Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim Initiatives Ltd, Mauritius
Title: African Traditional knowledge as a source of leads for innovative ingredients
Biography
Biography: Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Abstract
The African continent has an estimated over 216 M ha of closed forest area and houses 40-45.000 higher plant species with huge untapped potential. Africa contributes 25% of the global pool of plant genetic resources currently being traded. While over 5.000 plants are used medicinally, few have been described and studied. This gross under-utilisation is further challenged with massive loss of biodiversity averaging 1% as opposed to a global 0.6%.
In spite of these challenges, Africa traditional knowledge has helped to contribute to the world’s leading commercial medicinal plants, albeit on the low side (83 out of the 1100). Among them are the following: Madagascan Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procrumbens), Rauwolfia (Rauwolfia vomitoria) amongst others which have been explored for their medicinal value. On the cosmetic side, Shea butter (Vitteleria paradoxa) as well as the oil of the Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Rooibos extract (Aspalathus linearis) Honey bush (Cyclopia sp.) are fast becoming the hallmark of the continent. With so much potential and diversity, why is African ‘absent’ on the international scene. It is becoming increasingly clear that the potential for the business is enormous. Research works are increasingly pointing to this huge untapped potential. This presentation will present some of the recent results from the standpoint of standardized herbal extracts; novel essential oils from the local flora, as well as new leads for for the pharma and cosmetic industries.