Stem Oil extract | -Volume depletion | |
-Diarrhea | ||||||
-Somnolence | ||||||
-Chronic kidney disease (decline in glomerular filtration rate) | ||||||
Mauritius: common cold, pneumonia, fever, GI upset/stomach aches | -Phenol and flavanoids have anti-oxidative properties | Â | ||||
-Gastritis | ||||||
-Hepatotoxicty (potential) | ||||||
Nigeria: antipyretic/anti-malarial, stimulant, anti-spasmodic | -Citral has insect repellent properties | -Hypoglycemia | ||||
Cameroon: anti-malarial, jaundice | Active compounds: Terpenes, alcohols, ketons, aldehyde, flavanoids, phenols, citral. | |||||
Angola: anti-tussive, anti-emetic, antiseptic, arthritis | ||||||
Persea americana [31–39] | Avocado | Mparachichi, Mpea, Mwembe, Mafuta | West Africa (Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast): anti-diarrheal, diabetes/hyperglycemia, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anti-epileptic, exhaustion , hypertension, gastritis/dyspepsia | -Leaf extracts have direct vaso-dilatory properties | Leaves Fruits Seeds Rind Bark | -Increased risk of bleeding when combined with other anti-coagulants |
-Anti-inflammatory properties similar to acetylsalicylate and prostaglandin-inhibitors | -Hypoglycemia | |||||
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique): dengue vector control, diarrhea, sore throat, menstrual regulation, hair growth, epilepsy, toothaches, wound healing, tuberculosis, neuralgia) | -Inhibits alpha-amylase and enhance glycogenesis | -Hyperkalemia (especially among those with impaired kidney function) | ||||
-β-Carotene and fatty acids with lipid lowering properties | ||||||
-Anti-convulsive effects possibly via gabanergic properties | ||||||
-acetogenins inhibit platelet aggregation | ||||||
-larvicidal to Aedes aegypti | ||||||
Active Compounds: Tannins, saporins, alkanols (aliphatic acetogenins), terpenoids, coumarin | ||||||
Zanthoxylum chalybeum [19, 40–48] | Knob wood | Murungurungu, Simba Mwitu | Kenya and Zimbabwe: anti-malarial and anti-bacterial, snakebites, skins ulcerations/wound healing, arthritis | -Extracts from leaves, roots, and stems have prostaglandin-mediated anti-inflammatory activity | Root Stem Leaves Fruits Branches Seeds | -Anti-histamine effects including sedation |
Tanzania: swelling reduction, hernias, arthritis, asthma, arrow-tip poison | -Root bark has a fluroquinolone alkaloid with anti-bacterial and anti-malarial activity | -Gastritis/stomach ulcerations | ||||
Uganda: dental caries/toothaches (chewed), anti-malarial/fevers, arthritis/joint aches, sickle cell disease | -Quaternary alkaloids have neuromuscular blocking effects (paralysis and tonic-contractions) | |||||
Active compounds: Skimmianine (flouroquinolone-alkaloid), tembetarine, nitidine, flavanoids, saponins | ||||||