Elmahaishi, Lubna MSFisher, FarzanaAfrica, Charlene WJ2026-04-222026-04-222025Elmahaishi, L.M., Fisher, F., Hussein, A. and Africa, C.W., 2025. The Role of African Medicinal Plants in Dermatological Treatments: A Systematic Review of Antimicrobial, Wound-Healing and Melanogenesis Inhibition. Cosmetics, 12(4), p.132.https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics12040132https://hdl.handle.net/10566/22281Background: Medicinal plants are widely used across the globe as complementary and alternative therapies for managing various health conditions. The use of medicinal plants is a fundamental component of the African traditional healthcare system and most diverse therapeutic practices. Africa harbors a variety of plant species, many of which are estimated to be endemic, making it a rich source of medicinal plants with potential relevance to human health. Aim of the study: The study aimed to review and highlight the information in the literature related to the antimicrobial activity, wound-healing activity, and melanogenesis inhibition of African medicinal plants. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines, a literature search was conducted on ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Medline Ebscohost, and PubMed, which were searched for articles published between 2018 and 2024. Due to high heterogeneity and variability in study designs, data were synthesized using a narrative approach. Result: A total of 37 studies were included. Emilia coccinea, Entada africana, Trichilia dregeana, Physalis angulata, and Prunus africana demonstrated strong wound-healing activity (100%) at concentrations between 5 and 10%. For melanogenesis inhibition, Ormocarpum trichocarpum (IC50 = 2.95 µg/mL), Limonium cercinense (IC50 = 3 µg/mL), and L. boitardii (IC50 = 5 µg/mL) showed the most potent effects. The strongest antimicrobial effects were reported for Harpagophytum procumbens (MIC = 10 µg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis and Pistacia atlantica (MIC = 78.1 µg/mL) against Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans (MIC = 39 µg/mL). Conclusions: This study highlights the broad therapeutic potential of African medicinal plant extracts in addressing various health conditions, including skin infections, wound management, and skin pigmentation. While several extracts demonstrated strong bioactivity, inconsistent reporting of statistical data limited quantitative synthesis. Future studies should adopt standardized methodologies and report complete statistical outcomes to enable robust meta-analyses and support clinical translation.enAfrican medicinal plantsAntimicrobialMelanogenesis inhibitionSkin pigmentationWound healingArticle