Screening of medicinal plants used in Lesotho for anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activity

Traditional healers and herbalists from Lesotho were interviewed about plants used in traditional remedies by the Sotho. Plant roots are most often used to make water extracts. Mainly high altitude plants are used, with lowland healers obtaining most of their plant material from the highlands, either by collecting them or buying them from highland gatherers. As a result of ethnobotanical data obtained, leaves and roots of 12 plants were extracted using hexane, methanol and water, respectively and the extracts screened for anti-inflammatory activity using the cyclo-oxygenase bioassay. Six species yielded inhibitory activity above 90%. Hexane and methanol leaf and root extracts were the most active. Leaves and roots of 16 plants were extracted using hexane, methanol and water and the respective extracts screened for anti-bacterial activity using the disc-diffusion assay. Six species displayed very high anti-bacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. A number of plant extracts had medium inhibitory activity, mostly against gram-positive bacteria. The activity was mainly found in the root extracts. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.