The potential of medicinal plants in sickle cell disease control: A review

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been a source of succour in the control of many diseases in developing countries and sickle cell disease is no exception. The lower strata of the population living in developing countries rely heavily on traditional medicine due to their cultural alignment as well as their inability to afford the cost of treatment offered by orthodox medical practitioners. Myths fuelled by cultural beliefs are also issues to contend with. For example, childhood deaths within a family were always attributed to some evil forces in the traditional African setting. The advent of Western medicine changed all that when the real causes of many of such deaths became apparent.

     In different parts of the world especially in Africa andAsiawith high incidence of the sickle cell disease, the people have learnt to manage the problem using plants which are God’s gift of nature. Crude extracts from plants have been used in treating an array of diseases since ancient times  although, the bioactive components of such plants remain largely unknown. Various advances in scientific research on the use of plants and herbs brought the beneficial aspects of traditional medicine and the rational for their uses to the limelight. This review seeks to spotlight the intervention of medicinal plants in the management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by traditional healers and the underlying principles in their usage.