BOTANICALS FOR MANAGING CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF MEDICINAL WEEDS ON KNUST CAMPUS

ABSTRACT Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, claiming more than 17.1 million lives each year. These diseases are caused by dyslipidemia, lack of physical activities, smoking, high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, oxidative stress and excessive alcohol consumption. Natural products have played a significant role in drug discovery and development especially for agents against cancer and infectious disease. Natural compounds possess highly diverse and complex molecular structures and often provide highly specific biological activities. Ethnopharmacological use of plant-derived natural products has been a major source for discovery of potential medicinal agents. A wide variety of extracts from these plants have been used for about a century as alternative source of medical care for most of the population of the developing world. The extracts of some medicinal plants treat cardiovascular diseases without affecting coronary blood flow. Phytochemicals such as carotenoids, flavonoids, cinnamic acids, phenolics and proanthocyanidins possess antioxidant properties which enable them to play a significant role in the adsorption and neutralization of free radicals mainly due to their redox properties. This review focuses on the medicinal weeds grown on the main campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana with documented evidence of use in the management of cardiovascular disease