Review of Experimental Pharmacological Studies of Plants Used for Asthma Management in Africa

Objectives: The aim was to contribute to the promotion of medicinal plants used in Africa for management of asthma by analyzing their experimental pharmacological evaluation data. Methods: We carried out a systematic review of the literature based on the following research equations in English and in French: « médecine traditionnelle africaine » ET « asthma » ; « African traditional medicine » AND « asthma » or « Medicine African traditional » AND « asthma » ; « plantes médicinales » ET « asthma » ET « antispasmodique » ; «medicinal plants » AND « asthma » AND « anti-spasmodic » ; « plantes médicinales » ET « asthma » ET « anti-inflammatoire » ; «medicinal plants » AND « asthma » AND « anti-inflammatory ». Results: The study revealed 184 medicinal plants used in Africa for the treatment of asthma, 34 of which showed pharmacological properties in favor of their use. In animal experiments, 18 of these plants exerted a spasmolytic effect, 22 an anti-inflammatory effect and 6 both effects. The spasmolytic activity study protocols were based primarily on inhibition of smooth airway muscle contraction, including trachea, induced by various spasmogenic agents. As for of the methods used to study anti-inflammatory activity, the majority of them consisted of tests for carrageenan-induced edema or for formalin-induced leg irritation. Conclusion: Our results justify the need for standardization of experimental study protocols for the recovery of medicinal plants