Malaria continues to be a major infectious disease facing those living in tropical regions of the world. Use of artemisinin-combination treatments (ACT) as the first line treatment for multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria relies on derivatives of artemisinin, a natural product from Artemisia annua. Major commercial production regions include China, Vietnam and East Africa (Tanzania/Kenya). While several challenges face new producing regions, our work focuses on developing high yielding lines for sub-Sahara Africa for co-development with source countries. Our germplasm grown in several African countries appears to be non-photoperiodic, high yielding with artemisinin >1.% dry leaf wt. The parent populations from which the selections and progeny were derived came originally from UNICAMP. Highest yielding SPS were vegetatively cloned, and further selections made in the USA and Africa. Field trials established in Ghana, Madagascar, Senegal and South Africa identified lines adaptable to local conditions. Results showed that selection and testing for artemisinin in one location held relatively stable when the plants were evaluated in other regions. Generally, lines with the highest artemisinin remained high across the countries evaluated. Greatest environment impact was observed on biomass accumulation. Further selections conducted in Africa led to improvements in plant growth form, with some reaching heights of 2 m. Advanced lines field grown in sub-Sahara Africa contained artemisinin concentrations >1.0% reaching as high as 1.7% (dry leaf wt) and appear promising for varietal co-development in Africa. No problems relative to collecting viable seeds were observed in any country, stability of seed progeny remain to be tested.

This study evaluates the variation of quality, essential oil and polyphenol profile and antioxidant activity of Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta (Roscol) K. Schum) from Ghana and reviews the pharmacological properties of this species. This work has shown the potential of Grains of Paradise, a forgotten spice to provide the western world with new flavors and taste, as it contains higher levels of pungent principles ([6]-gingerol) than ginger and offers a distinct flavor and aroma and functional properties.

The essential oil content, composition and the physicochemical properties of Lippia multiflora leaves from twelve different regions in Ghana were characterized in this study. The Ghanaian oils showed a significant variability in their chemical composition and five chemotypes were identified. The oil from Aframso Bridge was yellow with a refractive index (RI) of 1.4853, density (DE) of 0.894 and was dominated by linalool (29%) and germacrene D (28%) with fresh, and slightly medicinal and spicy aroma. Ghanaian samples from Seikwa, Buem Nsuta and Golokwati were characterized by high levels of sesquiterpenes (45-70%). The aroma was medicinal/ herbaceous and the color was typically yellow, except the oil from Seikwa which was dark orange-yellow, RI ranging from 1.4920 to 1.5043 and DE 0.893 to 0.93 D. The oils from Nyankpala, Sari, Amantin, Atebubu and Kobre contained high levels of aromatic monoterpenes (p-eymene 14-19%, thymol 30-40%, and thymyl acetate 14-17%). The oils were characterized as spicy and the color ranged from dark yellow (Nyankpala, Sari and Kobre) to yellow (Atebubu and Amantin) (RI 1.4969 to 1.5020, DE 0.9207 to 0.9344). The oil from Ho showed lower levels of aromatic monoterpenes and higher levels of farnesol, the oil was yellow and aroma woody/camphoraceous (1.492 RI, 0.893 D). In contrast, oils from Nsawkaw and Kofiase-Kubesiase were composed of high amounts of 1,8-cineole (43-47%), sabinene (12-15%, respectively), and were light yellow (RI 1.4695 to 1.4712, DE 0.8995 to 0.9002). A cluster analysis was performed for comparison and characterization of L. multiflora oils from Ghana other 33 oils from 10 African countries. The oils from Ghana with these five chemotypes appeared to be the most diverse oils in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This review examines the natural products in Xylopia aethiopia, an African pepper, whose fruits have long been used as a spice and in traditional medicine. This paper discusses the botany, chemistry and pharmacological properties and presents current and potential uses and application of this spice and its natural products.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale, one of the most important and oldest of spices, consists of rhizomes with a warm pungent taste and a pleasant odor. The essential oils are responsible for the aroma while the non-volatile components are responsible for the pungency with gingerol the most pungent component in fresh ginger. Ghana has a long history of producing ginger rhizomes for local markets. In this study, we evaluated the quality and essential oils and pungent principles of two different types of Ghanaian ginger, each from three regions, compared to ginger rhizomes found in the US Market. The essential oils composition of variety 2 exhibited the typical ginger oil composition with geranial, neral and zingiberene as the main components. Variety 1 exhibited a distinctly different essential oils composition dominated by zerumbone (85-87%). Variety 2 possessed a warm pungent taste similar to the commercial samples whereas variety 1 of gingers possessed a bitter taste. Variety 2 and the US commercial gingers contain 6-gingerol as the main component. The samples from Oframanse exhibited the highest amount of total gingerols (0.66%) (6-, 8-, and 10 gingerols), being almost 4 times higher than the commercial US ginger (0.17). Ginger variety 2 appears promising for the export market since these gingers could be offered both as a dried and/or ground spice as well as a source of gingerols for the nutraceutical industry.

The study finds strong correlations between natural products business performance and the impeding factors. The impediments include access to finance and markets; and lack of herbal market information, especially relating to external markets. Additionally, there is a marked deficiency in the processing capacity. To add to the problem, most, if not all, business operators of natural products lack technical training related to product handling. However, there is a big potential for success—the top ten traded natural products may be exploited initially, both domestically and for export market, given the range of perceived use. The constraints identified require concerted efforts from all stakeholders to recognize the importance of this sub-sector in providing opportunities to successful development.

The great biodiversity in the tropical forests, savannahs, and velds and unique environments of subSahara Africa has provided indigenous cultures with a diverse range of plants and as a consequence a wealth of traditional knowledge about the use of the plants for medicinal purposes. Given that Africa includes over 50 countries, 800 languages, 3,000 dialects; it is a veritable treasure of genetic resources including medicinal plants. While the medicinal plant trade continues to grow globally, exports from Africa contribute little to the overall trade in natural products and generally only revolve around plant species of international interest that are indigenous to Africa. Africa is only a minor player in the global natural products market. We identified several key challenges facing the natural products sector in this region. These include the presently limited value-addition occurring within region and as a consequence exports tend to be bulk raw materials; local markets generally largely selling unprocessed/semi-processed plant materials; the industry is large but informal and diffuse and there is limited financial resources to support research and infrastructure for both the processor and a distinct but equally important issue in the lack of financial credit available in general to the farmer in much of this region for production investments; lack of private sector investment in processing and packaging facilities; and serious issues in parts of this region surround common property resource issues (ownership and rights to land tenure; threat of over-harvesting, etc.). In addition, there is limited technical support is available to growers, collectors, & post-harvest firms, limited expertise on appropriate germplasm and seed availability, inadequate and/or lack of processing equipment. This has resulted in a lack of or inadequate quality control and lack of product standardization. There is a very limited knowledge of foreign market demand, few market/business contacts and the perception that there is difficulty in protecting their intellectual property. The objective of this paper is to present an overview to some of the leading African medicinal plants in sub-Sahara Africa that are in the international trade, plus an introduction to a number of lesser-known promising medicinal plants (Table 1).

For most of the African countries agriculture still remains the mainstay of the economies supplying both food and incomes via marketable surpluses. However, many odds against agriculture such low productivity, poor prices, and drought among others make it unsustainable. Results thus far show that such dependence has contributed little to neither economic development nor growth. Still many of its people living on and from agriculture remain poor, and are susceptible to hunger and malnutrition. Additionally, their over reliance on a few traditional exports such coffee, tea, and cocoa etc., products whose world prices keep declining has not helped either. At most this is futile response to raising incomes of its people, let alone spur any meaningful development. Agricultural may still contribute to development, if the countries could diversify from traditional products to the untapped areas. The continent's rich botanical heritage offers an excellent opportunity to diversify away from traditional exports. The natural products have a greater appeal to consumers especially in the rich west. Thus, development of natural products as alternative or complimentary to the current mix of tradable products will positively impact the social and economic lives of many people, especially those in the rural areas. Additionally, diversification of the production systems to include natural plants provides a superior route to the creating viable agribusinesses in rural communities currently lacking. products happen to have enormous advantages; First, indigenous African plants occur naturally and so are relatively easy to cultivate commercially. Second, natural plant production is labor intensive rather than capital intensive, and so minimizes capital investment while at the same time maximizing job-creation potential. Third, African communities have extensive knowledge of indigenous plants, creating a natural competitive advantage in this sector. ASNAPP (Agribusiness in Sustainable African Plants Products) a non-profit organization formed in 1999 with funding from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is helping create and develop successful African agribusinesses in the natural plant products sector. The organization focuses on the development of high-value natural plant products that enable African agribusinesses to compete in local, regional and international markets. These products include herbal teas, culinary herbs and spices, essential and press oils, as well as medicinal plants. Currently, ASNAPP operates in five countries, namely South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia, working with 25 agri-enterprises that represent more than 2000 small-scale natural plant suppliers. The prospects for natural products market is very bright, for example the global nutraceutical market alone is estimated to be worth $60 billion annually in sales of dietary and meal supplements, as well as specialty products. There is also increasing demand for organic and natural products such as herbal teas, essential oils, herbs and spices, phytomedicines and phytocosmetics. This growth has been supported by a global swing away from synthetic products to those that are natural, healthy, sustainably produced and fairly traded. In the context of world trade in natural products, African country's natural forests supply more herbs, medicinal plants and natural food ingredients. The Americans and Europeans are the major consumers of natural products in the global market. Products such as the herbal tea's, essential oils, cosmetic and spices have readily available markets. product sales was estimated $34 billion in 2001, It is estimated that Global sales for organic and natural products will reach about $100 billion by 2008 at an annual growth rate of 20-30% (Organic Health, 2001; Marty T. S., and Patrick R., 2004). The United States also happens to be the largest user of essential oils and flavor and fragrance, the aroma therapeutic market alone in has grown from a $316 million dollar business in 1996 to over $454 million in 2001(Alberta Essential Oils, 1996; Datamonitor, 2002). Indeed there is untapped potential ranging from raw products to processed ones, which could fetch even higher returns to the farmers. However, it is only a few large enterprises that are active in the sector, leaving rural communities who had in fact been the first to discover the health and nutritional properties of indigenous plants out in the cold. The ASNAPP Ghana program which commenced in 2000 is currently working on essential oils, lippia tea, grains of paradise, cryptolepis, kombo butter, shea butter and Artemisia, with the focus on the Eastern, Central, Ashanti, Volta, Greater Accra and Northern regions of Ghana. The natural products industry in Ghana is characterized by low input- low output; mostly operated by small-scale farmers (suppliers) with low levels of levels of formal education and agricultural production knowledge. In this respect the supply side problems may be summarized as regularity of the supplies, quality and timeliness. Organizationally, the scale of the operations may be a bottleneck one hand, on the other hand, information, capital; product quality and assurance mechanisms hinder successful commercialization. The domestic markets are largely at the low levels of commercialization; the operators have limited technical knowledge about natural products, and limited capital to expand their businesses and exploit the readily available foreign markets. Similarly, on the demand side, there may be lack of consumer information as to the range of products, where to find them and what remedies they offer. This paper has the objective of highlighting the marketing impediments facing the natural products market in the retail and wholesale portions of the chain in Ghana. Specifically, (i) profile the technical, financial, organizational, etc., constraints the traders face (domestically and externally), (ii) profile the natural product range and their functions (iii) suggest policy interventions. Preliminary results from the Ghana business survey show that seven out of ten of the businesses are retailer operated, whose two-thirds supply is dependent on the small-scale farmers. There results also show that virtually all the traders have not received any technical, financial or trade assistance from any organization. At most only 1 out of ten businesses have ventured into external trade. The preliminary results show tremendous potential, however a lot need to be done to tap on this potential. The analysis will be based on a survey that was carried out in Ghana to correct information on; product ranges; the supply chain (from production to the retail stores and potential for exports. The analysis will contribute toward inform policy of which marketing to be addressed and inform domestic and foreign consumers of the presence of such products. References: Alberta Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development, Herb/Spice Industry Fact Sheet. Compiled by Dennis Dey. AG-Ventures, Agdex 263/830-1, www.agric.gov.ab.ca, September 1996. Datamonitor, Nov 15, 2002. Marty T. S., and Patrick R., Natural Product Sales Top $42 Billion Foods Merchandiser, 2004, volume XXV/number 6/ p. 1 Organic health, 2001. http://www.health-report.co.uk/organic-cosmetics-usa- opportunity.htm#Organic/natural%20industry%20profile

The usage of natural products is becoming an increasingly common consumer phenomenon due to increasing health consciousness, and because of their naturalness, and medicinal qualities of the products. African countries are very rich with natural products resources and supplies. The continent’s rich botanical heritage offers an excellent opportunity to diversify away from other traditional exports. Europe and the USA are particularly promising markets for natural products. Thus, it is advantageous to examine development of natural products exporting as alternative or complimentary economic opportunities for many African people, especially those in the rural areas. This paper has explores both factors which promote and which act as obstacles to the natural products market, specifically in the retail and wholesale portions of the value chain in Ghana and Rwanda.

The study finds strong correlations between natural products business performance and the impeding factors. The impediments include access to finance and markets, lack of herbal market information especially relating to external markets. Additionally, there is lack of processing capacity, while at the same time most if not all the natural products business operators lack technical training relating to product handling. However, there is big potential for success, the top ten traded natural products, may be exploited initially, both domestically and for export market, given range of perceived use. The constraints identified require concerted efforts from all stakeholders to recognize the importance of this sub-sector in providing opportunities to successful development.