Francis Ackah Armah

University of Cape Coast

55 publications · 496 citations · ORCID 0000-0001-6560-1147

Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants StudiesPharmacological Effects of Natural CompoundsZiziphus Jujuba Studies and ApplicationsMalaria Research and ControlEssential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity

We prepare their research opportunity report and reach out personally to introduce you — their contact details stay private.

Know them?Invite to claim·

Francis Ackah Armah is a pharmacologist and natural product researcher focused on validating the therapeutic potential of African medicinal plants. Armah specializes in isolating bioactive compounds, particularly alkaloids, to treat infectious and non-communicable diseases, while also developing quality control standards for herbal products.

Reach out

ORCID OpenAlex Google Scholar

Their published papers and profiles list institutional contact details.

This profile was built automatically from public publication records and has not yet been claimed by the researcher.

Research opportunities

Study designs adjacent to this body of work — each grounded in the published record and scoped so a trainee could run it.

Claim your researcher profile

This profile was built from your public publication record — claim it to manage it.

How does the consumption of plant-based proteins, specifically those high in anti-nutritional factors like phytates and trypsin inhibitors, affect mineral bioavailability and growth outcomes in children relying on these proteins as primary staples?

Why this gap exists: While the retrieved papers confirm that anti-nutritional factors like phytates and trypsin inhibitors reduce mineral bioavailability [0, 2], they focus on general adult health or crop improvement [1, 6] and do not provide direct evidence on the specific growth outcomes in children relying on these proteins as primary staples.

Sources

Plant food anti-nutritional factors and their reduction strategies: an overview — Food Production Processing and Nutrition, 2020
Sustaining Protein Nutrition Through Plant-Based Foods — Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022
Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds — Nutrients, 2020
Faba Bean: An Untapped Source of Quality Plant Proteins and Bioactives — Nutrients, 2022
Nutritional properties and health aspects of pulses and their use in plant‐based yogurt alternatives — Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2021
Grains – a major source of sustainable protein for health — Nutrition Reviews, 2021
Healthy and Resilient Cereals and Pseudo-Cereals for Marginal Agriculture: Molecular Advances for Improving Nutrient Bioavailability — Frontiers in Genetics, 2020
Protein Quality in Perspective: A Review of Protein Quality Metrics and Their Applications — Nutrients, 2022
Health Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition: Focus on Beans in Cardiometabolic Diseases — Nutrients, 2021
Bioavailability of Micronutrients From Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods: Zooming in on Dairy, Vegetables, and Fruits — Frontiers in Nutrition, 2020

How do specific cultural beliefs regarding 'insufficient milk' in rural South African communities mediate the relationship between maternal dietary diversity and the introduction of prelacteal feeds?

Why this gap exists: While the retrieved papers discuss general breastfeeding barriers in South Africa [8] and cultural influences in other regions like Ethiopia [6] and Malaysia [9], none specifically address the mediation of 'insufficient milk' beliefs on the relationship between maternal dietary diversity and prelacteal feeds in rural South African communities.

Sources

African Political Systems. — American Sociological Review, 1940
Maternal nutrition counselling is associated with reduced stunting prevalence and improved feeding practices in early childhood: a post-program comparison study — Nutrition Journal, 2019
Trends and determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in Ethiopia from 2000 to 2016 — International Breastfeeding Journal, 2019
Marketing of commercial milk formula: a system to capture parents, communities, science, and policy — The Lancet, 2023
Facilitators, barriers, and factors determining the willingness to donate human milk among postpartum mothers in a tertiary women's hospital in Nepal: a cross-sectional study. — International breastfeeding journal, 2026
Assessment of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices among Mothers Attending Maternal and Child Health Clinic at a Tertiary Hospital, North Karnataka, India - A Cross-sectional Study. — Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 2025
Sociocultural and structural influences on infant and young child feeding in pastoralist communities of Afar, Ethiopia: a qualitative phenomenological study. — BMJ open, 2026
Knowledge, attitude, and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in East Africa: a systematic review — International Breastfeeding Journal, 2020
Facilitators and barriers associated with breastfeeding among mothers attending primary healthcare facilities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. — Frontiers in nutrition, 2023
Assessing the Influence of Cultural Beliefs and Practices on Early Breastfeeding Initiation Rates in Rural Sarawak Communities, Malaysia — Scientific Journal of Pediatrics, 2023

To what extent do changes in the maternal microbiota (gut, oral, or vaginal) during pregnancy mediate the relationship between maternal perinatal anxiety/depression and the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring?

Why this gap exists: While recent studies confirm associations between maternal mental health and microbiota composition (Abstract 5, 8) and suggest the microbiome-gut-brain axis influences neurodevelopment (Abstract 0, 2), the retrieved evidence does not contain studies that directly test the mediating role of maternal microbiota changes between perinatal anxiety/depression and offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Sources

Parental microbiome programming of early-life neurodevelopment: multi-niche contributions through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. — Gut microbes, 2026
Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in disease — Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 2015
Stress during pregnancy alters temporal and spatial dynamics of the maternal and offspring microbiome in a sex-specific manner — Scientific Reports, 2017
The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication — Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2020
Ultra-processed food consumption across early life: implications for pediatric health and disease risk. — Frontiers in nutrition, 2026
Mental health in early pregnancy: Interplay of objectively measured lifestyles, gut microbiota, and metabolomics. — iScience, 2026
The impact of maternal high-fat diet on offspring neurodevelopment — Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022
Maternal education and offspring birthweight for gestational age: the mediating effect of smoking during pregnancy — arXiv preprint, 2020
Is Gut Microbiota Altered in Depression and Anxiety? — 2025
Vaginal Microbiota: A Critical Component of Reproductive Health and Pregnancy Outcomes — Vaginal Microbiota: A Critical Component of Reproductive Health and Pregnancy Outcomes, 2025

What is the comparative efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the one-step 75g OGTT versus the two-step (50g GCT followed by 100g OGTT) diagnostic approach in preventing adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes?

Why this gap exists: While Abstract [7] compares diagnostic criteria and Abstract [4] compares 75g and 100g OGTTs, the retrieved evidence lacks direct, comparative studies on the cost-effectiveness and relative efficacy of the one-step versus two-step *approaches* in preventing adverse outcomes, leaving the specific question unresolved.

Sources

Glucose Intolerance after a Recent History of Gestational Diabetes Based on the 2013 WHO Criteria — PLoS ONE, 2016
A Multicenter, Randomized Trial of Treatment for Mild Gestational Diabetes — New England Journal of Medicine, 2009
Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2013 — Diabetes Care, 2012
An Update on Screening Strategies for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review — Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 2021
Comparison between 75-g and 100-g oral glucose tolerance tests using international association of diabetes and pregnancy study group one-step diagnostic threshold to detect gestational diabetes mellitus — Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2025
Large language models for generating longitudinal synthetic data in low-risk pregnancy care. — Data in brief, 2026
Effects of physical activity and diet in pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes: an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis on the differential effects of interventions with economic evaluation. — Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2026
187-OR: Randomized Clinical Trial of the IADPSG vs. Carpenter Coustan Criteria for Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus — Diabetes, 2020
Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus and results of the screening tests at a tertiary referral center: A cross-sectional study. — Diabetes & metabolic syndrome, 2019
Gestational Diabetes in Somali Women: Neglected Risks for Maternal and Neonatal Health. — International journal of women's health, 2026

What are the comparative efficacy and adherence rates of new short-course latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) regimens versus traditional long-course therapies in high-burden, low-resource settings?

Why this gap exists: While a 2023 network meta-analysis [6] synthesizes general efficacy and adherence data for LTBI regimens, the retrieved evidence lacks direct comparative studies specifically focused on high-burden, low-resource settings, leaving the specific constraints of these environments unresolved.

Sources

New developments in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment — Breathe, 2022
Latent Tuberculosis and HIV Infection — Current Infectious Disease Reports, 2020
Epidemic and pandemic viral infections: impact on tuberculosis and the lung — European Respiratory Journal, 2020
Overcoming barriers to patient adherence: the case for developing innovative drug delivery systems — Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2023
Drug resistant tuberculosis: Implications for transmission, diagnosis, and disease management — Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2022
Updates on the Treatment of Drug-Susceptible and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: An Official ATS/CDC/ERS/IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline — American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2024
Efficacy and safety of different regimens in the treatment of patients with latent tuberculosis infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials — Archives of Public Health, 2023
Improving Tuberculosis Medication Adherence: The Potential of Integrating Digital Technology and Health Belief Model — Tuberculosis & respiratory diseases, 2023
Mind the gap – Managing tuberculosis across the disease spectrum — EBioMedicine, 2022
Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment in High TB-Burden Settings: A State-of-the-Art Review — Drugs, 2024

How does the aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes in low-income countries specifically modify the effectiveness of workplace breastfeeding interventions on exclusive breastfeeding rates?

Why this gap exists: While the retrieved literature addresses workplace barriers [7] and the negative impact of breastmilk substitute marketing [2, 9] separately, no study directly investigates the interaction effect or modification of workplace intervention effectiveness by aggressive marketing in low-income countries.

Sources

The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool — Health Policy and Planning, 2019
Breastfeeding indicators trends in Brazil for three decades — Revista de Saúde Pública, 2017
The World Health Organization Code and exclusive breastfeeding in China, India, and Vietnam — Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2018
Breastfeeding: crucially important, but increasingly challenged in a market-driven world — The Lancet, 2023
"People who have money feed formula to their infants": a qualitative study of exclusive breastfeeding barriers and potential interventions in Lao People's Democratic Republic. — BMC public health, 2026
The politics of breastfeeding: a feminist analysis of breastfeeding policies and promotion in Nigeria. — International breastfeeding journal, 2026
Pumps, patriarchy, and profits: the rise of breast pumping and "human milk feeding" and why preserving "breastfeeding" is important. — International breastfeeding journal, 2026
Examining working mothers’ experience of exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana — International Breastfeeding Journal, 2020
Prenatal Hand Expression of Breastmilk to Help Increase Breastfeeding Initiation and Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates — 2022
Assessing Compliance: Violations of WHO Code in Breast Milk Substitute Marketing, Ecuador. — Maternal & child nutrition, 2025

Publications

In silico evaluation of broccoli and kale leaf extracts as xanthine oxidase inhibitors for gout therapy

Research Square · 2026

Machine learning-enhanced nano-QSAR and multiscale modeling for predictive nanomedicine: applications in herbal therapeutics and neglected tropical diseases

Discover Nano · 2026 · corresponding author

Anti-cancer potential of hydroethanolic extracts of Kyllinga nemoralis: An in vitro and in-silico studies

Pharmacological Research - Natural Products · 2025 · 7 citations

Unlocking chemical markers for the standardization of antimalarial medicinal plants and products: Application of the herbal marker ranking system (Herb MaRS)

Scientific African · 2025 · 3 citations

Crude alkaloids from Phyllanthus fraternus, Webster: Antibacterial, time-kill kinetics and resistance modulation studies

Pharmacological Research - Natural Products · 2025

Crude Alkaloids form Phyllanthus fraternus, Webster: Antibacterial, Time-Kill Kinetics and Resistance Modulation Studies

Research Square · 2025

Bioprospecting the antidiabetic potential of aqueous seed extract of Allanblackia floribunda Oliv. (Clusiaceae)

Food Chemistry Advances · 2025 · corresponding author

Pharmacological and phytochemical properties of a promising African medicinal plant, Sterculia setigera Delile: A systematic review

Scientific African · 2024 · corresponding author · 6 citations

Stage -Specific Antimalarial Activity of Alkaloidal Fractions of the Avicennia africana P. Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) Leaf Extract

Research Square · 2024 · 2 citations

Quality characteristics and HPLC detection of phosphodiesterase inhibitors in some herbal capsules indicated for male sexual disorders in Ghana

Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences · 2024 · 2 citations

A Systematic Review of Medicinal Plants and Their Compounds Validated as Agents for the Management of Sickle Cell Disease

Natural Product Communications · 2024 · 1 citations

Anti-black pod disease activity of leaf extract of Carica papaya Linn

Journal of Natural Pesticide Research · 2024 · 1 citations

Antinociceptive and anti-ulcerogenic effect of hydroethanolic stem bark extract of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex. Heckel (Euphorbiaceae): Involvement of the opioidergic pathway and attenuation of oxidative stress

Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine · 2024 · corresponding author · 1 citations

Alkaloidal Extracts from Avicennia africana P. Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) Leaf: An Antiplasmodial, Antioxidant, and Erythrocyte Viable

Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences · 2024 · 1 citations

A systematic review of validated medicinal plants and their compounds as agents for the management of sickle cell disease

2024

Stage -specific antimalarial activity of alkaloidal fractions of the Avicennia africana P. Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) leaf extract

Microbes and Infectious Diseases /Microbes and Infectious Diseases · 2024

In silico, in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activity of β-amyrin and its potential synergistic effect when co-administered with artesunate

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics · 2024

Unlocking Chemical Markers for the Standardization of Antimalarial Medicinal Plants and Products: Application of the Herbal Marker Ranking System (Herb Mars)

SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024

Applications of molecular docking in natural products-based drug discovery

Scientific African · 2023 · 116 citations

Toxicity and therapeutic applications of citrus essential oils (CEOs): a review

International Journal of Food Properties · 2023 · 54 citations

Ethnobotanical Survey and Cercaricidal Activity Screening of Medicinal Plants Used for Schistosomiasis Treatment in Atwima-Nwabiagya District, Ashanti Region, Ghana

Journal of Parasitology Research · 2023 · 7 citations

ANTI-EPILEPTOGENIC ACTIVITY OF ZIZIPHUS ABYSSINICA ROOT BARK EXTRACT AND ITS ISOLATED BIOACTIVE COMPOUND, Β-AMYRIN

IBRO Neuroscience Reports · 2023 · 1 citations

Assessment of some quality parameters and chemometric-assisted FTIR spectral analysis of commercial powdered ginger products on the Ghanaian market

Heliyon · 2022 · 19 citations

Acute toxicity profile and gastroprotective potential of ethanolic leaf extract of Manihot esculenta Crantz

Scientific African · 2022 · corresponding author · 12 citations

Ziziphus abyssinica root bark extract ameliorates paracetamol-induced liver toxicity in rats possibly via the attenuation of oxidative stress

Toxicology Reports · 2022 · corresponding author · 11 citations

In Vitro and In Vivo Toxicological Evaluation of Avicennia africana P: Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) Leaf Extract in a Rat Model

Journal of Toxicology · 2022 · corresponding author · 6 citations

Allanblackia floribunda Seed Extract Attenuates the Ethanol‐Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats via the Inhibition of TNF‐α and INF‐γ Levels and Modulation in the Expression of Ki67 Protein

BioMed Research International · 2021 · corresponding author · 26 citations

In vitro and In vivo antimalarial activities of Avicennia africana P. Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) ethanolic leaf extract

Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine · 2021 · 15 citations

Analgesic Effect of Ziziphus abyssinica Involves Inhibition of Inflammatory Mediators and Modulation of KATP Channels, Opioidergic and Nitrergic Pathways

Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2021 · corresponding author · 14 citations

Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects and Subacute Toxicity of the Aerial Parts of Psychotria ankasensis J.B.Hall (Rubiaceae) in Murine Models

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2021 · corresponding author · 7 citations

Anti-mycobacterium ulcerans activity and pharmacognostic standardisation of Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw) Warb

Scientific African · 2021 · 4 citations

Indigenous Knowledge Affords Antimicrobial Plants for the Management of Infections

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · 2021 · 3 citations

Cercariacidal activity of ripe and unripe lime oil extracts on Schistosoma mansoni

2021

Quality Assessment and Chemometric-Assisted FTIR Spectral Analysis of Commercial Powdered Ginger Products on the Ghanaian Market

SSRN Electronic Journal · 2021

Ethnopharmacological evaluation of schistosomicidal and cercaricidal activities of some selected medicinal plants from Ghana

Tropical Medicine and Health · 2020 · 23 citations

Structural elucidation and in vivo anti-arthritic activity of β-amyrin and polpunonic acid isolated from the root bark of Ziziphus abyssinica HochstEx. A Rich (Rhamnaceae)

Bioorganic Chemistry · 2020 · 19 citations

Indigenous Medicinal Plants as Biofilm Inhibitors for the Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance

Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences · 2020 · 10 citations

In-vitro Anti-cercarial activity of extracts and steroidal alkaloids from the stem bark of Holarrhena floribunda (G. Don) Dur. & Schinz

International Journal of Phytomedicine · 2020 · 2 citations

CCDC 1909815: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

The Cambridge Structural Database · 2020

Chemical profile and in vivo toxicity evaluation of unripe Citrus aurantifolia essential oil

Toxicology Reports · 2019 · 47 citations

Histoprotective Effect of Essential Oil from Citrus aurantifolia in Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Rat

Advances in Urology · 2019 · 12 citations

Comparative Analysis of Haematological Parameters in Hookworm and Plasmodium falciparum Co-Infected Individuals in Kintampo North Municipality, Ghana

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · 2019 · 3 citations

In vitro Cercaricidal Activity of Fractions and Isolated Compounds of Erythrophleum ivorense (Fabaceae) Root Bark against Schistosoma haematobium

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · 2019 · 2 citations

Referee report. For: Wood-decaying fungi found in Southern Ghana: A potential source of new anti-infective compounds [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Faculty of 1000 Research Ltd · 2019

Referee report. For: Wood-decaying fungi found in Ghana: A rich source of new anti-infective compounds [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

Faculty of 1000 Research Ltd · 2019

Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Kumasi, Ghana

Journal of Advances in Microbiology · 2018 · 4 citations

Leishmanicidal activity of the root bark of Erythrophleum Ivorense (Fabaceae) and identification of some of its compounds by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)

Journal of Ethnopharmacology · 2017 · corresponding author · 14 citations

Development and validation of a radical scavenging antioxidant assay using potassium permanganate

Journal of Scientific and Innovative Research · 2016 · 10 citations

Pharmacognostic and physico-chemical investigation of Palisota hirsuta (K. Schum) (Commelinaceae)

Journal of natural product and plant resources · 2016 · 3 citations

Antinociceptive Ecdysteroids and Other Constituents of Palisota hirsuta K. Schum (Commelinaceae)

Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science · 2016 · 2 citations

Anthostema aubryanum Baill: Its Anti-inflammatory and AntioxidantActivities of the root bark extract

Der pharmacia lettre · 2016

CCDC 1051612: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

The Cambridge Structural Database · 2016

Anti-leishmanial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of Omphalocarpum ahia A. Chev

Der pharmacia lettre · 2016

Erythroivorensin: A novel anti-inflammatory diterpene from the root-bark of Erythrophleum ivorense (A Chev.)

Fitoterapia · 2015 · 25 citations

Effect of pre-existing Schistosoma haematobium infection on Plasmodium berghei multiplications in imprinting control region mice

Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine · 2015 · 2 citations