What is it about?
This review explores the potential of medicinal plants from West Africa as sources of natural compounds that could help in the fight against hepatitis B and liver cancer. We examined scientific studies from Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Senegal and other West African countries to identify medicinal plants, their active compounds and their biological properties. The review highlights several groups of natural substances, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids. Some of these compounds have shown promising antiviral activities against the hepatitis B virus or anticancer effects in experimental studies. We also discuss how these substances may act on viral processes and cellular mechanisms involved in liver cancer development. By bringing together existing scientific evidence, this work highlights the richness of West African medicinal plants and their potential value for future drug discovery. Further laboratory, preclinical and clinical studies are still needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety.
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Why is it important?
This research is important because chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer remain major health challenges in West Africa. The region has a rich diversity of medicinal plants, many of which are traditionally used to manage liver diseases. However, their biological properties and active compounds are still insufficiently explored. By bringing together available scientific evidence, our review highlights the potential of West African medicinal plants as sources of new antiviral and anticancer compounds. It also identifies important research gaps and emphasizes the need for further investigations to validate their therapeutic potential, safety and mechanisms of action. This work contributes to promoting scientific research on African medicinal resources and encourages collaboration between researchers in natural products, virology, pharmacology and oncology.
Perspectives
Future research should focus on identifying, isolating and characterizing the bioactive compounds found in West African medicinal plants that show promising antiviral and anticancer properties. Further laboratory investigations are needed to evaluate their effects against hepatitis B virus and liver cancer using appropriate cellular and molecular models. Particular attention should be given to understanding their mechanisms of action, assessing their toxicity and determining their safety. Promising compounds should then be investigated through preclinical studies and, where scientifically justified, clinical research to establish their therapeutic potential. This research could contribute to the discovery of new drug candidates, strengthen scientific knowledge of West African medicinal plants and promote collaboration between researchers in natural products, virology, pharmacology and oncology. Ultimately, our goal is to help transform traditional knowledge of African medicinal plants into scientifically validated evidence that may support the development of future therapeutic approaches against hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma
Pengdwendé Fabienne Ingrid ZONGO
Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA), Ouagadougou
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: West African Medicinal Plant Substances and Molecules Activities Against Viral Hepatitis B and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery, February 2026, Bentham Science Publishers,
DOI: 10.2174/0115748928320670241011073848.
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Resources
Evaluation of Biochemical and Molecular Parameters of Patients Suffering from Chronic Viral Hepatitis B Treated by a Medicinal Plant Recipe of a Health Care Practitioner in Burkina Faso
This study evaluates the biochemical and molecular changes in 44 patients with chronic hepatitis B following 90 days of treatment with Hepatib tiben, a traditional herbal preparation made from three medicinal plants in Burkina Faso. The findings highlight its potential antiviral activity and the need for further scientific validation.
Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of a Medicinal Plant Recipe from Burkina Faso
Scientific illustration highlighting West African medicinal plants and their potential bioactive compounds in research on hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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