Adeyemi Oladapo Aremu

• PhD Botany
• Professor at North-West University

This study investigated indigenous farming methods, practices, and crop management strategies used by farmers in local communities within the North West Province, South Africa. A survey was conducted using semi-structured interview guide with 49 participants recruited through the snowball sampling technique. Data were analysed using ethnobotanical...

Extensively utilized by indigenous communities for generations, marula products, particularly the fruit, have successfully transitioned into the commercial market. However, despite the high potential and versatile applications, the marula seeds remain under-explored. Hence, through a hybrid approach (bibliometric analysis and systematic review), th...

Traditional African vegetables have been an integral part of the local diet and traditional medicine practices for generations. However, with the increasing influence of modernisation and urbanisation, the knowledge and utilisation of traditional African vegetables have been gradually diminishing. This study investigated the indigenous knowledge an...

Background Sub-Saharan Africa faces one of the highest burdens of venereal diseases (VDs) globally. This review aims to critically evaluate the existing literature on the diverse Indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants utilised for treating VDs in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-A...

The genus Grewia are known for their medicinal properties. We isolated and characterized five endophytic fungi from Grewialasiocarpa for in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Five [Aspergillus fumigatus (MK243397.1), Aspergillus fumigatus (MK243451.1), Penicillium raistrickii (MK243492.1), Penicillium spinulosum (MK243479.1), Meyerozym...

This review entails a critical appraisal on the potential of plants as alternatives to synthetic chemicals for crop protection, aligning with the global shift towards green-based approaches in agriculture. Utilising a defined set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 235 papers were extracted from Scopus. These articles were analyzed to address spec...

Medicinal plants have been used to treat mental health-related conditions among different ethic groups. Among the commonly used plants in South Africa are Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T.Aiton and Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br. This study aimed at generating the phytochemical profiles, micromorphology, and elemental composition of the leaves of G. f...

The Batswana (Tswana, West Sotho) are part of the Sotho ethnic group found in southern Africa, particularly South Africa and Botswana. Based on their strong interaction with their environment and local flora, the Batswana have a rich ethnobotanical knowledge particularly regarding the use of wild edible plants for food, nutritional and health-promo...

Background Milk is an excellent growth medium for microorganisms due to its nutritive composition. Microorganisms have been implicated in bovine mastitis (BM) in dairy cows as well as causing infections in animals and humans. Despite extensive endeavours to manage BM, this condition continues to persist as the most prevalent and economically burden...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common non-communicable and chronic metabolic disorder regarded as a global epidemic with high morbidity and mortality. Although, conventional medicines are available for the management of DM, Indigenous knowledge, including the use of botanicals, has contributed to the management of this life-threatening disease in Afri...

Citation: Asong, J.A.; Ndhlovu, P.T.; Olatunde, A.; Aremu, A.O. Uses of African Plants and Associated Indigenous Knowledge for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetology 2024, 5, 476-490. https:// Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common non-communicable and chronic metabolic disorder regarded as a global epidemic with high morbidity and...

Introduction: Health issues affecting males remain a public health challenge due to the limited treatments and male health-seeking behaviour. In South Africa, local communities have relied on plant-based therapies to address health issues including those affecting males. This review explored the ethnobotanical and indigenous knowledge of plants use...

Background Pests and diseases are a major contributor to yield losses in sub-Saharan Africa, prompting smallholder farmers to seek cost-effective, accessible and ecologically friendly alternatives for crop protection. This study explored the management of pests and diseases affecting crops across eight selected villages in Ehlanzeni District, Mpuma...

Despite the cultural and nutritional importance associated with locally sourced leafy vegetables, they are largely overlooked and underutilized globally. In this review, we provide an appraisal of the eth-nobotanical uses, biological and chemical profiles of locally available leafy vegetables in South Africa. A comprehensive search was conducted us...

This collection on medical ethnobotany focuses on contributions that explore the invaluable potential associated with the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants, their phytochemical profiling, safety, and efficacy studies as well as their cultural and ecological context. This call for papers is expected to expand the knowledge base on how medicina...

This collection on medical ethnobotany focuses on contributions that explore the invaluable potential associated with the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants, their phytochemical profiling, safety, and efficacy studies as well as their cultural and ecological context. This call for papers is expected to expand the knowledge base on how medicina...

When addressing global development, it is imperative to recognize the relationship between food security and child mortality. Despite the targeted goals of SDGs 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (good health and well-being), Nigeria continues to grapple with relatively high rates of child malnutrition, alongside persistent challenges in child mortality and foo...

Aim: This study aimed to identify and analyze the top 100 most cited digital health and mobile health (m-health) publications. It could aid researchers in the identification of promising new research avenues, additionally supporting the establishment of international scientific collaboration between interdisciplinary research groups with demonstrat...

The high mortality and morbidity resulting from an increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens highlight a crucial need for the development of novel alternative therapy. In the quest for alternative therapy, this study was conducted to synthesise nanoparticles (NPs) from ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) via Melia azedarach...

In this study, 2% chitosan (Ch) (w/v) was enriched with 1% Lippia javanica, Syzygium cordatum, and Ximenia caffra extract to form Ch+L, Ch+S, and Ch+X, respectively. The control film was the chitosan (Ch) film without plant extracts. The composite films were assessed for their antifungal ability using the agar diffusion method against economically...

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that leads to the derangement of carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism as well as the induction of oxidative stress, which is a physiological condition that results in diabetic complications. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory activity of 38 compounds from Ficus palmata (...

Globally, botanicals and associated by-products often provide income that is recognized as an important contributor to livelihoods particularly in rural areas. However, limited data currently exists on the impact of commercializing medicinal plants on livelihoods. Using a dataset collected from 101 indigenous knowledge holders (IKHs) with interest...

In South African traditional medicine, Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T. Aiton, Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C.A. Mey., and Leonotis leonurus. (L.) R.Br. have been recorded among different ethnic groups to be a valuable herbal remedy for the management of depression-related conditions. The current study investigated the affinity of these three p...

Context Globally, sheep productivity is constrained by scarcity of high-quality feed and haemonchosis. These challenges may simultaneously be addressed by valorisation of nutraceutical forage legumes such as sericea lespedeza (SL) into sheep diets. Aim The current study determined the effects of feeding diets containing increasing inclusion levels...

Grewia lasiocarpa E. Mey. Ex Harv., Malvaceae (forest raisin) is a tropical small tree or shrub valued for its ecological importance as well as its nutritional, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cancer properties as well as its ecological and ornamental importance. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes are present on the fruits, stem bark and le...

The global demand for herbal cosmetics is vastly increasing due to their health benefits and relative safety. Glycyrrhiza spp. extracts are used in cosmetic preparations due to their skin-whitening, antisensitizing, and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this work is to computationally evaluate the bioactive constituents of licorice (Glycyrrh...

Childhood diseases remain an increasing health problem in many developing countries and also associated with an enormous financial burden. In South Africa, many people still rely on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. However, inadequate documentation of medicinal plants used to manage childhood diseases remain a prominent gap. Hence...

One of the most serious challenges threatening agricultural sustainability in Nigeria is land degradation. Although this issue has received little attention, soil and water conservation practices have been identified as a possible pathway out of the potential problems posed by land degradation. Therefore, the central research question that this pap...

Plants serve as an important source of medicine and provide suitable candidate compounds to produce eco-friendly therapeutic agents. They also represent a source of bio-reducer and stabilizer for the development of nanoparticles for downstream applications. This study focused on the green synthesis of silver nanoparticle (CTAgNP) using Cullen tomen...

The study evaluated the effects of feeding incremental levels of sericea lespedeza (SL; 0, 62.5, 125, 187.5 and 250 g/kg diet) substituted for lucerne on meat production, quality, and oxidative shelf-life of feedlot lambs infected or non-infected with Haemonchus contortus. There were no diet × infection status, and diet × retail display period effe...

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) act as vectors of a wide variety of human and veterinary pathogens and parasites. In controlling mosquito population, the use of compounds from plants is considered advantageous; they are target-specific and biodegradable. These secondary metabolites are referred to as green pesticides as they are reported to be effi...

The current study investigated the growth, uptake and distribution of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L) grown in soil collected from two sites near Kette-Batouri Goldmines, Eastern Cameroon. Seeds were germinated and grown in the two soil types for 12 weeks under greenhouse conditions. The length of the roots and...

Diarrhea is a condition in which feces is discharged from the bowels frequently and in a liquid form. It is one of the frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The impact of Diarrhea is worsened by the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance among the causative agents, and this is now categorized as a global heal...

Annually, significant crop losses are reported due to diseases caused by phytopathogens. Most subsistence farmers cannot afford the high cost of chemical treatments thereby resulting in the increasing dependence on plant extracts to manage crop diseases. In this study, we documented plants used for the management of cabbage and spinach diseases in...

Context Cancer bush (Lessertia frutescens L.) is a multipurpose medicinal legume endemic to southern Africa, reported to grow in a variety of soils, from very poor to fertile ones. However, there is limited knowledge on how L. frutescens is able to thrive in diverse soils and, particularly, nothing has been reported on the benefits from the microbe...

Colleagues, You are kindly welcome to submit your research

Dear Colleagues, You are kindly invited to submit your research to this special issue.

Spiny monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.) is one of the neglected indigenous fruit trees occurring in tropical and subtropical Africa. This chapter provides a critical appraisal of the nutritional composition, phytochemical content and health-promoting attributes of Strychnos spinosa. Spiny monkey orange remains a commonly consumed edible fruit...

Antibiotics are regularly used in animal husbandry to treat diseases. This practice is beneficial to animals’ health and helps ensure food security. However, the misuse of antibiotics, especially in food-producing animals, has resulted in the advent of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its dissemination among foodborne pathogens. The occurrence of...

The book is an evidence-based reference about biochemical mechanisms of action of plant secondary metabolites. It conveys an understanding about how plant-based therapies work, and explains their role in the treatment of complementary and alternative medicine for in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, microbial infection...

Purpose Soil acidity and nutrient stress are the major abiotic factors affecting crop production thus contributing to food insecurity. Some plants including crop legumes may thrive in such poor conditions by regulating their secondary metabolites. In this study, we investigated how four Vigna unguiculata varieties regulated their phenolic acid conc...

Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is one of the most important natural products in the genus Capsicum. Due to its numerous biological effects, there has been extensive and increasing research interest in capsaicin, resulting in increased scientific publications in recent years. Therefore, an in-depth bibliometric analysis of published li...

Purpose Legumes have been used to improve soil fertility however, most legume research focuses on crop and not forage legumes. Forage legumes, including Pisum sativum L., increase the nutritional value in pastures and provide high amounts of soil protein and minerals required for plant growth. We investigated the effects of varying soil compositio...

Ethnoveterinary practices and ethnobotanical knowledge serve as potential therapeutic approaches used to manage and prevent cattle diseases within poor communities in developing nations. Most of the knowledge and practices remain inadequately documented and threatened with extinction in the future. This study aimed to explore the ethnoveterinary pr...

Citation: Chakale, M.V.; Asong, J.A.; Struwig, M.; Mwanza, M.; Aremu, A.O. Ethnoveterinary Practices and Ethnobotanical Knowledge on Plants Used against Cattle Diseases among

Globally, the search for safe and potent natural-based treatment for depression is receiving renewed interest given the numerous side-effects associated with many existing drugs. In South Africa, the use of plants to manage depression and related symptoms is fairly documented among different ethnic groups. In the current study, we reviewed existing...

In the past few decades, biostimulants have emerged as new and promising products able to increase crop yields and quality through efficient nutrient uptake, assimilation and translocation, water use, and the promotion of crop tolerance towards environmental factors. Although there is a large body of knowledge on the application of biostimulants in...

Bovine mastitis (BM) is the traditional infectious condition in reared cattle which may result in serious repercussions ranging from animal welfare to economic issues. Owing to the high costs associated with preventative practices and therapeutic measures, lower milk output, and early culling, bovine mastitis is accountable for most of the financia...

Our remodelled research agenda suggests setting priorities that outline a clear framework for making decisions on current and future research activities. We propose collaborative and collective global approaches to maximize our joint efforts, especially among early-career researchers (ECRs), to remodel research agendas for the ultimate benefit of h...

The potential value of the efficient utilization of rural lands to cultivate indigenous fruits and vegetables to improve the livelihood of farming households cannot be overemphasized. Using primary data from 400 randomly selected rural farming households in Ondo State, Nigeria, this study applied probit regression, principal component analysis (PCA...

Harvesting of medicinal plants in the wild has an impact on sustainability of medicinal plants, which leads to the need for intervention in terms of conservation strategies. Siphonochilus aethiopicus, commonly known as African ginger or wild ginger is used to cure a variety of health conditions/illnesses, such as coughs, colds, asthma, nausea, head...

Plants including indigenous/naturalised fruits and vegetables (IFVs) have the potential towards meeting the food and nutrition needs of humans. Currently, IFVs are threatened by human activities such as deforestation, environmental degradation and acculturation. As a result, the need for ethnobotanical surveys that focuses on the documentation of I...

Traditional medicine is typically the most accessible primary healthcare for a large proportion of the people in Nigeria. However, its potential remains under-explored, especially with regards to their documentation. This research investigated and documented the use of medicinal plants in the management of various health conditions/diseases among l...

Purpose Soil acidity and nutrient stress in grassland and savanna ecosystems are the major abiotic factors affecting crop production thus contributing to food insecurity. Some plants including crop legumes may thrive in acidic and nutrient stressed soil environments by regulating their secondary metabolites. In this study, we investigated how four...

Biostimulant application during the cultivation of underutilized crops is an environmental-friendly approach for their production and utilization to promote food security and human health. This study investigated the effect of two commercial biostimulants (a seaweed-based extract, Kelpak® (1:100, 1:40, and 1:20, dilutions), and plant growth promoti...

The high diversity and occurrence of Aloe species in African landscapes often translates to their frequent utilisation for meeting the medicinal needs for human health and well-being. In addition, their value in ethnoveterinary medicine has been intermittently indicated amongst ethnic groups in Africa. This review entails a critical analysis on the...

The Brachystelma genus (family: Apocynaceae) consists of geophytes that are traditionally utilised among rural communities, especially in East Africa, southern Africa, West Africa, and northern and western India. Apart from being used as a food source, they are indicated as treatment for ailments such as colds, chest pains, and wounds. This review...

The use of medicinal plants for contraception remains a common practice among South African ethnic groups. The present study assessed the phytochemical profile, cytotoxicity, acute oral toxicity and efficacy of a herbal mixture used for contraception by the Batswana of South Africa. An aqueous extract was prepared from equal quantities (in terms of...

Purpose Vigna unguiculata is a staple food with high nutritional value and commonly consumed among many rural communities in South Africa. Its success in low nutrient soil has been attributed to the establishment of efficient symbioses with soil bacteria and fungi. We investigated how legume-microbe symbiosis affect nitrogen (N) nutrition, and grow...

Climatic change is often manifested as changes in the intensity, frequency, and extent of abnormally low or high thresholds of factors such as temperature, precipitation, radiation, and concentrations of atmospheric gases. These changes will eventually extend to a state where it will be difficult to ameliorate the impact of those factors in agricul...

Globally, the potential of medicinal plants is increasingly being recognized due to their relative availability, particularly in rural areas. This review explored the ethnobotanical and economic values of six selected medicinal plants widely used to treat and manage childhood diseases in South Africa. Acalypha glabrata, Aloe maculata, Datura stramo...

Strychnos spinosa Lam. is among the top nutrient-dense indigenous fruit species that are predominant in Southern Africa. It is a highly ranked indigenous fruit based on the nutrition and sensorial properties, which make it an important food source for the marginalized rural people. On the basis of the high vitamin C, iron, and zinc content, it has...

Ipomoea oblongata is a popular plant known for its diverse therapeutic uses in South African folk medicine but currently has limited empirical evidence to support some of these uses. In the current study, we evaluated the in vitro anti-diabetic and cytotoxic effects of the root extracts of Ipomoea oblongata. Methanol and water extracts were tested...

In South Africa, traditional medicine remains the first point of call for a significant proportion of the population seeking primary healthcare needs. This is particularly important for treating common conditions including pain and inflammation which are often associated with many disease conditions. This review focuses on the analysis of the trend...

Mucuna pruriens is a legume with high nitrogen (N) fixing efficiency which makes it an ideal plant for soil N inputs/enrichment in nutrient-poor ecosystems. The current study investigated how soil nutrient availability and microbe symbiosis influence the nutrient assimilation rates, growth carbon (C) cost and phytochemicals in Mucuna pruriens under...

Globally, the use of ethnoveterinary medicine as remedies for animal health among different ethnic groups justify the need for a systematic exploration to enhance their potential. In addition, the increasing popularity and utilisation of woody plants remain common in traditional medicine, which may be attributed to their inherent benefits. The curr...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Spiny monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.) is an African endemic fruit tree which is widely consumed by humans and animals for its nutritional value. In folk medicine, different parts of the plant are widely used for the management of the health and well-being of humans and livestock. Aim We provide a critical appr...