Malaria is a critical health problem in West Africa, where traditional medicine is commonly used alongside modern health care practices. An herbal remedy derived from the roots of a weed, which was traditionally used to alleviate malarial symptoms, was combined with leaves and aerial portions from two other plants with antimalarial activity, formulated as a tea, and eventually licensed and sold as an antimalarial phytomedicine.
The story and challenges behind the development of this plant-based treatment are presented in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Dr. Merlin Willcox (University of Oxford, U.K.), Dr. Zéphirin Dakuyo (Phytofla, Banfora, Burkina Faso), and coauthors discuss the antimalarial and pharmacological properties of the herbal medication derived from Cochlospermum planchonii (a shrubby weed known as N'Dribala), Phyllanthus amarus, and Cassia alata.
The authors provide a unique historical perspective in describing the early evaluation, development, and production of this phytomedicine. They present the ongoing research and challenges in scaling up cultivation and harvesting of the plants and in production of the final product. The article also describes other traditional uses of the medication, such as to treat hepatitis.
Citation: Dakuyo Zéphirin, Meda Aline Lamien, Ollo Da, Kiendrebeogo Martin, Traoré-Coulibaly Maminata, Novak Johannes, Benoit-Vical Françoise, Weisbord Emma, and Willcox Merlin, 'SAYE: The Story of an Antimalarial Phytomedicine from Burkina Faso', The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, doi:10.1089/acm.2014.0147