South Africa boasts high biodiversity among its flora and this is associated with many undiscovered medicinal plants with therapeutic potential. To target this untapped resource, the first step is to introduce these species to a wider spectrum of audience, be they the academics who carry out research, students interested in holistic medicine and healing, or those working in the natural product industry. In this work, we document a list of medicinal plants from Sub-Saharan Africa that have been underestimated in their therapeutic value and not thoroughly studied. Our book contains the recent scientific studies and validation on the individual plants. Written and organised in an easily accessible way, each entry includes specific information on the plant's distribution, traditional usage and their phytochemical content.
In summary, this book introduces new and exciting plants of Sub-Saharan Africa in a comprehensive and well-thought-out format for academia, pharmacists, clinicians, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, traditional healers, industry and the general experienced or novice botanist.
Professor Namrita Lall is a distinguished scientist in the field of Medicinal Plant Science at the University of Pretoria. She is internationally recognized as a leading scholar in the field of phytomedicine and ethnopharmacology, which is reflected by her various appointments, namely, as an adjunct Professor at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri (USA), and as a senior research fellow at the Bio-Tech R&D Institute in Jamaica, and as an adjunct faculty at JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mauritius.
Due to her large contribution to the field, she has been placed in the Essential Science Indicators list of the top 1% of publication output contributors (based on citations) within the disciplines of pharmacology and toxicology. She is internationally renowned for her research into the potential of medicinal plants for pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical purposes and has received numerous awards for her outputs thereof. These awards, just to name a few include "The Order of Mapungubwe", South Africa‟s highest honour from the Honourable South African President Jacob Zuma, Distinguished Young Women in Science Award by the Honourable minister of the Science and Technology of South Africa Naledi Pandor, a bare testament to her immense contribution to the scientific community.
Her significant research contribution to the investigation of several medicinal plants has led to the discovery of valuable pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products in addition to the granting of many national and international patents. She has co-authored more than 185 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and more than 70 book chapters. In addition to this, she has edited four books, namely, "Medicinal Plants for Holistic Health and Well-being", "Underexplored Medicinal Plants from Sub Saharan Africa", "Aquatic plants: Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic applications" and "Medicinal Plants for Cosmetic, Health and Diseases". Prof Lall has presented numerous keynotes and plenary talks at various international conferences.
Dr Anna-Mari Kok is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pretoria who specialises in utilising medicinal plants as an alternative treatment for tuberculosis. She has been awarded numerous bursaries including the George Farrar bursary by the National Research Foundation (NRF), the NRF Scarce Skill bursary and the NRF Innovation bursary. Furthermore, she received the best poster award at the Indigenous Plant Use Form conference (2014) and is a member of the Golden Key Honour Society. As of current, she has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publication outputs and has presented at various national and international research conferences.
