Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
In a study conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), it was established that
antioxidant nutrients found in vegetables could prevent chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes
mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The evaluation of 244 T2DM patients (56.6%
female) 48 ± 16 years old found that cassava leaves and dried red bean intake, rich in antioxidants,
were protective factors against MetS presence, while females, high socioeconomic status, and phys-
ical inactivity were independent risk factors for MetS.
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SKIN DISEaSES aND CUtaNEOUS INFECtIONS
Africa is blessed with a tropical environment, and skin infections are very common. Treatment
of skin infections is often prescribed by laypeople who are knowledgeable in the use of herbs for
skin care. Rashes and scabies are usually ascribed to bewitched farmlands, poisonous plants, and
sometimes malicious magic or juju from one's enemy. Sometimes, physical causes such as worms,
histamine, and fungus are recognized, and the patient is treated with herbs only. The following
plants are the most frequently prescribed herbs for the treatment of skin diseases:
Acalypha ornata
Pentas longijlora
Cardiospermum africana
Polygala erio
Cardiospermum halicacabum
Pseudovigna argentea
Crabbea velutina
Rhus vulgaris
Croton macrostachys
Rhynchosia viscosa
Cyphostremma spp.
Ricinus communis
Dorstenia scaphigera
Solanum nigrum
Eleusine coracana
Spathodea campanulata
Euphorbia hirta
Synaedenium spp.
Galium spp.
Vismia orientalis
Ludwigia erecta
Withania somnifera
The traditional healers seem to appreciate the contagious nature of certain viral diseases that
produce skin rashes and eruptions, such as smallpox, chicken pox, and measles. It was the practice
to set aside a “sick bush” or, in some communities, a “bad bush” where such patients were treated.
The “isolation center” was usually situated well away from the village, and only one person, usually
someone who had already had the disease, was allowed to attend the patient; others were prohibited
from the bush. The patient was expected to survive or die in this bush. It was also customary to bury
people who died from unknown diseases in the bad bush. The treatment for such viral skin infection
consists of giving the patient a certain prescribed diet and applying soothing topical preparations,
such as oils, clay, and herbal pastes, to reduce the itching and therefore prevent scratching that could
lead to superinfection. In Igboland, measles and chicken pox are also treated by applying a dye
made from the fruits of various species of
Rothmania
. The dye gives a very dark pigmentation to
the skin and is sometimes applied as a skin decoration.
arrOW aND OrDEaL POISONS
The dreaded arrow and ordeal poisons of Africa have provided modern medicine with some
potent therapeutic agents for the fight against diseases. Notable examples are curare, used as a
muscle relaxant; oubain, which is a cardiotonic; ibogaine, used in the treatment of drug addic-
tion; and physostigmine, prescribed for the management of glaucoma. Although these drugs are
