Ethnomedicinal Evidence for Medicinal Plants of the Asteraceae Family Used by Tanzanians to Treat Various Ailments: A Review.

The Asteraceae family is amongst the most important groups of flowering plants, widely recognised for its ethnomedicinal relevance. This systematic review, conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, synthesises evidence on the traditional medicinal uses of Asteraceae species in Tanzania. Data were compiled from multiple electronic databases, including but not limited to Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, PubMed and Wiley Online Library, and after rigorous screening, 31 studies from 16 regions were included. Findings reveal that 73 species are employed in traditional healing, predominantly for gastrointestinal disorders (35 species), dermatological conditions (20 species) and pain management (19 species). Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides and Acmella caulirhiza were the most frequently cited taxa. Herbs constituted the dominant life form (74%), with flavonoids (85.7%), terpenoids (54.8%) and phenolics (50.0%) identified as the principal bioactive compounds. Asteraceae MPs exhibit diverse pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. Their therapeutic potential underscores the need for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies to validate bioactive compounds and their clinical relevance.

Copyright © 2026 David Sylvester Kacholi. BioMed Research International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.