Plants Used as Anticancer Agents in the Ethiopian Traditional Medical Practices: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed at examining the use patterns of Ethiopian anticancer traditional medicinal plants (MPs) in view of recommending further validation studies.

The information was retrieved from PubMed according to the PRISMA guideline. The electronic library of Addis Ababa University and relevant church-based religious books were also inspected for additional data.

From 34 studies meeting specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, 119 anticancer MP species distributed in 98 genera and 57 families were recorded. Fabaceae (10.92 %) and Euphorbiaceae (10.08 %) were the most widely used families. Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae) was the most frequently used anticancer MP species. Shrubs (42.02 %) and herbs (35.29 %) were dominant growth forms. About 89.08 % of the MPs were collected from wild habitats. Leaves (33.73 %) and roots (27.11 %) were the most frequently harvested parts. The most favored routes were dermal (33.33 %) and oral (29.25 %). About 87.07 % preparations were made from fresh plant materials. Breast cancer and skin cancer were treated with 14 % and 10.76 % of anticancer MPs, respectively.

The review showed that anticancer MPs are widely used across the regions of Ethiopia. Most of the MPs are not scientifically experimented and yet are at a higher vulnerability to loss mainly by human activities. Calling for conservation measures, we recommend experimental validation of the frequently used anticancer MPs. This augments global anticancer drug researches.