Medicinal plants are sources of crude traditional herbal medicines that are utilized to reduce the risk of, treat, or manage diseases in most indigenous communities. This is due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is estimated that about 80% of the population in developing countries rely on herbal traditional medicines for healthcare. This signifies the need for traditional herbal medicines, which are polyherbal formulations prepared by traditional health practitioners. This review examines preparatory steps to extract bioactive phytoconstituents and post-extraction processes to increase the potency of the extracted bioactive phytoconstituents. Achieving this will allow for the reduced use of plant materials and promote the sustainable use of the limited resource of medicinal plants, especially in our South African context. Electronic ethnobotanical books and online databases were used to find studies that focus on phytoconstituent extraction and post-extraction processing to enhance the potency of the extracted bioactive phytoconstituents. Modification of the extracted bioactive phytoconstituents to synthesize daughter compounds facilitates an enhancement in their potency and bioavailability. Based on the data collected through this review, the importance of understanding the properties of the targeted phytoconstituents is essential in selecting the required extraction method. This determines the quality and yield of extracted bioactive phytoconstituents.

(1) Background: The utilization of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes is of great importance to the health of the indigenous population on the African continent. The high cost of orthodox conventional medicines coupled with the perceived side effects encourages the high patronage of indigenous medicinal plants in the management of this metabolic disorder. We conducted a review on the indigenous African medicinal plants that could be useful in preclinical and clinical trials in the field of diabetes mellitus research. (2) Methods: Data were mined from research articles published and associated with the use of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes on the African continent (from January 2019 to March 2024). Literature from ethnobotanical studies on the African continent was searched from the Google Scholar, SCOPUS, Medline, Web of Science and PubMed databases. We employed the following keywords: “indigenous plants”, “diabetes in Africa” and “antidiabetic effect of medicinal plants”. (3) Results: A total of 52 medicinal plants belonging to 31 families were recorded in this study. Amaryllidaceae (14.28%), Fabaceae (9.52%) and Asteraceae (9.52%) were the most cited plant families. The frequently used indigenous medicinal plants on the African continent were Allium sativum L. (n = 6), Olea europaea L. (n = 6), Azadirachta indica A. Juss (n = 5), Allium cepa L. (n = 5) and Moringa oleifera Lam. (n = 5). The highly cited parts of the plant used in the management of diabetes were the leaves (45.55%), bark (14.44%) and bulbs (12.22%). The preferred methods of the preparation of herbal medicines were decoction (45.23%) and infusion (25%). Oral (52.32%) was the preferred route of the administration of herbal medicine on the African continent. (4) Conclusions: The data revealed some similarities in the way countries on the African continent manage diabetes. This interesting observation will assist in our quest towards obtaining a standardized protocol using indigenous medicinal plants to combat diseases on the African continent.

Postprandial hyperglycemia represents a critical therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), requiring interventions that simultaneously address glycemic dysregulation and oxidative stress. This study evaluated the anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant properties of Sclerocarya birrea leaf crude extract (CE) and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Phytochemical screening, nanoparticle characterization (UV–Vis, XRD, TEM, SEM, DLS, FTIR), enzyme inhibition assays (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, DPP-IV), glucose dynamics in Caco-2 cells, and antioxidant assays (DPPH, total antioxidant capacity, H₂O₂ cytoprotection) were performed. Phytochemical analysis identified flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and terpenoids as major constituents of Sclerocarya birrea leaf extract. AgNPs exhibited spherical morphology (36.8 ± 8.6 nm, n = 100 particles analyzed), face-centered cubic crystallinity (crystallite size: 32.1 nm), and characteristic surface plasmon resonance at 451 nm. Both formulations inhibited α-amylase (CE IC₅₀: 14 µg/mL; AgNPs IC₅₀: 14.07 µg/mL, n = 3) and α-glucosidase (CE IC₅₀: 15.96 µg/mL; AgNPs IC₅₀: 15.82 µg/mL, n = 3), showing substantial inhibition, though less potent than acarbose. Uniquely, AgNPs demonstrated selective DPP-IV inhibition (IC₅₀: 220.5 µg/mL, n = 3, p < 0.001 vs. CE), completely absent in CE. In antioxidant assays, DPPH scavenging potency was comparable between formulations (CE IC₅₀: 23.45 µg/mL; AgNPs IC₅₀: 22.26 µg/mL, n = 3), while CE achieved higher maximal scavenging at the tested concentrations. Conversely, AgNPs provided superior intracellular cytoprotection against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in kidney cells (80.2 ± 2.1% viability at 76 µg/mL vs. CE 69.8 ± 3.4% at 190 µg/mL, n = 3, p < 0.001), representing a 2.5-fold dose advantage. Neither formulation significantly altered glucose uptake or SGLT1 expression in intestinal epithelial cells (p > 0.05, two-way ANOVA, n = 3). These findings establish S. birrea-based formulations, particularly AgNPs, as promising multifunctional candidates for managing postprandial hyperglycemia and oxidative complications in T2DM. They also highlight nanotechnology-enhanced phytomedicine as an innovative therapeutic strategy.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains a major public health challenge in Africa, where limited healthcare access and the high cost of conventional therapies sustain reliance on African traditional medicine (ATM). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy, mechanisms of action, and safety of African polyherbal formulations for T2D management. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, following a protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251168831). We searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2024. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Polyherbal formulations consistently improved glycaemic control, insulin sensitivity, antioxidant status, and lipid profiles. Meta-analysis of 10 preclinical studies demonstrated a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose compared with that of diabetic controls (SMD = −5.22, 95% CI: −5.55 to −4.89; p < 0.001; I² = 93.88%). Proposed mechanisms included β-cell protection, stimulation of insulin secretion, inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and attenuation of oxidative stress. Safety data were limited and inconsistently reported. Human evidence was limited to one quasi-experimental clinical study and one acute human OGTT study. African polyherbal formulations demonstrate promising antidiabetic potential; however, methodological heterogeneity, limited phytochemical characterisation, inadequate safety assessment, and scarce clinical evidence highlight the need for standardised preclinical studies and well-designed clinical trials to support evidence-based integration into healthcare.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a major global health challenge, prompting interest in plant-based interventions with multi-target metabolic effects. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of Psidium guajava (PG) and Seriphium plumosum (SP) on hepatic and skeletal muscle glucose metabolism. Methods: HepG2 hepatocytes and differentiated C2C12 myotubes were treated with PG, SP, and a 1:1 PG+SP combination. Cell viability, glucose uptake, GLUT2 expression, glycogen content, and AMP levels were assessed. Interactions were evaluated using Bliss Independence, Combination Index (CI), Loewe Additivity, and Zero Interaction Potency (ZIP) models. Results: SP exhibited minimal cytotoxicity, whereas PG induced concentration-dependent reductions in HepG2 viability. The PG+SP combination maintained higher viability than PG alone and demonstrated additive-to-synergistic interactions (CI = 0.51–0.89). In HepG2 cells, all treatments significantly enhanced glucose uptake relative to controls (p < 0.05), with the combination achieving approximately 94% of the metformin response. The combination also significantly reduced GLUT2 expression, with the greatest effect observed at 125 + 125 µg/mL (0.77 ± 0.14-fold, p < 0.0001). In C2C12 myotubes, PG, SP, and PG+SP significantly increased glucose uptake and glycogen accumulation (p < 0.05). SP increased AMP levels at lower concentrations, whereas the PG+SP combination reduced AMP levels below control values. Synergy analyses consistently indicated concentration- and endpoint-dependent interactions ranging from additivity to synergy. Conclusions: The PG+SP combination co-ordinately modulated glucose uptake, glycogen storage, GLUT2 expression, and AMP-related energy status across hepatic and skeletal muscle models. These findings provide mechanistic support for further investigation of this botanical combination as a potential multi-target strategy for T2DM and metabolic dysfunction.

African Traditional Medicine (ATM) remains an important component of primary healthcare in South Africa; however, evidence for plants used in cutaneous wound care is dispersed across ethnobotanical, pharmacological, toxicological, and conservation literature. This narrative review integrates these evidence streams and proposes a conservation- and safety-aware translational prioritization framework for wound-healing botanicals used in South African ethnomedical practice. A structured search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and SciFinder identified eligible peer-reviewed ethnobotanical and preclinical studies published between January 1999 and June 2026. After taxonomic harmonization, 173 accepted taxa were documented from South African ethnobotanical reports as being traditionally used for wound care. Only seven taxa had direct wound closure evidence in relevant in vitro or in vivo models, while twenty-eight taxa had wound-relevant anti-inflammatory evidence. Reported mechanisms included keratinocyte and fibroblast migration, collagen-associated responses, angiogenesis, wound contraction, and inflammatory modulation. The evidence base remains uneven: many taxa are supported primarily by traditional use, while dose, formulation, treatment frequency, duration of use, dermal safety, and sustainable sourcing are poorly reported. Safety concerns were identified for selected toxic or irritant taxa, and destructive harvesting of roots, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and bark may increase conservation risk. Overall, the review highlights a substantial gap between ethnomedical documentation and pharmacological validation, and it provides a prioritization strategy to guide future phytochemical, mechanistic, formulation, dermal-safety, and preclinical wound-healing research in South Africa.