South African medicinal plants displaying angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition: Potential use in the management of preeclampsia

In resource-limited settings, such as South Africa, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, is the most common direct cause of maternal deaths. Current management strategies of preeclampsia primarily involve the use of pharmaceutical drugs, which are frequently associated with undesirable side-effects. Moreover, these drugs are often not easily accessible due to financial and economic constraints. Consequently, many patients rely on traditional medicine obtained from medicinal plants to manage health-related conditions. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are widely used drugs for the management of preeclampsia. This narrative review aims to highlight the use of indigenous medicinal plants from South Africa with Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity whilst also evaluating their potential use in the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. This information will influence traditional healers and sangomas in their patient management. Furthermore, the antihypertensive potential of these plants will be unraveled thus facilitating the development of new naturally occurring pharmaceutical products to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.