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Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants traditionally used in Gokwe South District, Zimbabwe
Abstract
Traditional medicines play an important role in health care provision in developing countries as primary therapies and/or as complementary medicines. The aim of this study was to document medicinal plants used in Gokwe South District in Zimbabwe. Forty six participants from 12 wards were interviewed between October 2020 and April 2021 using a semi-structured questionnaire. Ethnobotanical data including local names of the plants, plant parts used, medicinal uses, methods of preparation and administration were documented. The ethnomedicinal data were analysed using different quantitative indices including informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and use value (UV). One hundred and twenty seven plant species from 49 families were documented for treating and managing 23 medical categories. Gastro-intestinal disorders (60 citations), respiratory infections (47 citations), reproductive system and health (33 citations) and sexually transmitted infections (21 citations) were commonly treated with medicinal plants within the study area. Nineteen species were recorded for the first time as sources of traditional medicines with no prior record of being used as medicinal plants for any specific disease or ailment in the country. Trees (58.0%) were the main sources of traditional medicines, followed by shrubs (27.0%), herbs and climbers (10.0% and 5.0%, respectively). The most frequently used plant parts were roots (48.8%), followed by bark (37.8%) and leaves (34.6%). The variety of plants that are used to treat and manage human diseases and ailments in the study area emphasizes the importance that medicinal plants play in primary health care system of the rural people in Gokwe South District. Some of the plants used in the study area were characterized by high frequency of citation and use values, and species such as Xeroderris stuhlmannii (Taub.) Mendonça & E.P.Sousa and Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl., if adequately explored could be instrumental in the discovery and development of health promoting, pharmaceutical products and drugs.
... A key symptom of dysentery which is bloody diarrhea was also noted. Shopo et al. [112], cited at least 60 out of 127 medicinal plants being responsible for treating dominates in terms of species diversity. Anacardiaceae and Combreaceae plant families both with [n = 9] species. ...
... Anacardiaceae and Combreaceae plant families both with [n = 9] species. Ethnobotanical surveys by Maroyi [24]; Shopo et al. [112]; and Nyasvisvo et al. [113] have reported Fabaceae species as the most common and dominant herbal plant family used in Zimbabwe, and reviews by Nyagumbo et al. [114,115] and Maroyi [116] also support the fact. There is a tendency for the most readily accessible and available plants to be better known and hence more frequently used. ...
Inadequate sanitation and water infrastructure in Zimbabwe have led to rising endemicity of gastrointestinal tract infections such as diarrhea. Traditional medicine remains the primary treatment approach for diarrhea in Zimbabwe due to affordability and accessibility. This study aimed to document medicinal plants traditionally used for treating diarrhea in Zimbabwe over the past four decades. A comprehensive literature review was conducted based on published papers, books, book chapters, scientific reports and theses. A total of 129 medicinal plants belonging to 52 plant families used for diarrhoeal treatments were identified. Fabaceae emerged as the most abundant family with 26 plant species. The study also documented plant distribution across Zimbabwe and their traditional preparation. The most common method of preparing plants was infusions of about 45%. Toxicity assays were evaluated revealing 53.5% toxicological evaluation studies of the documented medicinal plants. With a concerning toxicity of approximately 46.5% from the aforementioned plant population, which is presently in use without any documented toxicity evaluation, this analysis revealed promising medicinal plant candidates for further investigation and development of future gastrointestinal management strategies.
... Alkaloids cytotoxicity makes them useful in managing cancerous cells. Some of these plants have the ability to restore inflamed tissues due to the presence of flavonoids [6]. ...
... To 1.0ml of different leaf extracts of bitter kola (1.0-7mg/ml), 2.5ml of 0.2 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.6) and 2.5ml of K 3 Fe(CN) 6 (1 percent w/v) were added. After a 20-minute incubation at 500°C, 2.5ml trichloroacetic acid (10% w/v) was added to the mixture. ...
... Ethnobotanical studies conducted in the Miombo region (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique) have demonstrated that Fabaceae is the most prevalent family of medicinal plants. A case in point is the study carried out in the Sikonge district of Tanzania [35], in the province of Bié in Angola [157], in the provinces of Western, Copperbelt, Central and Northern Zambia [158], in Zomba, Malawi [159] and in Gokwe, Zimbabwe [160], where Fabaceae were the most cited. A bibliographical review of medicinal plants in Mozambique also highlighted the preponderance of Fabaceae, with 95 out of 731 taxa [161]. ...
Background
A variety of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the management of hemorrhoidal diseases. However, no investigation has been conducted to gather the knowledge required for this type of management in the region. The present study was conducted to inventory the plants used in Lubumbashi to treat hemorrhoidal diseases and to relate their ethnomedical characteristics.
Methods
This study was conducted between March 2022 and February 2023 by interviews using semi-structured questionnaire with households (n = 1520), herbalists (n = 25), and traditional healers: THs (n = 59).
Results
The 1,604 respondents (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 56 ± 3 years; experience: 12 ± 3 years) provided information on 100 taxa, 84 of which are used against internal hemorrhoids, Phyllanthus amarus being the most cited (Citation Index, CI: 0.76). Most of them are trees (38%) or shrubs (32%), belonging to 90 genera and 45 families dominated by the Fabaceae (10%) and Asteraceae (9%). They are indicated in 76 other pathologies, dominated by gastrointestinal disorders (GID), wounds and sexually transmitted infections (CI > 0.57). From these 100 taxa, 117 anti-hemorrhoidal formulations were derived, 11 of which combined more than one plant. In all these recipes, the leaf is the most commonly used part (> 60%) and the liniment (> 45%) is the most popular form of application. For the first time, this study reports 14 taxa as plants used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Among these taxa, Ficus stuhlmannii, Ficus laurifolia, and Ocimum centraliafricanum are listed as medicinal plants for the first time. Khaya nyasica, and Syzygium cordatum, each with 11 uses, have the highest traditional medicinal value.
Conclusion
The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases. Some of these plants are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies is currently underway with the objective of validating the anti-hemorrhoidal properties of these plants and in order to identify phytochemical compounds responsible of this activity.
Graphical Abstract
... In parts of Uganda, the roots and leaves are used to treat acne, wounds, and sexually-transmi ed diseases such as syphilis [57]. In parts of Zimbabwe, the roots are used to treat abdominal problems [62]. These findings demonstrate the large variation in the medicinal uses of Tylosema fassoglense, which can inform context-specific research and development initiatives. ...
Neglected and Under-utilized plant Species (NUS) can contribute to food system transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa, but many are understudied. Here, we conducted a systematic review of 37 empirical studies to synthesize the evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa about the agro-ecological characteristics, nutritional properties, and medicinal properties of the NUS Tylosema fassoglense. Overall, the evidence is highly fragmented and lacks a comprehensive description of the species characteristics, properties, and benefits. Most reviewed studies focus on the eastern part of Africa and a few on the southern part, suggesting its limited geographic distribution. Studies on agro-ecological properties, and especially on morphological characteristics, indicate that the species’ long tuberous roots and large vegetative systems help it adapt to harsh climatic conditions. The species is also utilized for medicinal and nutrition purposes by different communities across its range due to its phytochemical, macro-, and micronutrient content, along with its favorable physico-chemical properties. In particular, the seeds contain many different amino acids, while their calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and carbohydrate content is comparable to Tylosema esculuntum, the better studied species in the Tylosema genus. These demonstrate the species’ potential to contribute to nutrition and food security. Furthermore, parts of the plant contain many phytochemicals, such as phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoid, terpenoids, and tannins (mainly in the roots), and for this reason local communities use it to treat various conditions. Overall, our systematic review suggests that although Tylosema fassoglense has some potential to contribute towards food security, nutrition, health, and livelihoods, there are many remaining knowledge gaps that constrain its effective integration into agricultural production systems and possible contribution to food system transformation in the region.
... The research studies have documented traditional knowledge, and found several essential plant resources in modern medicines. The livelihoods of under-developed countries worldwide depend on medicinal plants and about 258,650 plant species were exist and above 10% of them are used medicinally (Shopo et al., 2022). The ancient practice of using therapeutic plants has been the precursor to modern medicine, with many contemporary treatments drawing on the wisdom of traditional herbal remedies. ...
Ethno-botany is the scientific study of traditional knowledge, and customs of people concerning plants and their medical, religious and other uses. The present study was aimed to gather and document the traditional knowledge and practices of the local inhabitants related to medicinal uses of the plants in the area. To understand the ethno-botanical uses and importance of the plant, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect quantitative, and qualitative information from randomly selected 138 local inhabitants of the Tehsil Takht Bhai, Mardan. The data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS software. The results reveals that medicinal plants are used for the treatment of various ailments and health issues, the plants were mostly used for diabetic (8.7%). The plants use was also recorded for backache (6.5%), followed by constipation and urinary tract infection (5.6), dry cough (4.3%), abdominal swelling and hemorrhoids (3.6%), and dysentery (3.5%). We also report on the people perception parts uses. According to report shows that the most commonly used part was fruits (24.6%), followed by bark (15.2%), whole plant (5.1%), roots (3.6%), stems (3.6%), flowers (1.4%), and seeds (1.4%). However, plant recipes were recorded from the local respondents, mostly reported recipe is powder form of plants (29.7%), followed by crushing (28.3%), directly use (15.2%), chewing (11.6%), boiling with water (7.2%), decoction (5.1%), boiling with tea (1.4%) etc. We conclude from the survey that the species population has been frequently used for various medicinal purposes, and the local inhabitants have more knowledge about the medicinal plant species. So, it is important the uncontrolled use of the plant as ethno-medicinal drug due to its great economic value. However, it is recommended that further investigation on local flora is necessary into their possible medicinal uses and proper documentation of the knowledge for young generation and researchers.
... This is consistent with Ethiopian reports (Kidane et al., 2018;Tahir et al., 2023;Tefera and Kim, 2019). On the other hand, roots are the most harvested plant parts for remedy preparation, possibly due to traditional beliefs about their therapeutic effect (Shopo et al., 2022). ...
Background: People in Sekela District, like others in Ethiopia, have a long tradition of using medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. However, medicinal plants and their associated indigenous knowledge are currently under threat. Thus, the study was carried out to compile ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in the district.
Methods: A total of 352 informants from six study sub-districts (328 general and 24 key informants) were selected randomly and purposefully. Individual interviews, focus group discussions, guided field walks, and market surveys were used to acquire ethnobotanical data using semi structured interview questions. The informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, medicinal use, and Analysis of Variance were used.
Results: A total of 121 medicinal plants belonging to 106 genera and 55 families were documented. The Asteraceae family had the most species with 11 (9 %), followed by Lamiaceae with 8 (6.6 %), while leaves were the most utilized part with 56 (37 %). The majority of the remedies were made as a concoction (32, 17 %) and delivered orally (98, 57 %). There was a statistically significant difference in indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants among genders, ages, marital status, educational levels, and occupations (p ˂ 0.05). The dermatological disease categories had the highest ICF (0.92) in human ailments.
Conclusion: The study revealed that Sekela District is rich in medicinal plants for treating human and livestock ailments, and has indigenous knowledge to utilize these resources effectively. However, overgrazing, agricultural expansion, and improper harvesting techniques threaten medicinal plants. This signals the need to make significant efforts to raise public awareness about their conservation and sustainable use.
... Wild plants that can be used as medicinal herbs differ between one type and another in classification and morphology and have an important role as health service providers for people in developing countries [6]. Wild plants have had medicinal properties for internal and external diseases for generations and have become alternative medicines for preventing or treating various types of diseases, as has been proven in countries such as Ethiopia, South Africa, and China. ...
Plant species scattered in various parts of the world have their benefits and properties as traditional medicinal ingredients by several tribes in Indonesia, one of which is the Muna tribe in Muna Regency. This research specifically examines the morphological characteristics of wild plants as traditional medicinal ingredients for the Muna people in Watopute District using a qualitative descriptive method consisting of surveys and interviews by selecting informants by Snowball Sampling. The survey results were then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The research identified as many as 43 wild plants used as traditional medicine consisting of 22 orders and 24 families, 5 species from the Monocotyledoneae class, and 38 species from the Dicotyledoneae class. The most widely used medicinal plant family was Asteraceae, with 7 species. The most widely used plant organs were leaves, with 28 species (28%), and the habitus of medicinal plants found was herbs (30%) with morphological observations in the form of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and its parts and shape. The research concluded that most Muna people use raw materials from plants as traditional medicines to treat diseases.
... The leaf and root were found to be effective in the treatment of snake bites in Ghana, and similar medicinal use was reported in Nigeria although method of preparation as well as part of the plant used was not specified [29,32]. Whereas, boiled chopped bark, fruit, or leaf is administered as antivenom and the same decoction is also used as treatment for stomach problems, influenza, and as an immune booster in Zimbabwe [18]. The leaf has been prepared as an infusion for massage and the powder from the root has been applied topically to treat Bone fractures, sprains, and wounds in Benin. ...
Objective
Piliostigma thonningii is a medicinal plant commonly found in Eastern and Western Africa with a potential traditional usage to treat various diseases. Several studies have revealed interesting pharmacological activity of the plant and different phytochemicals were identified. This study critically reviewed the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of P. thonningii.
Methods
Relevant databases including ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar as well as databases for these were searched for information using the keyword P. thonningii and its synonym.
Key findings
P. thonningii is majorly prepared in Africa as a decoction, infusion, maceration, and ointment and administered orally or topically to treat several diseases such as malaria, cancer, hepatitis, diabetes, and others. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated activity including antimalarial, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-proliferative, and other medicinal properties. Compounds including piliostigmin, C-methyl flavonols, quercetin, and others were among the active components.
Conclusions
The general use of P. thonnigii in various medicinal forms in Africa presents a great opportunity for the development of innovative research toward the production of natural products and nutraceuticals. Nevertheless, additional studies especially in vivo are necessary to further elucidate the mechanism mediating the bioactivities, especially in relation to the medicinal and nutritional uses.
... However, previous studies (Medeiros et al. 2012) indicate that the migration and incorporation of new knowledge are much more complex and can have various effects, including the addition of expertise from distinct cultures, allowing the maintenance and enrichment of TEK (see Pieroni and Vandebroek 2007). There is evidence that incorporating knowledge about exotic plants into pharmacopeia can contribute to the functional resilience and adaptation of social-ecological systems (Alencar et al. 2014;Shop et al. 2022). The capacity for change and innovation guided by TEK can confer adaptability to social-ecological systems (Berkes et al. 2000;Matos et al. 2021). ...
This commentary responds to a recent article in Trends in Ecology & Evolution that questions the assertion that Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) preserve traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) solely out of necessity due to poverty or deprivation. We argue that many IPLC maintain TEK through effective practices, supported by empirical evidence indicating that TEK plays a role as a source of innovation, challenging the narrow association with "poverty or deprivation." Moreover, the preservation of TEK is paramount, especially for ensuring food and nutritional security in vulnerable populations. Additionally, we advocate for the feasibility of sustaining TEK, generating wealth, and integrating diverse adaptive technologies and strategies to create income for IPLC.
... Informant consensus factor (ICF) Therapeutic uses of the ethnobotanical survey were categorized following the guidance of the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2) based on the World Health Organization to detect ICF value (Weckerle et al., 2018;Redouan et al., 2020;Benitez et al., 2021). ICF values are the homogeneity of the participants' information, which was calculated by the following formula (Shopo et al., 2022;Trotter and Logan, 19 Where Nur is the number of user reports for a specific disease category and Nt is the number of taxa for a specific disease category mentioned by all participants. Fidelity level (FL) The FL value reflects the percentage value of specific taxa used for the treatment of specific disease categories by participants (Weckerle et al., 2018;Redouan et al., 2020;Benitez et al., 2021). ...
... Roots constituted 26% of the plant parts used in this study. The over-exploitation of medicinal plants valued for their root parts and stem bark raises concerns regarding conservation (Shopo et al. 2022). To address this issue, implementing sustainable harvesting practices becomes pivotal in safeguarding these plant parts from overuse and ensuring their longterm availability. ...
Background: This research aims to identify and document medicinal plants used by locals in Malava sub-county, Western Kenya, and explore their traditional knowledge and transmission. The ethnomedicinal knowledge in this area is on the brink of extinction due to the increasing prevalence and usage of modern medicine, changing livelihoods, rapid modernization, and urbanization. Methods: The survey was conducted between July and December 2022, using semi-structured open-ended questionnaires and guided field walks. A total of 102 respondents, including Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs), participated. The quantitative analysis involved calculating the use value (UV), frequency of citation (FC), family use value (FUV), and informant agreement ratio (IAR) to assess the significance of each medicinal plant and understand its acceptance. Results: The study documented 62 vascular medicinal plant species from 30 families. The most represented families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae, with seven species each (11.3%). Families with the highest FUV values were Xanthorrhoeaceae (0.235) and Meliaceae (0.612). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part (40%), while trees were the most prevalent plant form (39%). Crushing was the highest recorded mode of preparation (46.2%) with oral administration being common (76.9%). Azadirachta indica A. Juss. was the most utilized plant species medicinally, with the highest use value (UV=0.25). The majority of plant species were used for curing stomachaches (18 species) and malaria (15 species). Conclusions: The findings of this study underscore the urgent need to document traditional knowledge before it becomes lost with the decline of rural practitioners. Therefore, there is a pressing need for ethnobotanical research, policy initiatives, and community programs to protect the biocultural diversity associated with the traditional medical system and ensure the well-being of both the environment and human populations in this region. Keywords: Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, quantitative analysis, traditional medical practitioners, Malava sub-county, Western Kenya
... Indeed, the link between ecosystem services, resource ecology, and people is exploited, which is essential for sustainable resource use (Chen and Sun 2018;Ncube et al. 2022). This importance is further justified as recent research has shown that increasing demand for medicinal plants is leading to overexploitation of wild populations for commercial purposes, resulting in habitat degradation and possible extinction of these species (Shopo et al. 2022). Third, with the impacts of urbanization, industrialization, migration from rural to urban areas, rapid loss of natural habitats, and lifestyle changes, the wealth of ethnomedicinal plant knowledge in many cultures is gradually decreasing (Pradhan et al. 2022). ...
Background: Prunus africana (Hook. f) Kalkman (Rosaceae) is a multi-purpose species with important utility value for the populations that depend on it. Indeed, local populations living in community forests use P. africana. The objective of this study is to document the different uses of P. africana by local populations in traditional medicine for a better vulgarization for a sustainable management of the resource.
Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in four P. africana distribution areas in North Kivu. Data were collected
on the basis of a survey from 221 informants. Statistical analysis and calculation of ethnobotanical indices were performed using R 4.1.2 software.
Results: Results of the investigations show that P. africana is by far used in medical practices (96.83%). It is also used as wood energy (60.18 %), charcoal (40.27 %), in handicrafts (7.24 %), construction (6.79 %), food (2.26 %) and traditional rites (0.45 %). In traditional pharmacopoeia, the characterization of the uses allowed us to identify 23 diseases for which P. africana extracts are used to treat them. The bark and leaves are the most used organs in the recipes. The decoction (99.5%), the macerated (10.41%) and the powders (7.69%) are the galenic or pharmaceutical forms in which the local populations prepare the remedies. The potions prepared are mainly administered orally (99.5%).
Conclusion: The multiple forms of use of P. africana by the populations of North Kivu, both in medicine and in other categories of use, constitute a threat to its survival. For a sustainable management, the results of this study reveal that it is possible to substitute the species P. africana with other plant species with similar potential in order to limit its overexploitation
... from Xeroderris Roberty genus of the Fabaceae family is a medicinal plant widely used traditionally to treat many ailments across Zimbabwe (Selemani et al., 2021). Different parts of the plant are used to treat diabetes mellitus, bacterial wound infections, coughs, diarrhea, malaria, colds, rheumatoid arthritis, stomachache, dysentery and eye infections (Asase et al., 2005;Bello et al., 2019;Chinemana et al., 1985;Shopo et al., 2022). In vitro antibacterial studies showed that the bark extracts effectively fight bacterial pathogens that cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans (Selemani et al., 2021). ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal traditional medicine is used by millions of people in Africa for treatment
of ailments such as diabetes mellitus, stomach disorders and respiratory diseases. Xeroderris stuhlmannii (Taub.)
Mendonca & E.P. Sousa (X. stuhlmannii (Taub.)) is a medicinal plant used traditionally in Zimbabwe to treat type
2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications. However, there is no scientific evidence to support its
inhibitory effect against digestive enzymes (α-glucosidases) that are linked to high blood sugar in humans.
Aim of the study: This work aims to investigate whether bioactive phytochemicals of crude X. stuhlmannii (Taub.)
can scavenge free radicals and inhibit α-glucosidases in order to reduce blood sugar in humans.
Materials and methods: Here we examined the free radical scavenging potential of crude aqueous, ethyl acetate
and methanolic extracts of X. stuhlmannii (Taub.) using the diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay in vitro. Furthermore,
we carried out in vitro inhibition of α-glucosidases (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) by the crude extracts using
chromogenic 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside substrates. We also used molecular
docking approaches (Autodock Vina) to screen for bioactive phytochemical compounds targeting the digestive
enzymes.
Results: Our results showed that phytochemicals in X. stuhlmannii (Taub.) aqueous, ethyl acetate and methanolic
extracts scavenged free radicals with IC50 values ranging from 0.002 to 0.013 μg/mL. Furthermore, crude
aqueous, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts significantly inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50
values of 10.5–29.5 μg/mL (versus 54.1 ± 0.7 μg/mL for acarbose) and 8.8–49.5 μg/mL (versus 161.4 ± 1.8 μg/
mL for acarbose), respectively. In silico molecular docking findings and pharmacokinetic predictions showed that
myricetin is likely a novel plant-derived α-glucosidase inhibitor.
Conclusion: Collectively, our findings suggest pharmacological targeting of digestive enzymes by X. stuhlmannii
(Taub.) crude extracts may reduce blood sugar in humans with T2DM via inhibition of α-glucosidases.
... Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times to treat and manage various human and animal diseases and ailments. In some communities, medicinal plants are an important aspect of their daily lives and a crucial part of their cultural heritage [12,13]. In the last 70 years, documentation of medicinal uses of species belonging to the family Araliaceae has expanded in southern Africa [14][15][16][17][18]. ...
There is widespread use of species belonging to family Araliaceae in traditional medicine in southern Africa. The aim of this review was to assess medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicological properties of indigenous species belonging to family Araliaceae in southern Africa. Relevant articles, books, theses, dissertations, patents, and other English-only reports on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological properties of species belonging to the family Araliaceae in southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) were reviewed. Databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, Google Scholar, Scopus, Springer, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis between January and July 2022. Eleven species, namely Cussonia. arborea, C. arenicola, C. natalensis, C. nicholsonii, C. paniculata, C. sphaerocephala, C. spicata, C. transvaalensis, C. thyrsiflora, C. zuluensis and Neocussonia umbellifera are used as traditional medicines against 48 human and animal diseases. This study showed that alkaloids, anthocyanins, anthracene glycosides, botulin, flavonoids, free gallic acid, iridoids, phenolics, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenoids and volatile oils have been identified from these species. Pharmacological research revealed that the crude extracts and compounds demonstrated isolated from these species are characterized by Aβ42 protein reduction, acetylcholinesterase, analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antileishmanial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antiprotozoal, anti-ulcer, immunomodulatory, larvicidal, molluscicidal, spermicidal, cytotoxicity and toxicity activities. Reports of medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicological properties of species belonging to the family Araliaceae in southern Africa could only be found for 11 species, suggesting that further investigation of largely unexplored family members is necessary.
Background
The inhabitants of the village of Mampa have developed a rich corpus of knowledge and practices for treating pathologies using plants that are worthy of preservation, perpetuation, and promotion. They draw on the region's rich biodiversity, particularly in the Miombo clear forest. However, to date, no documentation of their ethnomedicinal knowledge exists.
Methods
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and October 2023. It employed a direct, face-to-face interview with the Mampa village population and a guide questionnaire.
Results
A total of 400 respondents were included in the study (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 48.0 ± 4.0 years; experience: 14.5 ± 2.0 years), and the majority (93.8%) reported that they learned about plants from their families. These individuals mainly use plants as a first-line treatment (100%) and provided information on 38 taxa. The most commonly cited species were Anisophyllea pomifera and Brachystesia boehmii with 46 citations, while the most commonly used taxon was Landolphia kirkii with six recorded uses. This is the first report of Entandrophragma delevoyi and Pterocarpus brenanii as medicinal plants. Most of these taxa are trees, comprising 29 from 23 genera belonging to 24 families, with a notable prevalence of Fabaceae (10 taxa). 81 pathologies are indicated for treatment, with a predominance of gastrointestinal disorders (8 recipes, 7 taxa, 152 citations). The root is the most used organ, with 21 recipes and 14 taxa, while decoction is the most common preparation method, with 41 recipes and 19 taxa.
Conclusions
This study's findings indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional Mampa medicine to treat various diseases. Some of these species are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies are currently underway to validate some of the reported plant indications.
Multiple plant species are used in traditional southern African medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases. Traditional southern African therapies used to treat cardiovascular diseases were identified and recorded following an extensive review of ethnobotanical books, reviews, and other scientific literature. This was followed by a critical analysis of the validation studies, while highlighting gaps for further investigation. A total of 235 plant species were identified and are itemised herein. Notably, only 45 of these plant species (»19 %) have been tested in vivo or screened in vitro for any bio-activities relevant to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The remaining 190 species are yet to be tested in any cardiovascular disease biomarker assay. Additionally , the plant species that have been evaluated for cardiovascular disease-relevant activities have generally only been tested in a single bio-assay model (most frequently ACE inhibition assays). This study highlights the need for further in vitro and in vivo assays in this neglected field of research.
Background: Children are susceptible to various types of infections and diseases because of their low and weakened immune system. In various communities throughout the world, medicinal plants have historically been used to treat and manage paediatric diseases and ailments.Aim: The current study was aimed at identifying and analysing medicinal plants used traditionally to treat and manage paediatric diseases in Zimbabwe.Setting: This review provides an overview of medicinal plants used to manage paediatric ailments in Zimbabwe.Method: Ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used to treat and manage paediatric diseases in Zimbabwe was obtained using online databases such as Scopus, JSTOR, PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct.Results: A total of 178 taxa belonging to 64 families have been documented as traditional medicines for paediatric diseases and ailments in Zimbabwe. Cryptolepis oblongifolia, Asparagus spp., Dichrostachys cinerea, Fadogia ancylantha, Inula glomerata, Lannea edulis and Strychnos spinosa are the most popular medicinal plants with four to five use reports each. Medicinal plants are used to treat and manage 41 childhood medical conditions in Zimbabwe.Conclusion: Baseline data provided in this study can be used for future ethnopharmacological research focusing on chemical, pharmacological and toxicological evaluations of the documented species.Contribution: This study contributes to the existing literature about medicinal plants used to treat and manage paediatric diseases, and such data can be used to develop new health-promoting products for children and also pharmaceutical products that can be used to reduce child or infant mortality rate.
Species of the Jatropha genus (Euphorbiaceae) are used indiscriminately in traditional medicine to treat accidents involving venomous animals. Jatropha mutabilis Baill., popularly known as “pinhão-de-seda,” is found in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil. It is widely used as a vermifuge, depurative, laxative, and antivenom. Obtaining the phytochemical profile of the latex of Jatropha mutabilis (JmLa) and evaluate its acute oral toxicity and inhibitory effects against the venom of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus (TstiV). The latex of J. mutabilis (JmLa) was obtained through in situ incisions in the stem and characterized using HPLC-ESI-QToF-MS. Acute oral toxicity was investigated in mice. The protein profile of T. stigmurus venom was obtained by electrophoresis. The ability of latex to interact with venom components (TstiV) was assessed using SDS-PAGE, UV–Vis scanning spectrum, and the neutralization of fibrinogenolytic and hyaluronidase activities. Additionally, the latex was evaluated in vivo for its ability to inhibit local edematogenic and nociceptive effects induced by the venom. The phytochemical profile of the latex revealed the presence of 75 compounds, including cyclic peptides, glycosides, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, coumarins, and terpenoids, among others. No signs of acute toxicity were observed at a dose of 2000 mg/kg (p.o.). The latex interacted with the protein profile of TstiV, inhibiting the venom's fibrinogenolytic and hyaluronidase activities by 100%. Additionally, the latex was able to mitigate local envenomation effects, reducing nociception by up to 56.5% and edema by up to 50% compared to the negative control group. The latex of Jatropha mutabilis exhibits a diverse phytochemical composition, containing numerous classes of metabolites. It does not present acute toxic effects in mice and has the ability to inhibit the enzymatic effects of Tityus stigmurus venom in vitro. Additionally, it reduces nociception and edema in vivo. These findings corroborate popular reports regarding the antivenom activity of this plant and indicate that the latex has potential for treating scorpionism.
Background: A variety of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the management of hemorrhoidal diseases. However, no investigation has been conducted to gather the knowledge required for this type of management in the region. The present study was conducted to inventory the plants used in Lubumbashi to treat hemorrhoidal diseases and to relate their ethnomedical characteristics.
Methods: This study was conducted between March 2022 and February 2023 using semi-structured interviews with households (n=1520), herbalists (n=25), and traditional healers : THs (n=59).
Results: The 1,604 respondents (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 56 ± 3 years; experience: 12 ± 3 years) provided information on 100 taxa, 84 of which are used against internal hemorrhoids, Phyllanthus amarus being the most cited (Citation Index, CI: 0.76). Most of them are trees (38%) or shrubs (32%), belonging to 90 genera and 45 families dominated by the Fabaceae (10%) and Asteraceae (9%). They are indicated in 76 other pathologies, dominated by gastrointestinal disorders (GID), wounds and sexually transmitted infections (CI > 0.57). From these 100 taxa, 117 anti-hemorrhoidal formulations were derived, 11 of which combined more than one plant. In all these recipes, the leaf is the most commonly used part (>60%) and the liniment (>45%) is the most popular form of application. For the first time, this study reports 14 taxa as plants used in the treatment of hemorrhoids for which some evidence of hemorrhoidal activity has been reported. Among these taxa, Ficus stuhlmannii, Ficus laurifolia, and Ocimum centraliafricanum are listed as medicinal plants for the first time. Khaya nyasica, and Syzygium cordatum, each with 11 uses, have the highest traditional medicinal value.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases. Some of these plants are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies is currently underway with the objective of validating the anti-hemorrhoidal properties of these plants and in order to identify phytochemical compounds responsible of this activity.
Citation: Frimpong, E.K.; Thembane, N.; Hlatshwayo, S.; Ngcobo, M.; Gqaleni, N. Indigenous Medicinal Abstract: (1) Background: The utilization of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes is of great importance to the health of the indigenous population on the African continent. The high cost of orthodox conventional medicines coupled with the perceived side effects encourages the high patronage of indigenous medicinal plants in the management of this metabolic disorder. We conducted a review on the indigenous African medicinal plants that could be useful in preclinical and clinical trials in the field of diabetes mellitus research. (2) Methods: Data were mined from research articles published and associated with the use of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes on the African continent (from January 2019 to March 2024). Literature from ethnobotanical studies on the African continent was searched from the Google Scholar, SCOPUS, Medline, Web of Science and PubMed databases. We employed the following keywords: "indigenous plants", "diabetes in Africa" and "antidiabetic effect of medicinal plants". (3) Results: A total of 52 medicinal plants belonging to 31 families were recorded in this study. Amaryllidaceae (14.28%), Fabaceae (9.52%) and Asteraceae (9.52%) were the most cited plant families. The frequently used indigenous medicinal plants on the African continent were Allium sativum L. (n = 6), Olea europaea L. (n = 6), Azadirachta indica A. Juss (n = 5), Allium cepa L. (n = 5) and Moringa oleifera Lam. (n = 5). The highly cited parts of the plant used in the management of diabetes were the leaves (45.55%), bark (14.44%) and bulbs (12.22%). The preferred methods of the preparation of herbal medicines were decoction (45.23%) and infusion (25%). Oral (52.32%) was the preferred route of the administration of herbal medicine on the African continent. (4) Conclusions: The data revealed some similarities in the way countries on the African continent manage diabetes. This interesting observation will assist in our quest towards obtaining a standardized protocol using indigenous medicinal plants to combat diseases on the African continent.
Background
A variety of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the management of hemorrhoidal diseases. However, no investigation has been conducted to gather the knowledge required for this type of management in the region. The present study was conducted to inventory the plants used in Lubumbashi to treat hemorrhoidal diseases and to relate their ethnomedical characteristics.
Methods
This study was conducted between March 2022 and February 2023 using semi-structured interviews with households (n = 1520), herbalists (n = 25), and traditional healers : THs (n = 59).
Results
The 1,604 respondents (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 56 ± 3 years; experience: 12 ± 3 years) provided information on 100 taxa, 84 of which are used against internal hemorrhoids, Phyllanthus amarus being the most cited (Citation Index, CI: 0.76). Most of them are trees (38%) or shrubs (32%), belonging to 90 genera and 45 families dominated by the Fabaceae (10%) and Asteraceae (9%). They are indicated in 76 other pathologies, dominated by gastrointestinal disorders (GID), wounds and sexually transmitted infections (CI > 0.57). From these 100 taxa, 117 anti-hemorrhoidal formulations were derived, 11 of which combined more than one plant. In all these recipes, the leaf is the most commonly used part (> 60%) and the liniment (> 45%) is the most popular form of application. For the first time, this study reports 14 taxa as plants used in the treatment of hemorrhoids for which some evidence of hemorrhoidal activity has been reported. Among these taxa, Ficus stuhlmannii, Ficus laurifolia, and Ocimum centraliafricanum are listed as medicinal plants for the first time. Khaya nyasica, and Syzygium cordatum, each with 11 uses, have the highest traditional medicinal value.
Conclusion
The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases. Some of these plants are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies is currently underway with the objective of validating the anti-hemorrhoidal properties of these plants and in order to identify phytochemical compounds responsible of this activity.
Local communities use plant resources from the surrounding environment for firewood, food and medicines, and for their livelihood maintenance, security and income generation. The different parts of Pouzolzia mixta Solms are characterized by nutritional, cultural and pharmaceutical properties. Pouzolzia mixta is a small tree or shrub which grows naturally in tropical woodlands and thickets of Africa and Asia. The current study is aimed at providing information on the biological and medicinal properties of P. mixta. Information on the biological and medicinal properties of P. mixta was obtained from online databases such as Scopus, JSTOR, Scimago, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct, and pre-electronic sources such as books, journal articles, dissertations, book chapters, thesis and other scientific articles obtained from the University of Fort Hare library. This study showed that the leaves of P. mixta are used as culinary herb and leafy vegetable in tropical Africa and Asia. In south central Africa, the bark, leaves, roots and stems of P. mixta are used as ritual and protective charm, and traditional medicine to treat and manage 48 human and 13 animal diseases and ailments. The phytochemical evaluations of the species showed that the leaves and roots of the species are characterized by alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolics, steroids and tannins. The pharmacological assessments showed that the crude extracts of P. mixta leaves, roots and stems are characterized by antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-diabetic, anti-fertility and antioxidant activities. This review highlighted the food, pharmaceutical and health benefits of P. mixta in different countries in east and southern Africa, and Asia. Based on the results of this review, detailed ethnopharmacological evaluations of P. mixta focusing on phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and toxicological evaluations, in vivo and clinical research are recommended. The data from the current study should contribute to improved management and conservation of P. mixta in tropical Africa and Asia, considering concerns about anthropogenic pressure on plant biodiversity. Key words: Biological activities, indigenous knowledge, pharmacological properties, Pouzolzia mixta, traditional medicine, Urticaceae
Background: Several plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family are widely used as sources of traditional medicines. The current study was aimed at providing a systematic review of ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Asteraceae species used as sources of traditional medicines in Zimbabwe. Methods: Information related to the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Asteraceae species was systematically collected using relevant keywords from online databases such as BioMed Central, Web of Science, Springerlink, Google Scholar, Scielo, PubMed, Science Direct, ACS Publications, Scopus and JSTOR, books, dissertations, theses, scientific reports and herbarium specimens. Results: This study showed that 50 species are traditionally used to manage human and animal diseases in Zimbabwe. These species are used as traditional medicines against 51 medical conditions, mainly used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems (34 use reports) and respiratory problems (28 use reports). Aspilia pluriseta, Baccharoides adoensis, Bidens pilosa, Brachylaena discolor var. rotundata, Dicoma anomala, Erythrocephalum zambesianum, Gymnanthemum amygdalinum, G. coloratum, Helichrysum caespititium, Inula glomerata, Laggera crispata, Linzia glabra, Lopholaena coriifolia, Schkuhria pinnata, Senecio coronatus, S. latifolius and Tagetes minuta have the highest number of medicinal uses. Majority of the documented species are characterized by flavonoids (46.0%), terpenoids (44.0%), tannins (40.0%), alkaloids (34.0%), saponins (26.0%), essential oils (24.0%) and glycosides (20.0%). Conclusions: Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies would be of great interest for assessment of ethnopharmacological properties of Asteraceae species used as sources of traditional medicines. Keywords: Asteraceae, Compositae, herbal medicine, indigenous knowledge, natural compounds, Zimbabwe
Ethnobotany Research and Applications 25:40 (2023)-http://dx. Abstract Background: People still use plant-based medicine for their basic healthcare requirements despite having easy
The current study is aimed at providing a systematic review of the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Fabaceae species used as sources of traditional medicinies in Zimbabwe. Fabaceae is one of the well-known plant families of ethnopharmacological importance. Of the approximately 665 species of the Fabaceae family occurring in Zimbabwe, about 101 are used for medicinal purposes. Many communities in the country, mainly in peri-urban, rural and marginalized areas with limited access to healthcare facilities, rely on traditional medicines as their primary healthcare. The study reviewed research studies undertaken on Zimbabwe’s Fabaceae species during 1959 to 2022. Information was gathered from literature sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, books, dissertations, theses and scientific reports. This study showed that 101 species are traditionally used to manage human and animal diseases in Zimbabwe. The genera with the highest number of medicinal uses are Indigofera, Senna, Albizia, Rhynchosia and Vachellia. Species of these genera are used as traditional medicines against 134 medical conditions, mainly gastrointestinal conditions, female reproductive conditions, respiratory conditions and sexually transmitted infections. Shrubs (39.0%), trees (37.0%) and herbs (18.0%) are the primary sources of traditional medicines, while roots (80.2%), leaves (36.6%), bark (27.7%) and fruits (8.9%) are the most widely used plant parts. Many of Zimbabwe’s Fabaceae species used as sources of traditional medicines have been assessed for their phytochemical and pharmacological properties, corroborating their medicinal uses. However, there is a need to unravel the therapeutic potential of the family through further ethnopharmacological research focusing on toxicological studies, in vitro and in vivo models, biochemical assays and pharmacokinetic studies.
Oral infections and dental disorders are amongst the most common diseases in humans, affecting approximately four billion people globally each year. In southern Africa, a high percentage of people rely on traditional medicines to treat illnesses, including for the treatment of oral pathogens. This study critically reviews the literature on the ethnobotanical use of plant-based traditional medicines in southern Africa to treat oral infections. A further literature search was subsequently undertaken to summarise studies that validated the traditional use of these plants, and thereby to highlight areas that require further research. A total of 149 plant species that are used to treat oral pathogens were identified. The majority of the identified plants are native to southern Africa, although 23 exotic species that are used in the healing system of at least one southern African ethnic group were also included. Toothache was the main condition treated with the traditional medicines, although plant medicines were also often used to treat oral candidiasis and mouth ulcers. Roots and leaves were most frequently used, and they were generally used either as mouthwashes or by direct application to the affected area. Despite the diverse flora of southern Africa and the ongoing use of plant medicines to treat oral infections, the effects of southern African plants against oral pathogens have been relatively poorly explored. Only 47 of the 149 identified plant species (∼32%) have been verified by laboratory screening. Furthermore, the majority of the plants that have been tested have only been screened against limited panels of oral pathogens. Of the pathogens screened, the effects of the southern African plants against Candida spp. have been the most extensively studied. In contrast, relatively few plant species have been screened against oral bacterial pathogens, except against Streptococcus mutans. Given that oral health is vital for overall health and wellbeing, a much-needed impetus towards research in this field is warranted.
Abstract Background There are handful hypothesis-driven ethnobotanical studies in Nepal. In this study, we tested the non-random medicinal plant selection hypothesis using national- and community-level datasets through three different types of regression: linear model with raw data, linear model with log-transformed data and negative binomial model. Methods For each of these model, we identified over-utilized families as those with highest positive Studentized residuals and underutilized families with highest negative Studentized residuals. The national-level data were collected from online databases and available literature while the community-level data were collected from Baitadi and Darchula districts. Results Both dataset showed larger variance (national dataset mean 6.51
Traditional medicine utilisation during antenatal care has been on the increase in several countries. Therefore, addressing and reinforcing the Sustainable Development Goal of maternal mortality reduction, there is a need to take traditional medicine utilisation during pregnancy into consideration. This paper explores traditional medicine utilisation during antenatal care among women in Bulilima District of Plumtree in Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 177 randomly selected women using a semi-structured questionnaire. Fisher's Exact Test, Odds Ratios, and Multiple Logistic Regression were utilised to determine any associations between different demographic characteristics and traditional medicine utilisation patterns using STATA SE Version 13. The prevalence of Traditional Medicine utilisation among pregnant women was estimated to be 28%. Most traditional remedies were used in the third trimester to quicken delivery. The majority of women used holy water and unknown Traditional Medicine during pregnancy. There was a strong association between age and Traditional Medicine utilisation as older women are 13 times more likely to use Traditional Medicine than younger ones. Women use traditional medicine for different purposes during pregnancy, and older women's likelihood to use Traditional Medicine is higher than their counterparts. The traditional system plays an essential role in antenatal care; therefore, there is a need to conduct further studies on the efficacy and safety of utilising Traditional Medicines.
An account of total of 58 plant species including 57 genera and 43 families was reported as useful in ethnomedicine from semi-structured questionnaire survey to the 76 participants of Kaski and Baitadi districts, Nepal. Fieldwork and participatory meetings were carried out between September 2017 and January 2018. A total of 419 emic use reports including 150 from Kaski and 269 from Baitadi were reported from 58 ethnomedicinal plant species. Each species was reported for 2–43 use reports and each participant recorded 1–12 use reports. About 25% (n = 104) use reports were associated with the treatment of digestive system disorders followed by 83 for general complaints. Of the species assessed, 53 species had IASc value < 0.25 and only five species had > 0.25. Species Swertia chirayita, Paris polyphylla, Bergenia ciliata, Valeriana jatamansi and Centella asiatica with > 0.25 IASc were found to be highly consented; however they were incongruent between the sample groups and sites. Divergent plant use knowledge specific to each sample district and group was corresponding to the heterogeneity of socio-economy and culture of the sites. Gender, ethnicity, household economy and food availability of the respondents were leading factors affecting the plant use knowledge. Despite the sites were relatively homogenous in eco-physiography, they possessed the distinct plant use knowledge, hinted that the socio-economic factors are more explanatory in plant use knowledge.
Background
The phytotherapeutic knowledge of the Kongo people in the territories of Kisantu and Mbanza-Ngungu in Kongo-Central Province (DR Congo) is rapidly eroding. To document the remaining knowledge, we conducted an ethnobotanical survey on the most important medicinal plant species and diseases treated with them, as well as plants with therapeutic potential. We also checked for the cultural similarity in medicinal plant knowledge between the two territories and how knowledge about Kongo medicinal plants differs between different social groups.
Methods
From June 2017 until February 2018 and from February 2019 until April 2019, we conducted a survey with 188 phytotherapists, selected using the snowball method and surveyed using semi-structured interviews. Voucher specimens were taken for identification. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using medicinal use value (UVs), informant agreement ratio (IARs), informant consensus factor (ICF), and species therapeutic potential (STP). Rahman’s similarity index was used for ethno-cultural comparison of medicinal plant knowledge between the two communities. Medicinal knowledge between different social groups was analyzed using non-parametric tests and Poisson regression.
Results
A total of 231 plants (i.e., 227 botanical species, representing 192 genera and 79 families) were reportedly used to treat 103 diseases. Most abundant taxa were reported for the Fabaceae family (including 11.9% of species and 10.9% of genera). Most reported species (45.0%) were from anthropized areas. Leaves (39.4%), herbs (37.1%), decoction (41.7%), and oral ingestion (72%) were the most frequently cited plant part, botanical form, preparation, and administration method, respectively. Four of all inventoried species showed high UV S (> 0.05), whereas eight had an IAR of one. According to ICF, 31 diseases were mentioned. Highest ICF (≥ 0.4) was observed for hemorrhoids (0.44), amoebiasis (0.43), and itchy rash (0.42). Fifty-four plant species were identified as likely possessing an interesting therapeutic potential. Low ethno-cultural similarity in medicinal knowledge (RSI = 16.6%) was found between the two territories. Analysis of the Kongo medicinal plant knowledge showed that the mean number of reported species and diseases vary considerably depending on gender, type, and residence of therapists ( P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Results prove that the Kongo phytopharmacopeia makes use of interesting medicinal plant species that could be further studied for conservation and pharmacological applications.
Background:
In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries.
Methods:
GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution.
Findings:
Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990-2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0-9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10-24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10-24 years were also in the top ten in the 25-49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50-74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI.
Interpretation:
As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and development investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve.
Funding:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Background:
Traditional medicine plays an important role in health care provision in the developing world. A number of cancer patients have been found to be using traditional medicine as primary therapy and/or as complementary medicine. Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally among the non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the plants used by traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) in Zimbabwe to treat cancer.
Methods:
A structured questionnaire was used to interview consenting registered TMPs on ethnomedicinal plants they use to treat cancer. A review of published literature on the cited plants was also carried out. The practitioners were asked about the plants that they use to treat cancer, the plant parts used, type of cancer treated, other medicinal uses of the plants and preparation and administration of the plant parts.
Results:
Twenty (20) TMPs took part in the study. A total of 18 medicinal plant species were cited. The commonly treated types of cancer were breast, prostate, colon, skin and blood cancers with most plants being used to treat skin, blood and breast cancers, respectively. Of the medicinal plants cited, 44.4% were used to treat all cancer types. The most used plant parts were the roots (72.2%) and leaves (72.2%) followed by the bark (38.9%). The medicinal plants were used for multiple ailments. The most common plant preparation methods were infusion (72.2%) and decoction (66.7%) and the oral route of administration, as extracts and powder put in tea and porridge, was the most used.
Conclusion:
The frequently used plant parts were leaves and roots. The traditional uses of the medicinal plants cited in this study resonate well with their reported uses from other ethnopharmacological studies done in other parts of the world. The plants used by TMPs to treat cancer in Zimbabwe, if adequately explored, can be instrumental in the discovery and development of cancer drugs.
Introduction
Medicinal plants and ethnomedicinal studies continue playing a significant role in herbal products development and traditional knowledge conservation. Calls for ethnomedicinal studies have increased recently to unleash the potential in medicinal plants and document verbal traditional knowledge. This study recorded the medicinal plants administered by traditional practitioners in the Traditional Authority Chikowi area of Zomba district in Malawi.
Methodology
This cross-sectional study was conducted for 2 weeks in September 2017. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to traditional medicine practitioners using snowball sampling in the company of botany personnel from the National Herbarium and Botanical Gardens (NHBG). Data collected included plant local names, medicinal uses, parts used, preparation methods and administration methods to clients. Some species were photographed and identified in the field by the NHBG officers.
Results
Five traditional practitioners were interviewed. Fifty-nine medicinal plant species belonging to 38 families were used as prophylaxis and treatment for 27 communicable and non-communicable diseases/conditions. Fabaceaefamily (papilionoideae 11.9%, mimosoideae 5.1%, caesalpinioideae 1.7%) had the largest percentage of species (18.6%). Preparation methods ranged from infusion (38.0%) to cream (2.0%). Of these, 86.0%, 12.0% and 2.0% were administered orally, topically and rectally respectively. Roots were the most-used part (60.8%) while the least used was the flower (1.3%). Nearly two-thirds were trees or shrubs (32.2% each).
Conclusion
The area has a rich biodiversity of medicinal plant species and knowledge scientists can use as a baseline for identification of medicinal plants species and bioactive compounds or preparations with useful medicinal properties.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of traditional medicine used during pregnancy, at labour and for postpartum care by women in rural Zimbabwe.
Research design:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 398 women from two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Data on socio-demography, pregnancy related information as well as traditional medicine use patterns was collected using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Convenient sampling was used to recruit women of childbearing age who were either pregnant at the time of the study, or had previously given birth.
Results:
The prevalence of traditional medicine used during pregnancy and at labour was 69.9% and only 17.3% used these medicines for postpartum care. During pregnancy, 27.7% used soil from a mole hill, 21.6% used elephant dung, and 13.3% used Fadogia ancylantha. These medicines were mainly used to facilitate labour (43.5%), avoid tears/stitches (19.7%), make delivery easy and safe (18.3%) and to avoid prolonged labour (5%). Only 9% of the participants however reported to have experienced adverse effects from using traditional medicines.
Conclusion:
The use of traditional remedies in different forms during pregnancy and at labour was very common as confirmed by the high prevalence rate of 69.9%. Some of the women however used more than one type of traditional medicine during pregnancy, labour and for postpartum care. The exact effects of some of these medicines on both the mother and infant however, are not known, and there is therefore a need for them to be studied in greater detail.
Leguminosae is an economically important family that contains a large number of medicinal plants, many of which are widely used in African traditional medicine. Angola holds a great socio-cultural diversity and is one of the richest floristic regions of the world, with over 900 native Leguminosae species. This study is the first to assess the medicinal uses of the legumes in Angola and provides new data to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of these unique resources. We document the ethnobotanical knowledge on Angola by reviewing the most important herbarium collections and literature, complemented by recent field surveys. Our results revealed that 127 native legume species have medicinal uses and 65% of them have other important uses by local populations. The species with most medicinal applications are Erythrina abyssinica, Bauhinia thonningii and Pterocarpus angolensis. The rich flora found in Angola suggests an enormous potential for discovery of new drugs with therapeutic value. However, the overexploitation and the indiscriminate collection of legumes for multiple uses such as forage, food, timber and medical uses, increases the threats upon the native vegetation. Efforts to assess the conservation status of these species are urgently needed, and future actions should promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants in Angola together with the implementation of conservation strategies. Subjects Plant Science
This survey explored Bapedi traditional healer’s (THs) practices pertinent to native plants used to treat respiratory infections (RIs) and related symptoms (RSs). Semi-structured questionnaires and participatory observations were used to gather information from 240 THs in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. 186 plants from 75 families were harvested by these THs, mainly from the communal lands (81.2%), throughout the year. Plant parts used for RIs and RSs remedies was destructively harvested in wilderness compared to homegardens. Most (n=174) species from which these parts are obtained appears on the South African National Red Data List of plants, with 88.5% having a list concern status. This included Adansonia digitata, Boscia albitrunca, Catha edulis, Securidaca longepedunculata and Sclerocarya birrea which are also protected under the National Forest Act of 1998 (Act no. 84 of 1998). A further, 8.6% (n=15) of Red Data Listed plants are of conservation concern, with various status namely near threatened (38.3%), declining (20%), data deficient (13.3%), critically endangered and vulnerable (3.3%, for each), as well as endangered (6.6%). There were both consensus and disjunction amongst THs and Red Data List regarding the status of plants in the wild. This study provides valuable data for the conservation of medicinal plants in Limpopo Province. © 2019, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved.
Background
Starting from the ancient time, the people of Ethiopia use medicinal plants as traditional medicine to heal different human and livestock ailments. This ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was carried out in Ganta Afeshum District, Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, to identify medicinal plant species used by the local community to treat various human and livestock ailments.
Methods
A total of 78 informants (54 men and 24 women) were selected to collect ethnobotanical information from four study sites. Among the 78 informants, 20 key informants were selected purposefully; the other 58 informants were selected randomly by lottery method. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walks, and group discussions and were analyzed by preference ranking, paired comparison, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus factor, fidelity level (FL), use-value, independent samples t test, and Pearson correlation coefficients.
Results
A total of 173 medicinal plants were collected and identified that were distributed across 77 families and 156 genera. The family Fabaceae stood first by contributing 17 (9.8%) species followed by Lamiaceae and Solanaceae with 9 (5.2%) species each. Rhamnus prinoides was reported for the treatment of many of the described diseases. One hundred sixteen (67.1%) medicinal plant species were collected from natural vegetation, 34 (19.7) were from home gardens, 13 (7.5%) from farmland, and 10 (5.8%) were from natural vegetation and home gardens. The most widely used life form was herbs (69 species, 39.9%) followed by shrubs (58 species, 33.5%). The most commonly used part of the medicinal plants was the leaves followed by roots. The plants were prepared by grinding, powdering, squeezing, roasting, and burning and were administered through oral, dermal, nasal, anal, ocular, and vaginal, and on the surface of the teeth. The most commonly used applications were by drinking, smearing, eating, fumigation, and chewing. There was no difference between men and women informants, showing that the two sexes had similar knowledge in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Educational level and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were negatively correlated; whereas age and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were positively correlated.
Conclusions
Ganta Afeshum District is relatively rich in diversity of medicinal plant resources accompanied with a rich indigenous knowledge within the local communities to harvest and effectively use to prevent different human and livestock ailments. However, nowadays, deforestation, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, drought, and overexploitation are threatening these properties. Therefore, people of the study area should apply complementary conservation approaches (in situ and ex situ) for sustainable use of these resources and to prevent species extinction.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s13002-018-0266-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Background
Limpopo province, South Africa, has a rich plant diversity and is referred to as one of the hotspots areas within the country. The aim of the current work was to identify and document medicinal plant species used by the indigenous Pedi people of Blouberg area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. MethodsA total of 40 informants which includes both traditional healers and medicinal plant sellers were randomly selected and asked about the plant species used in treatment of variety of infections using a structured questionnaire. Follow-up visits and various field walks were also used to identify and document various plant species used in Traditional medicine (TM). The interviews were carried out from April 2008 to June 2016 using indigenous language (Sehananwa). ResultsA total of 82 medicinal plants species belonging to 42 families have been collected, identified and documented. About 46.34% of the plant species were herbs, followed by trees (25.61%), shrubs (20.73%) and climbers (7.32%). The most used plant parts are roots and rhizomes (58.58%). Peltophorum africanum Sond revealed frequency index of greater than 70 and is used in combination with other plants species to treat various pathogenic infections. Most of the plant species reported are used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (24), management of HIV-AIDS (15) and stomach ache (14). Our informants indicated that the use of plant medicines in combinations is also applied to cure pathogenic infections. Conclusion
The current study demonstrate that the indigenous people of Blouberg area, Limpopo Province harbours an important information about the vegetation around them. The plant species are used in the treatment of various pathogenic infections, offers fruits as additional source of food and form integral part of other medicinal products that may in turn produce income.
Background and Objectives Snowball sampling is applied when samples with the target characteristics are not easily accessible. This research describes snowball sampling as a purposeful method of data collection in qualitative research. Methods This paper is a descriptive review of previous research papers. Data were gathered using English keywords, including “review,” “declaration,” “snowball,” and “chain referral,” as well as Persian keywords that are equivalents of the following: “purposeful sampling,” “snowball,” “qualitative research,” and “descriptive review.” The databases included Google Scholar, Scopus, Irandoc, ProQuest, Science Direct, SID, MagIran, Medline, and Cochrane. The search was limited to Persian and English articles written between 2005 and 2013. Results The preliminary search yielded 433 articles from PubMed, 88 articles from Scopus, 1 article from SID, and 18 articles from MagIran. Among 125 articles, methodological and non-research articles were omitted. Finally, 11 relevant articles, which met the criteria, were selected for review. Conclusions Different methods of snowball sampling can be applied to facilitate scientific research, provide community-based data, and hold health educational programs. Snowball sampling can be effectively used to analyze vulnerable groups or individuals under special care. In fact, it allows researchers to access susceptible populations. Thus, it is suggested to consider snowball sampling strategies while working with the attendees of educational programs or samples of research studies.
Introduction
The use of natural health products is gradually increasing all over the world with up to 50% of the general population having tried at least one herbal product. This becomes a dilemma to the midwife who has limited or no knowledge on their effects in pregnancy, hence the need to explore the perceptions of women on the use herbs in pregnancy and labour.
Methods
The research, which was a case study of a Claybank Private Hospital in Gweru, Zimbabwe, adopted a qualitative approach with a triangulation of data from interviews, observations and analysis of maternal records. A sample of 20 women, admitted to using herbs, was purposively selected from the labour and post natal wards.
Results
A variety of substances, but mainly the elephant's dung, was used. The family, (mother) prescribed the herbs. The women did not have knowledge on how the substances work but believed in them, as they have stood the test of time.
Conclusion
The African women in Zimbabwe cannot be stopped from taking herbs as it is engraved in their culture and have absolute faith in them. Whilst the herbs are assumed by the women to be effective, their safety is questionable, especially in women with underlying obstetric complications. It is therefore recommended to scientifically explore the safety and effectiveness of the most commonly used herbs if pregnancy is to be safe. Whilst the women can not be stopped from taking these herbs, it is important to build a trusting relationship between the midwife and the mother so that communication about the use of herbs can be done freely without fear or judgement.
Unlabelled:
This article frames the intersections of medicine and humanities as intrinsic to understanding the practice of health care in Africa. Central to this manuscript, which draws on empirical findings on the interplay between HIV and AIDS and alternative medicine in Zimbabwe is the realisation that very limited research has been undertaken to examine 'HIV/AIDS patient behaviour' with respect to choice of therapy on the continent [Bene, M. & Darkoh, M. B. K. (2014). The Constraints of Antiretroviral Uptake in Rural Areas: The Case of Thamaga and Surrounding Villages, Botswana.
Sahara-j:
Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 11(1), 167-177. doi: 10.1080/17290376.2014.972057 ; Chavunduka, G. (1998). Professionalisation of Traditional Medicine in Zimbabwe, Harare, Jongwe Printers; O'Brien, S. & Broom, A. (2014). HIV in (and out of) the Clinic: Biomedicine, Traditional Medicine and Spiritual Healing in Harare.
Sahara-j:
Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 11(1), 94-104. doi: 10.1080/17290376.2014.938102 ]. As such, a social approach to health-seeking behaviour questions how decisions about alternative therapies including herbal remedies, traditional healing and faith healing are made. The paper unpacks the realities around how people living with HIV and AIDS - who span different age groups and profess various religious backgrounds, faced with an insurmountable health challenge against a background of limited resources and no cure for the virus - often experience shifts in health-seeking behaviour. Grappling with seemingly simple questions about 'when, where and how to seek medical attention', the paper provides pointers to therapy choices and health-seeking behaviour; and it serves as a route into deeper and intense healthcare practice explorations. In conclusion, the paper proposes that medicine and the humanities should engage seriously with those social aspects of HIV and AIDS which call for an integrated approach to healthcare practice in Africa. If combined, medicine and the humanities might achieve what neither would alone.
Measuring the “importance” of plants and vegetation to people is a central concern in quantitative ethnobotany. A common tool to quantify otherwise qualitative data in the biological and social sciences is an index. Relative cultural importance (RCI) indices such as the “use values” developed by Prance et al. (1987) and Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) are applied in ethnobotany to calculate a value per folk or biological plant taxon. These approaches can provide data amenable to hypothesis-testing, statistical validation, and comparative analysis. The use of RCI indices is a growing trend in ethnobotanical research, yet there have been few attempts to compile or standardize divergent methods. In this review, we compare RCI indices in four broad categories and present a step-by-step guide to some specific methods. Important background topics are addressed, including ethnographic methods, use categorization, sampling, and statistical analysis. We are concerned here only with “value” as a non-monetary concept. The aspiring and veteran researcher alike should find this paper a useful guide to the development and application of RCI indices.
Variability of soil fertility within, and across farms, poses a major challenge for increasing crop productivity in smallholder systems of sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the effect of farmers’ resource endowment and nutrient management strategies on variability in soil fertility and plant nutrient uptake between different fields in Gokwe South (ave. rainfall ~650 mm year−1; 16.3 persons km−2) and Murewa (ave. rainfall ~850 mm year−1; 44.1 persons km−2) districts, Zimbabwe. In Murewa, resource-endowed farmers applied manure (>3.5 t ha−1 year−1) on fields closest to their homesteads (homefields) and none to fields further away (outfields). In Gokwe the manure was not targeted to any particular field, and farmers quickly abandoned outfields and opened up new fields further way from the homestead once fertility had declined, but homefields were continually cultivated. Soil available P was higher in homefields (8–13 mg kg−1) of resource-endowed farmers than on outfields and all fields on resource constrained farms (2–6 mg kg−1) in Murewa. Soil fertility decreased with increasing distance from the homestead in Murewa while the reverse trend occurred in Gokwe South, indicating the impact of different soil fertility management strategies on spatial soil fertility gradients. In both districts, maize showed deficiency of N and P, implying that these were the most limiting nutrients. It was concluded that besides farmers’ access to resources, the direction of soil fertility gradients also depends on agro-ecological conditions which influence resource management strategies
Herbal medicines prepared from wild plants play an important role in the primary healthcare needs of people living in developing countries. A comparative ethnobotanical study was undertaken to document medicinal plants used in rural areas of Namibia and Zimbabwe. In order to document medicinal plants used for primary healthcare in rural areas of Namibia and Zimbabwe, 56 traditional healers were identified using the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with the traditional healers, between January and October 2008. A total of 16 medicinal species belonging to 14 genera and 11 families were recorded in both Namibia and Zimbabwe. Three of these species (18.8%) had similar medicinal applications in the two countries. A total of 25 human health problems were treated by these medicinal species in Namibia, while 21 human and one veterinary health problems were treated with herbal medicines in Zimbabwe. General body pain, cold, cough, fever, flu and sore throat, dermatological and venereal diseases were treated with the highest number of medicinal plants in both countries. This comparative study revealed that traditional knowledge on herbal medicines is well founded.
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
Because about 50% of the Zimbabwean population is at risk of contracting malaria each year, the majority of people, especially in rural areas, use traditional plant-based medicines to combat malaria. This explorative ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to document how malaria is conceptualized and diagnosed by traditional healers, and to record the medicinal plants used in the prevention and treatment of malaria, their mode of preparation and administration.
Materials and methods:
The research was conducted in three villages in Headman Muzite׳s area and in Chiriga village. These villages are located in the Chipinge district in the Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe.Traditional healers were selected with the assistance of the headman of the Muzite area and a representative of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 traditional healers from four villages in the Chipinge district in Zimbabwe.
Results:
In total, 28 plants from 16 plant families are used by the healers who manage malaria with medicinal plants. The most cited plant is Cassia abbreviata Oliv. (Leguminosae) followed by Aristolochia albida Duch (Aristolociaceae) and Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. (Rutaceae). Roots (55.3%) are the most common part used. Most of the plant parts used to treat malaria are stored as dried powders in closed bottles. The powders are soaked in hot or cold water and the water extract is taken as the active medicine. The healers consider their medicinal knowledge as a spiritual family heritage. Only 25% of the healers refer the malaria patients that do not respond to their treatment to hospital - they believe evil spirits cause their remedies to failure and they would rather try a different plant or perform a cleansing ceremony.
Conclusions:
Local knowledge of medicinal plants in the treatment of malaria still exists in all four villages surveyed and traditional healers appear to play an important role in primary health care services in this remote rural area in Zimbabwe. This explorative survey underscores the need to preserve and document traditional healing for managing malaria and for more future scientific research on the plants to determine their efficacy and their safety. This could improve their traditional anti-malarial recipes and might contribute to a better integration of Zimbabwean traditional medicine into the national health system in the future.
Measuring the " importance " of plants and vegetation to people is a central concern in quantitative ethnobotany. A common tool to quantify otherwise qualitative data in the biological and social sciences is an index. Relative cultural importance (RCI) indices such as the " use values " developed by Prance et al. (1987) and Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) are applied in ethnobotany to calculate a value per folk or biological plant taxon. These approaches can provide data amenable to hypothesis-testing, statistical validation, and comparative analysis. The use of RCI indices is a growing trend in ethnobotanical research, yet there have been few attempts to compile or standardize divergent methods. In this review, we compare RCI indices in four broad categories and present a step-by-step guide to some specific methods. Important background topics are addressed, including ethnographic methods, use categorization, sampling, and statistical analysis. We are concerned here only with " value " as a non-monetary concept. The aspiring and veteran researcher alike should find this paper a useful guide to the development and application of RCI indices.
Background: An ethno-medical survey of plants was conducted at Mashishimale village near Phalaborwa, in Limpopo Province (South Africa). Owing to high level of poverty and lack of proper daily operational healthcare facilities in certain parts of Mashishimale village, the use of plants as medicine persists. The aim of the study was to compile a list of medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners for treatment of diabetes mellitus and other ailments.
Materials and methods: Traditional health practitioners were identified using the snowballing sampling technique. Structured interviews were conducted and a list of medicinal plants compiled. Data collection included local names of the plants, the plant parts used in the traditional medicine, the disease treated by the plant-based remedies and the method of preparation of the medicines.
Results and discussion: A total of 49 plants species belonging to 20 different families we identified. Plant parts used in preparation of remedies by practitioners are roots (51%), stem barks (30%) and leaves (19%). The most preferred methods of administration were boiling (74%) and infusion (12%). About 14 plants species were indicated for treatment of diabetes mellitus, while most plant species were indicated for sexually transmitted diseases, fertility and erectile dysfunction.
Conclusion: The results of the survey indicate that plants play a significant role in primary healthcare of the community of Mashishimale Village. It would seem that a number of major diseases/ailments are treated by traditional methods. Scientific investigation is therefore needed to isolate active compounds and to determine safe dosages for treatment. These studies may guide the regulation of herbal medicine industry in South Africa.
Key words: Ethnobotanical, Medicinal plants, Mashishimale village
Background: An ethno-medical survey of plants was conducted at Mashishimale village near Phalaborwa, in Limpopo Province (South Africa). Owing to high level of poverty and lack of proper daily operational healthcare facilities in certain parts of Mashishimale village, the use of plants as medicine persists. The aim of the study was to compile a list of medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners for treatment of diabetes mellitus and other ailments. Materials and methods: Traditional health practitioners were identified using the snowballing sampling technique. Structured interviews were conducted and a list of medicinal plants compiled. Data collection included local names of the plants, the plant parts used in the traditional medicine, the disease treated by the plant-based remedies and the method of preparation of the medicines. Results and discussion: A total of 49 plants species belonging to 20 different families we identified. Plant parts used in preparation of remedies by practitioners are roots (51%), stem barks (30%) and leaves (19%). The most preferred methods of administration were boiling (74%) and infusion (12%). About 14 plants species were indicated for treatment of diabetes mellitus, while most plant species were indicated for sexually transmitted diseases, fertility and erectile dysfunction. Conclusion: The results of the survey indicate that plants play a significant role in primary healthcare of the community of Mashishimale Village. It would seem that a number of major diseases/ailments are treated by traditional methods. Scientific investigation is therefore needed to isolate active compounds and to determine safe dosages for treatment. These studies may guide the regulation of herbal medicine industry in South Africa.
Medicinal plants are an important aspect of local medical systems. The composition of a medicinal plant collection is influenced by cultural and environmental factors. Additionally, the functionality of a local medical system can be threatened by the replacement of native species with exotic ones, as well as by cultural factors such as the erosion of knowledge. The objectives of this study are: 1) examine the composition of the medicinal plant collec- tion of two rural communities settled in the caatinga (savanna-like vegetation) of the state of Pernambuco (Brazil); 2) observe the role of exotic plants in the local medical systems; and 3) identify the profile of the species utilized according to the Utilitarian Redundancy Model. Similarities were observed between the medicinal floras of the communities studied, emphasizing the importance of the surrounding biome within the possibilities of species selection, although exotic species appear to contribute by increasing the diversity of species considered in the communities to be medicinal. The native species act broadly among the body systems recognized in the two communities, whereas exotic species act in specific body systems, for which there are few associated native species.
This contribution examines resource-based conflict at a microlevel in the context of the influence of broader socio-economic and political developments at the national level in Zimbabwe. It focuses specifically on the case of Mafungautsi State Forest, located in the Midlands province’s Gokwe South district. The forest’s decline began during the colonial period due to local dissatisfaction with the way it was administered without input from the people. Colonial top-down management style by the Forestry Commission (FC), the government agency mandated to oversee state forests in the country and to enforce the Forestry Act of 1948, yielded no direct benefits to local communities.1 The FC criminalised hunting and harvesting of products such as broom and thatch grass, honey and wild fruits from the forest.2 The forest’s decline accelerated at an unprecedented rate with its invasion by villagers spurred by the land invasions from 2000. The invasion rendered the FC incapable of executing its role as rampant state-sanctioned lawlessness gripped the country.3
This paper examines the historical grievances of local communities in relation to their removal from their ancestral land in the colonial period and their inability to access forest products for their day to day use. It also traces socio-economic and political developments at a national level and their impact on Mafungautsi forest and communities living on its margins, who had for a long time awaited an opportunity to return to their old forest home, as well as the outcomes of the invasion.
Forests provide a wide range of social and economic benefits to many countries.4 These benefits include provision of food, fuel wood, medicines, and employment from processing and trade of forest products, and tourism (as game, a major tourist attraction and many of nature’s wonders are usually housed in forested landscapes). A great deal of literature shows that forests increasingly play an important role in national development, humanitarian and economic affairs, and trade politics.5 Studies have shown that in sub-Saharan Africa the AIDS pandemic has wrecked havoc by, among other factors, reducing the agricultural workforce in many countries and consequently affecting regional food supply in general and household food security in particular.6 There is a growing body of literature demonstrating that these impacts can be mitigated against by adaptation and implementation of sustainable forest policies. Forests thus contribute to household nutrition and health.7 Forests have always played an important role in the context of supplying wood energy in most of Africa’s rural areas and raw materials. Furniture-making industries, in particular, increasingly require this resource as urbanisation increases: hence the need to optimally manage woodlands and forests.8 Forest preservation has gained renewed emphasis as the world grapples with reducing global climate change.9
In spite of their economic benefits, forests are, however, associated with conflict in many parts of the world. Many reasons account for these conflicts. Studies have demonstrated how failure to establish laws that grant communities resident on forest margins access to forest resources and to enforce laws that pertain to their sustainable use are among the major causes of dissatisfaction and conflict.10 Poor governance, legal and institutional arrangements, including lack of transparency and accountability, corruption and population increase, among other factors, also account for conflict. Resource-based conflict has hindered management and sustainable exploitation of forests in many parts of the world.11
Forests have, in many places and circumstances, been either safety nets, poverty traps or escape routes.12 Forest-rich areas, such as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have often been used as bases by groups engaged in armed struggle.13 As was the case with the União Nacional Para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) in Angola, forest resources are sometimes used to fund war.14 Forests are also places where war-crimes suspects hide from prosecution and where refugees flee for safety. Even in the absence of conflict, poor communities in forested areas often sustain themselves by hunting, gathering and selling forest products during periods of economic stress.15
In many parts of the world top-down resource conservation policies that are...
The intellectual property rights debate focuses on the flow of germplasm from developing tropical countries to developed temperate nations. Few investigators have addressed the converse. We discuss the abundance and importance of introduced plants in pharmacopoeias of northern South America. Introduced species commonly are employed as medicines throughout the region and include at least 216 Eurasian, North American, African, and Pacific species. Among the Shuar of lowland Ecuador, four introduced plants (Citrus aurantium, Cymbopogon citratus, Saccharum officinarum, and Zingiber officinale) are included in their most commonly prescribed remedies. The widespread use of introduced plants is due, in part, to the medicinal value of plants whose primary use is for food (e.g., Musa X paradisiacal Similarly, many introduced ornamentals also have therapeutic value (e.g., Hedychium coronarium). Other species have been introduced specifically as medicines (e.g., Aloe vera). Restrictions on the flow of germplasm and plant knowledge may protect the economic interests of governments and national industry. If applied bilaterally, however, constraints on the movement of plants will limit the continued evolution of traditional medicinal systems in areas where they are most needed.
The use of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of diseases is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide. Approximately 3000 plant species are currently used by an estimated 200,000 indigenous traditional healers in South Africa. The specific part of the plant used for medicinal applications varies from species to species, and from one traditional healer to another. This study was carried out to explore and record those plants and plant parts used for treating various human ailments by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area in the Limpopo province, South Africa for medicinal purposes. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 30 traditional healers (24 females and 6 males) in the Lwamondo area of Venda, by means of a data capture questionnaire focusing on the local names of the medicinal plants, their medicinal uses, the plant parts used, and methods of preparation and of administering treatments to patients. The survey identified 16 medicinal plants from 7 families, with 14 genera, used to treat a range of ailments in the Lwamondo area. The Fabaceae family was the most commonly used plant family representing 43.8% of all the medicinal plants species recorded by this study, followed by the Varbenaceae family at 18.8%. The plant parts most frequently used were the roots (44.5%), followed by the leaves (25.9%), bark (14.8%), the whole plant (11%), and flowers (3.7%). Most of the traditional healers obtained their extracts by boiling the medicinal plants. The most often recurring ailment treated by healers was stomach problems, using 31.3% of all the medicinal plants reported in this study for preparing such treatments. The following medicinal plants were covered by this study: Annona senegalensis, Schkuhria pinnata, Diospyros mespiliformis, Piliostigma thonningii, Senna obtusifolia, Bauhinia galpinii. The rural communities of the Lwamondo area possess a wealth of information on medicinal plants and their applications. This ethnobotanical survey can help scientists identify for further research those plants whose medicinal properties may be useful in the development of new drugs.
Use of herbal, complementary and alternative medicines during pregnancy, labour and delivery is common in Zimbabwe. This study aimed at documenting herbal, complementary and alternative medicines used during pregnancy in Makoni District in Zimbabwe. Snowballing was used to select 66 participants which included herbalists (45.5%), traditional birth attendants (18.2%), traditional healers (15.2%), and assistant traditional healers and herbal medicine vendors (10.6% each). Pregnant women in the study areaused a total of 47 plant species from 27 families, and 14 non-plant products as herbal, complementary and alternative medicines by. A total of 26 medical cases were treated with the majority of medicinal plants and non-plant products,used to dilate or widen the birth canal (55.3%) and to augment labour or speed up the delivery process (46.8%). This study showed that herbal, complementary and alternative medicines play an important role in the provision of basic health care in Zimbabwe.
The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases is a common practice in many parts of the world including Zimbabwe. The study provides ethnobotanical data on the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer in some parts of Matebeleland, Zimbabwe. The study aimed to document the use of these plants to preserve knowledge for future generations. The study was conducted in five districts of Matebeleland, Zimbabwe using open-ended semi-structured interviews. Information on the plant species used in the treatment of cancer in some parts of Matebeleland, Zimbabwe was recorded, and this included the following: local name, plant habit, plant part used, method of preparation, and administration. A report on each species was summarised using ethnobotanical indices such as Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). A total of 25 informants were interviewed in the study and 16 medicinal plants were cited for the treatment of cancer. The collected plant species comprised 31% trees, 31% herbs, 13% shrubs, and 19% mistletoes. The plant species were distributed amongst 11 plant families with Lamiaceae (19%) and Solanaceae (19%) being the most dominant. Different plant parts were used and these included stem bark, root bark, seeds, fruits, tubers, and whole plant. The stem bark (38%) was the most predominant, followed by the use of the whole plant (31%). The RFC values ranged from 0.04 to 0.16 with Datura stramonium L. having the highest value. The results of the study show that the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer is still a common practice in some parts of Matebeleland, Zimbabwe.
This study documented use of wild food and medicinal plants in areas around five biodiversity hot spots in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in representative communities. About 89 wild food plants were used by the communities. Trees, shrubs, tubers/herbs, lianas/climbers and succulents constituted 65%, 11%, 12%, 8% and 4% respectively. Fruits were mostly harvested (52%) then leaves (28%), and others (roots/rhizomes/tubers, sap and fibres) (20%). Fruits were commonly consumed raw (96%) whilst others are processed into juices (4%), mostly collected by women and children. Fruits of Adansonia digitata L., Vangueria infausta Burch., Uapacca kirkiana Müll. Arg., Berchemia discolour/zeyheri (Klotzsch) Hemsl., Vitex doniana Sweet and leaves of A. digitata were most preferred plant species because of their taste and availability. However, some fruits such as Vitex spp. and U. kirkiana caused constipation and diahorrea respectively if consumed in excess. About 149 medicinal plant species belonging to 115 genera and 61 families were used for treating about 32 diseases and disorders. These were dominated by families; Fabaceae(16%), Meliaceae(5%), Apocenaceae(3%), Anacadaceae(3%) and Solanaceae (4%). About 45, 30, 25, 23, 13 species treat abdominal pains, toothache, women and gynaecological issues, sexually transmitted diseases and paediatric remedies respectively. Other species are used as aphrodisiacs (4) and treatment of cancer (4). Leaves (28%), roots(27%) bark(24%) and fruits(12%) were main parts used to prepare remedies. Cultural/Traditional knowledge plays an important role in valuing species in particular areas and associated conservation of food and medicinal plants.
Herbal medicines are important for primary healthcare needs of both rural and urban communities in Zimbabwe, and among these therapies are those made from exotic plants. The aim of this study was to document ethnomedicinal uses of exotic plants in Shurugwi district, South-central Zimbabwe. Semi-structured interviews, personal observations and guided field walks were conducted between December 2014 and January 2015 with 128 participants comprising of community members (93.0%, n = 119) and traditional healers (7.1%, n = 9) from seven villages to obtain ethnobotanical data on medicinal uses of these plants. Data collected included local and scientific names of plants used, parts used, methods of herbal preparation and administration. A total of 26 exotic plants belonging to 15 families and 23 genera, mostly from Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae (15.4% each), Asteraceae (11.5%), Apocynaceae and Myrtaceae (7.7% each) were used to traditionally manage 21 human and four animal diseases. Majority of the plant species used (69.2%) had one or two therapeutic uses while Bidens pilosa, Citrus lemon, Datura stramonium, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Nicotiana tabacum, Psidium guajava and Schkuhria pinnata had at least three therapeutic uses each. This study revealed that exotic plants play an important role in provision of primary healthcare to local communities in South-central Zimbabwe. © 2018, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved.
The botanical and cultural diversity of the African continent provides numerous opportunities for the development of innovative new crops and new products. However, many of African medicinal and aromatic plants remain scientifically poorly known and in need of detailed investigation. To contribute to this process a broad review of commercially important African medicinal and aromatic plants is presented. The following data are given for a selection of 246 indigenous and 12 naturalised/commonly cultivated species: Scientific name, author citation, plant family, trade name and/or vernacular name(s), part(s) used, main uses, region of origin within Africa, African countries involved in local, regional or international trade and recent references (general publications since 2000). Important publications at global, continental and regional levels are briefly mentioned. The categories of use include traditional medicines, phytomedicines, dietary supplements and functional foods, sources of extracts or chemical entities and sources of essential oils. Examples of several African plants and their products in each of these categories are illustrated in colour.
Documentation of use patterns of plants across national boundaries is of relevance in understanding the importance of plant resources to livelihood strategies of different ethnic groups. Plant resources have gained prominence as a natural asset through which families derive food, firewood, income, medicines and timber, enabling particularly poor communities to achieve self-sufficiency. The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in plant usage in South Africa and Zimbabwe. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted between January 2012 and January 2013 in the Limpopo Province, South Africa and the Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. The study used questionnaire surveys and interviews with a total of 143 participants to explore plant use patterns in South Africa and Zimbabwe. A total of 98 plant species were identified, with Zimbabwe contributing 70 species and 47 species from South Africa. The uses were classified into 15 categories, major use categories were firewood, food plants, medicine and timber. Food plant was a major plant use category in Zimbabwe, contributing 55.1%, followed by medicinal plants (36.8%), firewood (35.7%) and timber (31.6%). In contrast, firewood was the major plant use category in South Africa, contributing 18.4%, followed by food plants (17.3%), medicinal (14.3%) and timber (1.0%). Comparison of the two countries demonstrated remarkable differences in plant use patterns. The results showed that rural households in Zimbabwe were more reliant on plant resources than their counterparts in South Africa. Such a trend could be attributed to a close relationship between the local people, and their natural and agricultural environment leading to a rich knowledge base on plants, plant use and related practices. This comparative analysis strengthens the firm belief that utilization of plant resources represents an important shared heritage, preserved over the centuries, which must be exploited in order to provide further new and useful body of ethnobotanical knowledge.
Background
Medicinal plants remain an integral part of the lives of people in rural areas. The aim of this study was to document information about the medicinal plants used by Shangaan people in villages under Jongilanga tribal council, Bushbuckridge municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.
Materials and Methods
An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire with 15 traditional healers as informants; one of them also served as a field guide during data collection. Results were analysed by using various quantitative indices of information consensus factor (ICF), use report (UR), frequency citation (FC) and relative frequency citation (RFC).
Results and Methods
The study reported 86 medicinal plants used in villages for the treatment of various ailments, the majority (25 species) of which were used for urino-genital disorders. The Fabaceae family was the most represented family (17 species) of all the medicinal plants recorded in this study. The roots were the most frequently used plant part, accounting for 56% of the plants reported, and decoctions were often used in the preparation of herbal remedies. Respiratory diseases had the highest ICF value recorded among the 8 categories of ailments. The highest use report was reported for Combretum collinum (4), while the FC and RFC values (15) were highest in 12 plant species. The study revealed that medicinal plants are still widely used in rural areas and this documentation can serve as an ethno pharmacological basis for selecting plants with potential pharmaceutical properties.
Historical writing on agrarian differentiation in rural Zimbabwe has moved away from conceptualising the peasantry as a homogeneous class, and has therefore enhanced our understanding of the process of rural differentiation. While such writing recognises patterns of differential land holding, however, it has not shown clearly how the differences developed over time. There has been a tendency to argue that land distribution in the 'communal' areas is less skewed than other variables and therefore acts as a brake on the process of accumulation and differentiation among the peasantry. The article challenges this basic assumption, arguing that 'communal' tenure actually facilitated the development of significant disparities in landholding and accumulation by rural households.
Ethnobotany, the study of the classification, use and management of plants by people, draws on a range of disciplines, including natural and social sciences, to show how conservation of plants and of local knowledge about them can be achieved. Ethnobotany is critical to the growing importance of developing new crops and products such as drugs from traditional plants. This book is the basic introduction to the field, showing how botany, anthropology, ecology, economics and linguistics are all employed in the techniques and methods involved. It explains data collection and hypothesis testing and provides practical ideas on fieldwork ethics and the application of results to conservation and community development. Case studies illustrate the explanations, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in achieving results. Published with WWF, UNESCO and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
Data on the relative importance and research status of commercially relevant African medicinal plants are needed for developing new research strategies in order to stimulate much-needed ethnopharmacological research and to promote the commercialization of African plants.
Aim of the study:
To present an illustrated bird's eye view and comparative analysis of the relative popularity and importance of commercialised African medicinal plants. A comparison is made between the general popularity and commercial importance of the species (as indicated by their footprint on the World Wide Web) and their scientific popularity and importance (as indicated by the number of research publications). The inventory and review is strongly focussed to cover all or most of the medicinal plant raw materials in the international trade that are exported from African countries, with less emphasis on those that are regularly traded on local and regional markets within Africa.
Materials and methods:
The review is based on literature data, Scopus and Google searches, commercial information and the author's own experience and observations.
Results:
More than 5400 plant species are used in traditional medicine in Africa, of which less than 10% have been commercially developed to some extent. Africa is home to more than 80 valuable commercial species that are regularly traded on international markets, including phytomedicines (e.g. Harpagophytum procumbens and Pelargonium sidoides), functional foods (e.g. Adansonia digitata and Hibiscus sabdariffa) and sources of pure chemical entities (e.g. caffeine from Coffea arabica and yohimbine from Pausinystalia johimbe). According to the Scopus results, about 60% of all recent publications on African medicinal plants appeared in the last decade, with an average of 280 papers (28 per year) for 85 prominent species of international trade. The most popular African species for research (number of publications in brackets) were: Ricinus communis (5187), Aloe vera (2832), Catharanthus roseus (2653), Sesamum indicum (2534), Strophanthus gratus (2514), Coffea arabica (2431), Citrullus lanatus (2215), Momordica charantia (2047), Withania somnifera (1767), Trigonella foenum-graecum (1687), Acacia senegal (1373), Centella asiatica (1355), Griffonia simplicifolia (1010), Hibiscus sabdariffa (987), Tamarindus indica (973) and Catha edulis (947). The top species in terms of recent research interest (% of publications in last decade) were: Hoodia gordonii (95%), Cyclopia genistoides (93%), Sceletium tortuosum (90%), Agathosma betulina (89%), Pelargonium sidoides (86%), Boswellia papyrifera (85%), Lessertia (Sutherlandia) frutescens (84%), Boswellia sacra (83%), Mondia whitei (81%), Hibiscus sabdariffa (80%), Hypoxis hemerocallidea (80%) and Tylosema esculentum (80%). Both lists reflect the recent interest in functional foods and dietary supplements.
Conclusion:
Despite a marked recent increase in the number of publications on indigenous medicinal plants and dietary supplements, Africa lags behind Europe and Asia in terms of the number of products that have been commercialised and the percentage of the flora that is utilised for international trade. There is a tremendous potential for developing new crops and new products but much work remains to be done to generate more focussed and relevant pre-clinical data and convincing proof of concept through clinical studies.
The article explores the contribution of indigenous medicinal knowledge in the provision of health care in rural Zimbabwe. It argues and justifies that herbs have been discovered as the best solution to most diseases as compared to other medical knowledge in rural Zimbabwe. The article also traces the historical origins of the decline in the use of IMK. It analyses the colonial system and deeper contacts with the outside world specialized on Euro-centric ways of conservation. The paper concludes by making recommendations for improved or increased use of IMK.
Traditional remedies used for the treatment of various ailments are considered to be very important in the primary health care of Reang people living in Tripura state of Northeast India. Novel information gathered from the present investigation is important in preserving folk indigenous knowledge of Reang tribe.
Systematic and exhaustive field surveys were conducted during 2003 to 2004 in Reang inhabited areas of Tripura state of Northeast India covering all the seasons, to gather information on medicinal herbs used by them in the treatment of various ailments. Information was collected from 55 traditional herbalists of different age through structured questionnaires and personal observations made during the field visit. The data obtained was analyzed through informant consensus factor (FIC) to determine the homogeneity of informant's knowledge on medicinal plants also the fidelity level (FL) to authenticate the uniqueness of a species to treat a particular ailment.
In the present study a total of 125 medicinal plants species belonging to 116 genera and 59 families were presented, used for treating 42 different ailments. The major plant parts used are leaves and most of the remedies are suggested to take orally. The greatest parts of plants used for curing various ailments were found locally. The consensus analysis revealed that the fever and gastro-intestinal diseases have the highest informant consensus factor FIC of 0.79 followed by the dermatological problems (FIC 0.78). It is equal (FIC 0.77) for both general health problems and inflammation and pain while urinogenital problems showed relatively low levels of consensus (FIC 0.63). The level of informants' consent was high for most ailment categories indicating greater homogeneity among informants. In the present study we analyzed the disease categories to highlight some of the important plant species in terms of Fidelity level. Greater parts of the plant species achieve highest fidelity level, while only 4% acquire lower FL. The species with high citation and informant concurrence value are reasonably significant. Cyathea, a rare tree fern used for major cuts or wounds for immediate blood coagulation. Extensive local application may threaten the species if not judiciously managed.
The traditional pharmacopoeia of the Reang ethnic group incorporates a myriad of diverse flora available locally. Traditional knowledge of the remedies is passed down through oral traditions without any written document. This traditional knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation and deforestation. Therefore, documenting medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants of the study area. In addition, findings of this study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.