ALNAP is an acronym for the African Laboratory for Natural Products, which is based at the Chemistry Department of the Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. ALNAP is established to serve as a forum for scientific research and co-operation in order to contribute to the development of the science of natural products in Africa.

ALNAP engages its staff and visiting researchers on the study of the chemistry of plants that may have medicinal, commercial and industrial importance. One of the areas of emphasis is the study of essential oil bearing plants originating from different parts of Africa. We would like to express our gratitude to all our collaborators who have contributed samples and information that have been used in this study. In this regard we are particularly grateful to the Essential Oil Research Center (EORC) in Ethiopia, headed by Dr Tadele Worku. The data generated on over 200 such oils are now gradually being made available.

There are many databases that compile information on natural products and medicinal plants. Among the important sources of information in this area are NAPRALERT, Chemical Abstracts, the Dictionary of Natural Products and Beilstein. However, a large body of knowledge that is generated in Africa is not included in these databases. In most cases information on plants from Africa is not entered into the databases using the source country as keyword. This shortfall was considered in the construction of the ALNAP Database. ALNAP staff regularly scan major natural products journals such as Phytochemisty, Journal of Natural Products, Planta Medica, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Phytotherapy Research, Fitoterapia and several African Scientific journals, Proceedings, Monographs, books, Dissertations and other miscellaneous manuscripts. Articles that deal with the biology, chemistry, ethnobotany, and pharmacology of African plants are selected for entry. The title, authors, keywords, abstract, biological activity, geographic area, etc are entered in the database. The information can, when needed, be generated through a quick search, which is then transferred to a text format, saved, printed or transferred via e-mail. The entries in the database are nearly 13,000.