The majority of plant and insect species of the tropical rainforests in western Uganda and eastern DRC have not yet been discovered; 90% have never been screened for bioactivity. Approx. 60% of the world’s population relies almost entirely on plants for medication. The knowledge of East and Central African plants and their traditional uses are mainly transferred orally from one generation to the next by traditional healers, leading to the loss of vital information due to lack of records. Our study provides documentation of 16 different African medicinal plants traditionally used to treat inflammation and related disorders such as pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, dermatitis and even cancer. One possible methodology for the discovery of novel antiinflammatory compounds is screening selected plant extracts for a broad array of pharmacological activities. Phenolic compounds are often thought to possess antiinflammatory properties. The MOAs of many phenolic compounds are most likely associated with their inhibition of proinflammatory enzymes in the arachidonic acid pathway such as lipoxygenases (LOX) and cyclooxygenases (COX) in inflammatory cascades or with their free radical scavenging activity. Due to undesirable effects of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as gastrointestinal bleeding, selective inhibition of COX-2 is preferred to the COX-1 inhibition. We present results of diverse in vitro experiments performed with 61 different plant extracts: 1. 15-LOX inhibition screening; 2. Selective COX-2 and COX-1 inhibitor screening; 3. DPPH assay for antioxidant activity; 4. Determination of the total phenolic content. Traditional use could be scientifically validated in 15 out of 16 plant species tested (in vitro). This study was performed according to the international and national rules considering the Convention on Biodiversity and the Nagoya Protocol.