Potential of Cameroonian Plants and Derived Products against Microbial Infections: A Review

In Cameroon, infectious diseases are amongst the most commonly notified diseases and largest cause of mortality. Many plants are used locally in traditional medicine for their treatment. The aim of the present review is to summarize currently available evidence and knowledge concerning Cameroonian plants used to treat bacterial and fungal infections, and the efficacy of plant-derived extracts and compounds. The traditional uses of plants in the treatment of infectious diseases have been collected and tabulated. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts and the chemical constituents of most of these plants are summarized in this report. Plants used traditionally in Cameroonian medicine, with laboratory work on any part or products, have been documented. Numerous extracts and compounds have been tested for antimycobacterial, antibacterial and antifungal efficacy and some of them were significantly active. Most of the bioactive compounds isolated were phenolics and alkaloids. In conclusion, many plant species are used in traditional medicine in Cameroon to treat infectious diseases, and several interesting openings have originated for further inquiry following in vitro antimicrobial activity evaluation. However, much work is still to be done to standardize methods and cut-off points for describing the antimicrobial activity, and on the study of the mechanisms of action.