Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42357155›Full record

ReviewPlants (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Traditional Medicinal Plants Used for Cancer Treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

Tomi Lois Adetunji, Funsho Oyetunde-Joshua, Olalekan Bukunmi Ogunro, Olumayowa Andrew, Stephen O Amoo

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Tomi Lois AdetunjiAgricultural Research Council-Vegetables, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Roodeplaat, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-6449-0040
Funsho Oyetunde-JoshuaFaculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Philomath University, Kuje 900105, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.ORCID 0000-0001-5996-673X
Olalekan Bukunmi OgunroDrug Discovery, Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Laboratory (DDPT-RL), Department of Biological Sciences, KolaDaisi University, Ibadan 200213, Oyo State, Nigeria.ORCID 0000-0003-0524-5958
Olumayowa AndrewCentre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences, Cranfield University, College Road, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
Stephen O AmooAgricultural Research Council-Vegetables, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, Private Bag X293, Roodeplaat, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-0009-5436

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer represents one of the major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with increasing incidence and mortality rates as a result of late diagnosis, limited healthcare infrastructure, and financial difficulties. Traditional medicine plays an important role in healthcare across different populations in SSA, as more than 80% of the population depend on indigenous plant-based remedies for treating or managing different ailments, including cancer. This study aimed to document medicinal plants traditionally used to treat cancer in SSA. A systematic search of all documents available in the last two decades (2006-2026) was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. After screening studies using the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 studies met the eligibility requirements and were selected for analysis based on their relevance to the topic, geographic scope, and reported applications in cancer management. The scientific names of the identified plant species and their taxonomic authorities were verified using the Plants of the World Online database. A total of 556 species, belonging to 110 families, were recorded as medicinal plants used to treat various forms of cancer in SSA. The top five families with the most frequently used plants were Fabaceae (51 species), Asteraceae (34 species), Euphorbiaceae (25 species), Apocynaceae (22 species) and Lamiaceae (22 species). Frequently cited plants include

Indexed as

anticancer activitydecoctionethnobotanyethnopharmacologyindigenous knowledgephytochemistry

Identifiers

PMID42357155
PMCPMC13306963

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.