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Elsevier

Antiviral African Medicinal Plants: Families, Species, and Therapeutic Applications

  • 1st Edition, Volume 121 - February 1, 2027
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Victor Kuete, Fabio daMatta
  • Language: English

Antiviral African Medicinal Plants: Families, Species, and Therapeutic Applications is a comprehensive scholarly volume that systematically explores the rich pharmacopeia of Africa… Read more

Description

Antiviral African Medicinal Plants: Families, Species, and Therapeutic Applications is a comprehensive scholarly volume that systematically explores the rich pharmacopeia of African flora as a source of antiviral agents. Organized by plant families and species, it integrates ethnopharmacological traditions with modern phytochemical and pharmacological evidence, highlighting the therapeutic potential of diverse classes of natural products. The book provides critical analyses of structural diversity, mechanisms of action, and translational challenges, while emphasizing the cultural relevance and accessibility of medicinal plants in African healthcare systems. By bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary biomedical research, the volume offers a harmonized framework for advancing African medicinal plants into scientifically validated antiviral therapies. It serves as both a reference for researchers and a roadmap for interdisciplinary collaboration in drug discovery, public health, and ethnomedicine.

Key features

  • Systematic coverage of African flora: The book organizes antiviral medicinal plants by families and species, offering a structured and harmonized framework that bridges ethnopharmacological traditions with modern biomedical evidence.
  • Integration of phytochemistry and pharmacology: It provides detailed analyses of bioactive compounds, mechanisms of antiviral action, and therapeutic applications, making it a valuable reference for drug discovery and translational research.
  • Cultural and healthcare relevance: By emphasizing the accessibility and traditional use of medicinal plants in African communities, the volume underscores their role in public health and highlights pathways for scientific validation and global recognition

Readership

The audience for Antiviral African Medicinal Plants: Families, Species, and Therapeutic Applications encompasses academic researchers such as pharmacognosists, virologists, ethnobotanists, and biomedical scientists seeking rigorous insights into plant-derived antivirals; healthcare professionals including clinicians, public health experts, and policymakers interested in integrating traditional medicinal knowledge with modern antiviral strategies, especially in resource-limited settings; graduate and postgraduate students in biochemistry, pharmacology, virology, and global health programs who require structured knowledge linking molecular science with ethnomedicinal practices; and policy and development stakeholders such as institutions, NGOs, and governmental bodies focused on global health, drug discovery, and the recognition of African medicinal plants within healthcare frameworks, making the volume a cross-disciplinary resource equally valuable for advancing scientific research, clinical practice, and policy innovation.

Table of contents

1. African Nutraceutical Plants as Complementary Antiviral Interventions
Victor Kuete

2. Potential of African plants in combating viral diarrheal diseases.
Jason B. T. Kuete and Victor Kuete

3. Antiviral Potential of African Asteraceae: Traditional Knowledge and Modern Perspectives
Victor Kuete

4. Combretaceae Family as a Promising Source of Antiviral Agents in African Traditional Medicine
Victor Kuete

5. African Moraceae as Sources of Antiviral Agents
Victor Kuete

6. African Myrtaceae in Antiviral Research and Therapy
Victor Kuete

7. Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R. Dahlgren (Fabaceae): A Source of Antiviral Lead Compounds
Victor Kuete

8. Exploring the Antiviral Potential of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae)
Victor Kuete

9. Carissa edulis Vahl (Apocynaceae): A Medicinal Plant with Promising Antiviral Potential
Victor Kuete

10. Antiviral Potential of Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. (Ebenaceae)
Victor Kuete

11. Review of the antiviral potential of Eucalyptus spp
Victor Kuete and Derick J. Assonfack

12. Antiviral Potential of the African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Arecaceae)
Jenifer R. N. Kuete and Victor Kuete

13. Garcinia kola Heckel (Bitter Kola, Guttiferae): Ethnomedicinal Relevance and Antiviral Potential
Jeffrey R. M. Kuete and Victor Kuete

14. Review of the antiviral potential of Helichrysum spp. (Asteraceae)
Derick J. Assonfack and Victor Kuete

15. Hyptis pectinata (L.) Poit. (Lamiaceae): Phytochemistry and Ethnopharmacological Insights into Antiviral Potential
Victor Kuete

16. Antiviral Insights into Ipomoea involucrata P.Beauv. (Convolvulaceae)
Victor Kuete

17. Antiviral Perspectives on Lannea schweinfurthii (Engl.) Engl. (Anacardiaceae)
Victor Kuete

18. Momordica balsamina L. (Cucurbitaceae) as a Source of Antiviral Agents
Victor Kuete

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Volume: 121
  • Published: February 1, 2027
  • Language: English

About the editors

VK

Victor Kuete

Professor Victor Kuete is a distinguished Cameroonian scientist and Full Professor of Pharmacognosy at the University of Dschang, where he also serves as Director of the Centre for Study, Research, and Development of Natural Resources and Technologies. His career spans over two decades of groundbreaking research in natural product pharmacology, with a particular focus on African medicinal plants as sources of antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer agents. Kuete’s research program emphasizes the mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds, especially against multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes, and has contributed significantly to the global understanding of ethnopharmacology. He has authored more than 500 scientific publications, over 120 book chapters, and several influential books, including Medicinal Plant Research in Africa (2013), Biodiversity, Natural Products and Cancer Treatment (2014), Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants (2014), and African Medicinal Spices and Vegetables (2017). His more recent works, such as African Plants to Fight Bacterial Resistance (2023) and African Plant-Based Products as a Source of Potent Drugs to Overcome Cancers and Their Chemoresistance (2024–2025), further consolidate his reputation as a leading voice in pharmacognosy. Internationally, Kuete has been awarded numerous prestigious fellowships, including TWAS (2007), AUF (2008), DAAD (2009), Alexander von Humboldt (2012–2014, 2015–2018), and Tubitak (2016). These fellowships facilitated collaborations with leading scientists across Europe, Asia, and Africa, strengthening his global research network. His work has been widely cited, with over 26,000 citations and an h-index above 95, placing him among the top 100 African scientists according to the AD Scientific Index. Beyond research, Professor Kuete plays a vital role in mentorship and academic leadership, having supervised dozens of Master’s and PhD theses, many of whose graduates now hold senior academic positions across Africa. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Investigational Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, alongside editorial roles in several international journals, reinforcing his influence in shaping the field of ethnopharmacology and drug discovery. Professor Kuete’s career exemplifies the integration of traditional African medicine with modern pharmacological science, positioning him as a global leader in the search for novel therapeutic agents to address pressing health challenges such as cancer, infectious diseases, and drug resistance.

Affiliations and expertise
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

Fd

Fabio daMatta

Fábio M. DaMatta is an agronomist and received his D.Sc. degree in 1995 in plant physiology from the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, where he is currently a Full Professor of Plant Physiology at the Plant Biology Department. Dr. DaMatta is the author or co-author of more than 200 research articles and book chapters, most of which deal with the ecophysiology of the coffee tree. Over his career, he advised 42 postgraduate students and supervised 11 postdocs. He served as a consulting member of the Brazilian Consortium for Coffee Research and Development (1998-2010), as Editor-in-Chief of the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology (2006-2008), and as the coordinator of the leading Latin American Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (Federal University of Viçosa; 2008-2023). Dr. DaMatta serves on multiple research networks and holds associate editor positions at prominent plant physiology and agriculture journals. His current H-index is 55 (Scopus). Over the last three years, Prof. DaMatta features in the list of world's most influential scientists, as compiled by Stanford University and published by Elsevier.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Plant Physiology, Plant Biology Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil