According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) about
70–95% of the world's population in developing countries relies
mainly on plants for their primary health care. Traditional medicine
has not only gained popularity and approval, but it is sometimes the
only system available in many rural areas. Furthermore, the use of
medicinal plants to treat skin infections is very common in many
rural areas (Naidoo and Coopoosamy, 2011). If one considers the implications
of skin infections, which tend to be persistent, in many
cases contagious and often associated with immunocompromised patients,
it is not surprising that traditional medicine has become the
first treatment of choice. Medicinal plants are highly sought after to
treat dermatological ailments due to their (perceived?) ability to
stop bleeding, speed up wound healing, as treatments for burns and
to alleviate other skin conditions (Naidoo and Coopoosamy, 2011).
Furthermore, the increased demand for cheaper medicines, high