Tuberculosis (TB) has become a global health crisis, affecting one-third of the global population. It is characterized as a highly infectious disease due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. According to the World Health Organization, TB causes 1.5 million fatalities worldwide per year. Moreover, persistent TB infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus is responsible for countless deaths and has become a major player in antimicrobial resistance. Despite TB management strategies, multidrug-resistant TB has dramatically increased and anti-TB drugs have become highly toxic and less effective. Studies have validated the scientific importance of traditional African practices in treating infectious diseases. As a result, the global population is gravitating toward a more natural and eco-friendly approach. Hence, there is a growing interest in using medicinal plants as natural alternatives to conventional antimicrobial drugs. No wonder 80% of the global population depends on medicinal plants for primary healthcare. Southern Africa is considered an unexplored “Garden of Eden” for the discovery of novel biocompounds for pharmaceutical applications. Several commercial natural products have southern African origins, which gained international recognition. Furthermore, medicinal plants have been reported to possess several antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antifungal, antioxidant activities as well as other useful bioactivities. Hence, this review paper highlights some Southern Africa indigenous medicinal plants with anti-TB. We further drive in the traditional uses as well as the phytochemical compounds. The review inspires advanced research on the endless possibilities of the medicinal plant as a promising anti-TB alternative.
Key words: Biocompounds; Tuberculosis; Medicinal plants; South Africa
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