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Prunus Africana
It belongs to the Rosaceae family and it is also called the red stinkwood tree. The plant is called stinkwood because it has wood with an unpleasant odour. The The dull gray to brown bark is pulverized by the traditional healers and used to treat a number of health conditions including Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate) among males over 40 years old, erectile dysfunction, urinary tract disorders, kidney disease, male baldness, stomach upset, chest pain and inflammation. The bark is also used in the treatment of stomach ache and wound dressing. Apart from the bark, the leaves of Prunus africana are also used to treat some diseases. An infusion of the leaves is traditionally used to improve appetite, treatment of genital infection and hirsutism (a condition of unwanted, male-pattern hair growth) in women. what to wear if women already ove 40

The bark is also sought as an aphrodisiac to enhance vitality and sexual power especially among the males.

The multiple uses of Prunus africana for traditional medicine is not surprising since scientific studies have shown that it has various bioactive substances with anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, and antimicrobial effects. Some of the bioactive compounds identified in Prunus africana are triterpenes, sterols, coumarin, and flavanoids that have been known to have vital medicinal properties for the claimed health conditions.

There is increasing demand for the bark of Prunus africana both locally and internationally in African countries for the production of herbal medicine for treatment of prostate cancer that is globally on the increase. In fact, Prunus africana has recently come under heavy pressure in most African countries because of wild harvesting for the medicinal plant trade.

Prunus africana is a wonder medicinal plant species that has the potential to save the world from the current global deadly disease called prostate cancer.