Chapter 4 Hypoxis hemerocallidea (African potato): A Botanical Whose Time Has Come? David R. Katerere * Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Arcadia campus, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa * E-mail: david.katerere@mrc.ac.za. Hypoxis hemerocallidea is one of Southern Africa’s most important and popular medicinal plants. It is used for a wide a range of traditional medical treatments including urinary tract infections, heart disease, infertility and anxiety. It’s most popular contemporary use is for prostate disorders for which there is increasingly good evidence about it’s eficacy. Phytosterols are thought to be the main bioactive compounds for this indication and also for anti-lipidemic, anti-diabetic and anti-inlammatory properties exhibited by hypoxis extracts. Despite the popularity of hypoxis as a herbal and botanical medicine, the research into it’s pharmacological application has not been of suficient depth and width to prove it’s utility in modern medicine. Recent data using a colitis model presents an exciting new avenue which might inally yield products. However there continues to be a need for sustained in vitro and more importantly in vivo studies if this useful plant is be fully explored. Introduction Traditional medicine has experienced a resurgence in Africa in recent times. This is largely to do with a new sense of cultural pride following independence from colonial authorities who sought to suppress such practices during their tenure (1). In post-colonial Africa, there has also been limited access to allopathic medical services. Further, the emergence of new diseases such as HIV, and © 2013 American Chemical Society Downloaded by TSHWANE UNIV OF TECHNOLOGY on October 30, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date (Web): October 4, 2013 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2013-1127.ch004 In African Natural Plant Products Volume II: Discoveries and Challenges in Chemistry, Health, and Nutrition; Juliani, H., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2013.