West African healers' go-to prostate plants contain promising bioactive compounds
Avohou MG, Agbo RI, Akpovi DC, Segbo AGJ, Missihoun AA, Assogba MF, Agbangla C.
Ethnobotany
Bamboo you might grow as a privacy screen and soursop you've spotted at a tropical nursery are among the plants West African healers have relied on for generations to treat prostate conditions; lab screening now confirms they carry flavonoids and tannins, making a real case for formal clinical investigation.
Researchers interviewed traditional healers and herbalists in Benin to catalog which plants local communities turn to for prostate health problems. They found 28 species, with soursop, bamboo, and a spiny coastal shrub called gray nicker topping the list. When they ran basic chemical tests on the most popular plants, they found compounds known to have biological activity, and none showed signs of being harmful in toxicity tests.
Key Findings
68 traditional practitioners identified 28 medicinal plant species for prostate disease treatment; gray nicker (Caesalpinia bonduc) had the highest citation frequency at 36%
The Annonaceae family dominated at 11% of species; roots prepared as decoctions were the most commonly used plant part and preparation method
Chemical screening of the 8 most-cited plants detected flavonoids, tannins, and coumarins, with all extracts classified as non-toxic in brine shrimp larval tests
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers in southern Benin documented 28 medicinal plant species used by traditional healers to prevent and treat prostate diseases, finding that gray nicker, bamboo, and soursop are the most frequently cited. Chemical screening confirmed the top plants contain flavonoids, tannins, and coumarins with no signs of toxicity, supporting their safety for traditional use while calling for formal pharmacological validation.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used in the treatment of prostate diseases in southern Benin.
<h4>Context</h4>Medicinal plants play an important role in the prevention and treatment of several diseases in Africa. They are the first resort for patients with Prostate Diseases (PD) as soon as ...
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Guilandina bonduc, commonly known as nicker nut amongst other names, is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae that has a mostly pantropical distribution. It is a scrambling, thorny shrub or vine that is mostly found close to coastlines, and was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.