Abstract

Infectious diseases due to resistant pathogenic strains are rampant and the burden is worsened by the emergence and spread of microorganisms resistant to cheap and effective first-choice drugs. Medicinal plants could be an alternative solution to this and the aim of the present review is to summarize available evidence and knowledge concerning African medicinal plants used to treat multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria, fungi and protozoa infectious agents. A literature search using the keywords: Africa, medicinal plants and multi-resistant microorganisms on google scholar, African Index Medicus, PubMed, Medline and EMBASE was conducted. We also scanned reference lists for important citations. Key pharmaceutical journals, workshop and conference proceedings were reviewed. Common medicinal plants found are Brucea javanica, Prunus Africana, Mangifera indica, Picralima nitida, Aloe arborescence, Aloe striata, Vernonia adoensis, Markhamia tomentosa, Garcinia lucida, Garcinia kola, Phyllanthus muellerianus, Gladiolus gregasius, Sida alba, Trichila heudelotti, Piptadeniastrum africana and Dorstenia picta. Most researches on the use of medicinal plants to treat multidrug resistant agents were conducted in South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Uganda. African medicinal plants possess important therapeutic agents that can be used as new phyto-medicines against MDR microorganisms.

Key words: Africa, medicinal plants, therapeutic products and multidrug resistant microorganisms.