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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Prof. Zechariah Lanka Matting, of the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, Australia, has disclosed that bitter-leaf which is abundant in Africa has huge medicinal benefits, thus advocating more consumption from the people.
He said that, unfortunately, Africans are underutilizing the potentials of the bitter-leaf, perhaps, due to poor knowledge of its medicinal benefits.
Prof. Matting, disclosed this in a paper titled “Is Africa Underutilizing Vernonia Amygdalina Delile (Bitter Leaf)?” which he delivered at a seminar organized by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State.
Bingham University in a statement posted on its social media handle, indicated that Prof. Matting, also exposed participants at the seminar to the potentials of Vernonia Amygdalina Delile, commonly known as Bitter Leaf.
The seminar also served as an opportunity to x-ray the huge potentials of the African indigenous plant, and bridge the gap between research conducted in Australia and Nigeria with the possibility for further collaborations.
He stated that preliminary result of the research being conducted in collaboration with some research institutes in Nigeria, indicated that the indigenous African plant (bitterleaf) has the potential to act as an antidiabetic, anticancer, and anti-hemorrhoid treatment amongst many other uses.
Prof. Matting emphasized the need for increased exploration of the medicinal properties of the plant and encouraged African researchers to seize the opportunity to delve deeper into the potential therapeutic applications of Vernonia Amygdalina Delile (bitter-leaf).
