Indigenous Medicinal Plants Administered for the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza
Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana 
Issue: Vol.3 No.12 November 2022 Article 6 pp.589-596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20223126 | Published online 22nd November 2022.
© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Influenza infection remains the most contagious disease and was recently linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. More research is currently designed to explore the potential benefits of indigenous plant-derived medicine to prevent and cure influenza. The purpose of this study was to determine medicinal plants used to treat influenza from a list of 89 plant species identified during previous ethnobotanical research conducted between 2012 and 2019. The study was conducted among four rural communities of Bapedi in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data. The study findings indicate that influenza is a seasonal and highly spread illness. The most often used methods of preventing influenza susceptibility were fumigating one’s residence and courtyard with indigenous plant-derived remedies, administering infusions and decoctions orally, as well as therapeutic steam and incense. Isolation is another method of avoiding influenza from spreading to other family members. Currently, this method is being used to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s results augment existing data about indigenous plant-derived medicines that show promise in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, plant-derived medicine, influenza, pandemic, COVID-19
Birch, Stephen, Terje Alraek, and Sascha Gröbe. “Reflections on the Potential Role of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of COVID-19 and Subsequent Health Problems.” Integrative Medicine Research 10 (2021): 100780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2021.100780.
Ding, Yuewen, Lijuan Zeng, Runfeng Li, Qiaoyan Chen, Beixian Zhou, Qiaolian Chen, Pui leng Cheng, et al. “The Chinese Prescription Lianhuaqingwen Capsule Exerts Anti-Influenza Activity through the Inhibition of Viral Propagation and Impacts Immune Function.” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 17, no. 1 (December 24, 2017): 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1585-7.
Gammon, John, and Julian Hunt. “A Review of Isolation Practices and Procedures in Healthcare Settings.” British Journal of Nursing 27, no. 3 (February 8, 2018): 137–40. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2018.27.3.137.
Lawal, Ibraheem Oduola, Ikeolu Idowu Olufade, Basirat Olabisi Rafiu, and Adeyemi O. Aremu. “Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used for Treating Cough Associated with Respiratory Conditions in Ede South Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.” Plants 9, no. 5 (May 20, 2020): 647. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050647.
Mathes, Angelo, and Renee Bellanger. “Herbs and Other Dietary Supplements.” Journal of Pharmacy Practice 23, no. 2 (April 11, 2010): 117–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0897190009358711.
Mehrbod, Parvaneh, Muna A. Abdalla, Emmanuel M. Njoya, Aroke S. Ahmed, Fatemeh Fotouhi, Behrokh Farahmand, Dorcas A. Gado, et al. “South African Medicinal Plant Extracts Active against Influenza A Virus.” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 18, no. 1 (December 27, 2018): 112. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-018-2184-y.
Mhlongo, L.S., and B.-E. Van Wyk. “Zulu Medicinal Ethnobotany: New Records from the Amandawe Area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.” South African Journal of Botany 122 (May 2019): 266–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.02.012.
Mousa, Haider Abdul-Lateef. “Prevention and Treatment of Influenza, Influenza-Like Illness, and Common Cold by Herbal, Complementary, and Natural Therapies.” Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine 22, no. 1 (January 22, 2017): 166–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587216641831.
Qi, Fanghua, and Wei Tang. “Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Novel Infectious Diseases: Current Status and Dilemma.” BioScience Trends 15, no. 4 (August 31, 2021): 2021.01263. https://doi.org/10.5582/bst.2021.01263.
Raal, Ain, Daisy Volmer, Renata Sõukand, Sofia Hratkevitš, and Raivo Kalle. “Complementary Treatment of the Common Cold and Flu with Medicinal Plants – Results from Two Samples of Pharmacy Customers in Estonia.” PLoS ONE 8, no. 3 (March 6, 2013): e58642. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058642.
Rajasekaran, Dhivya, Enzo A. Palombo, Tiong Chia Yeo, Diana Lim Siok Ley, Chu Lee Tu, Francois Malherbe, and Lara Grollo. “Identification of Traditional Medicinal Plant Extracts with Novel Anti-Influenza Activity.” PLoS ONE 8, no. 11 (November 27, 2013): e79293. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079293.
Ren, Jun-ling, Ai-Hua Zhang, and Xi-Jun Wang. “Traditional Chinese Medicine for COVID-19 Treatment.” Pharmacological Research 155 (May 2020): 104743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104743.
Rensburg, H. C. J. Van. Health and Health Care in South Africa. Hatfield, Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers, 2004. https://www.worldcat.org/title/health-and-health-care-in-south-africa/oclc/56127962.
Sommerfeld, Johannes. “Social Dimensions of Infectious Diseases.” In International Encyclopedia of Public Health , edited by Stella R. Quah. United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2017.
Wang, Fu-Sheng, and Chao Zhang. “What to Do next to Control the 2019-NCoV Epidemic?” The Lancet 395 (February 1, 2020): 391–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30300-7.
World Health Organization. “Influenza,” 2003. https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/standards-and-specifications/vaccine-standardization/influenza.
Yoshino, Tetsuhiro, Ryutaro Arita, Yuko Horiba, and Kenji Watanabe. “The Use of Maoto (Ma-Huang-Tang), a Traditional Japanese Kampo Medicine, to Alleviate Flu Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 19, no. 1 (December 18, 2019): 68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2474-z.
Professor Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana is an established researcher in the field of medical anthropology with special focus on medical ethnobotany, food security and climate change.
Rankoana, S.A. “Indigenous Medicinal Plants Administered for the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 3, no.12 (2022):589-596. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20223126
© 2022 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Featured
Others