Natural, plant-based extracts can have a number of surprising properties. For instance, researchers at the World Agroforestry Center and the Kenya Medical Research Institute recently published a list 22 potentially malaria-fighting trees and shrubs in Africa. The problem, said the report’s authors, is that these plants are nearing extinction.

This announcement was made shortly before World Malaria Day, which falls on April 25th. Scientists said that the search for natural remedies for malaria, which is a particularly devastating disease in underdeveloped countries, is being stifled by the endangerment of many African plant species.

Malaria takes an estimated 800,000 lives each year, most of them on the African continent. Many malaria victims are children under age 5, and the research group said that preserving and studying these valuable plants may work to the world’s advantage.

Many plants contain disease-fighting properties. The bark of the South American cinchona can be used to make quinine, a compound that was once the preferred antimalarial in the world. Salicylic acid taken from willow bark was first used to synthesize aspirin.

Individuals who want to maintain good health and well-being may consider taking herbal supplements with a daily multivitamin.