Tulbaghia violacea
William Henry Harvey (Harv. Alliaceae) is a small bulbous herb belonging to the
family Alliaceae. It is used in South Africa to treat fever, colds, asthma, paralysis, and hypertension.
Meanwhile, cardiovascular disease accounts for about 30 % of total global death, with most of these
deaths occurring in low and middle
-
income countries. Furthermore, people in low-income countries are
still largely dependent on plants in their surroundings for both prophylaxis and treatment of
diseases,
partly due to limited access to and cost of pharmaceuticals, and folkloric evidence of the potency of
medicinal plants and/or local belief systems. Therefore, the present review aims to proffer possible
ways
by which T. violacea may improve cardi
ovascular outcomes. An extensive and systematic review of the
literature was carried out, and relevant findings presented in this review. There is evidence that T.
violacea may modulate the renin-angiotensin system, the autonomic nervous system, oxidative
stress
and haemostasis, with resultant protection of the cardiovascular system in both health and disease.
