Phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of Pleiospermium Alatum (Wall Ex. Wight and Arn.) Swingle (Rutaceae) and Balanites Aegyptiaca (L.) Del (Balanitaceae)

Abstract

Popular knowledge of plants which can be used by humans is based on thousands of years experience. By quottrial and errorquot, people learnt how to recognize and use plants including those with a magic religious function (Rodrigues et al., 2003). Traditional medicine or ethnomedicine is a set of empirical practices embedded in the knowledge of a social group often transmitted orally from generation to generation with the intent to solve health problems. It is an alternative to Western medicine and is strongly linked to religious beliefs and practices of indigenous cultures. Medicinal plant lore or herbal medicine is a major component of traditional medicine. Traditional medicine (TM) occupies an important place in the health care systems of developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 80% of health care needs in these countries are met through traditional health care practices. The people in developing countries depend on TM, because it is cheaper and more accessible than Orthodox Medicine (OM) (Sofowora, 1993; Luoga et al., 2000 and World Health Organisation, 2002). Traditional medicine is also acceptable than OM because it blends readily into the people s Socio-cultural life