Promising Indigenous and Endemic Medicinal Plants from Mauritius

Abstract

The Republic of Mauritius is part of Sub-Saharan Africa and one of the three islands that constitute the Mascarene archipelago. Due to its volcanic origin, the tropical island of Mauritius has a diverse flora and has been endorsed by international authorities as one of the Indian Ocean islands biodiversity hotspots. The local flora bears its essence from the floristic heritage of the Mascarenes and harbor a wide array of endemic or highly specialized species that has evolved as a result of the variation in topography, climate and the geographical isolation of the islands. Indeed, a major portion of this flora is exploited for its medicinal properties by the local people to treat and/or manage common ailments. Nonetheless, there is still a dearth of scientific validation and compilation of some indigenous plants in common use. The present chapter endeavors to highlight the botanical description, ethnopharmacological uses, and the main therapeutic benefits of common indigenous and endemic medicinal plants of Mauritius. Special emphasis has been geared towards recent in vitro and in vivo data which tend to support ethnopharmacological uses of these medicinal plants in traditional medicine of Mauritius.