Sub-Saharan medicinal plants and their medical use: a semi-systematic review

Medicinal plants have long played a central role in traditional medicine systems worldwide, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where they continue to serve as primary sources of healthcare. This review investigates the current state of scientific research on medicinal plants in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on a bibliographic search conducted on PubMed and Scopus, retrieving 2,770 and 435 records, respectively. A rigorous screening process was applied, beginning with filters to include only peer-reviewed documents such as original research articles, reviews, and clinical trials. This initial filter yielded 388 papers from PubMed and 369 from Scopus. A second filter was then applied to limit the selection to publications from the last two years (2023-2025), resulting in 35 documents from PubMed and 71 from Scopus, for a total of 106 articles, thus allowing the analysis to focus on the most recent scientific contributions in the field. The review aims to explore the evolution of research in terms of biological, chemical, and methodological rigor, with particular emphasis on the validation of traditional uses through experimental studies. Articles were clustered based on plant species, extract type (e.g., ethanolic, methanolic, aqueous), target pathogens (bacterial, fungal, viral), extraction and analytical techniques, and reported pharmacological effects. Our findings highlight a shift toward more standardized methodologies, improved characterization of bioactive compounds, and stronger experimental designs, revealing a growing synergy between ethnobotanical knowledge and modern pharmacology