Medicinal Plants Used In Managing Diseases Of The Respiratory System Among The Luo Community: An Appraisal Of Kisumu East Sub-County, Kenya

Background Respiratory diseases cause many deaths in children under 5 years of age particularly in Africa. The efficacy of current treatment differs among respiratory diseases and adverse effects may depend on dosage, duration of treatment, and the type of drug. Poor access to healthcare in rural areas makes many people in such communities to rely on traditional medicine. Most knowledge on traditional medicine makes use of indigenous remedies which are often undocumented and are at risk of being lost. Ethnobotanical data on medicinal plants used in managing diseases of the respiratory system may facilitate the search for new pharmaceutical agents. Methods Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information from 30 traditional medicine practitioners in Kisumu East Sub County. The sociodemographic characteristics of the informants, the local names of the plants used, their habit, active parts, indications, and methods of preparation, as well as routes of administration, scientific identity, and conservation status were recorded. A literature search was conducted via PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate to identify other reported activities of the plants. Results Most practitioners were female (86.7%), were aged between 61 and 70 years (43.3%), had no formal education (56.7%), and had 21-30 years of practice (30%). A total of 45 plant species, belonging to 43 genera and 28 families were identified. Leguminosae and Rutaceae were the most dominant plant families, leaves were the most frequently used (33%), and trees were the most common habit (44.4%). Cough was the most common indication, decoction was the most common method of administration (68.8%), most preparations were taken orally, and most plants were collected in the wild (79.2%). Literature search established that at least 42/45 plant species had pharmacological activities. Conclusions Many plant species reported in this study have similar traditional uses in other communities. One plant; Keetia gueinzii (Sond.) Bridson was reported for the first time in the management of asthma, pneumonia, and cough. Documentation and preservation of ethno medicinal knowledge in the study area is of prime concern as most practitioners are advanced in age with little formal education. Plans to conserve some of the medicinal plants documented here should be initiated. Scientific validation of the traditional claims made is also needed.