An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Durban, South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Coopoosamy
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study

scholarly journals Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Resunga hill used by Magar community of Badagaun VDC, Gulmi district, Nepal

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajendra Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Scientific World

Present study aims to explore the ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used by Magar community of Badagaun VDC of Gulmi district. The study was carried out during different periods of the year 2010. Informations on plant and plant parts uses were collected interviewing key informants by using semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Altogether 161 different plant species belonging to 87 familes and 144 genera were documented and majority of them are herbs. In terms of plant parts use, leaf and stem/bark are in top priorities. These plants are used to treat different ailments ranging from gastro-intestinal to headache and fever, respiratory tract related problems to dermatological problems, snake bite to ophthalmic and cuts and wounds. Easy access to modern medicines and less recognition of traditional healers are the main causes leading to decrease in interest of young generation in the use of traditional medicinal practices. Scientific World, Vol. 10, No. 10, July 2012 p54-65 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/sw.v10i10.6863

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants Used for the Traditional Management of Diabetes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: Pharmacology and Toxicology

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Odeyemi ◽  
Graeme Bradley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Insulin Mimetic ◽  
Almost All

The use of medicinal plants for the management of diabetes mellitus is on the rise in the developing countries, including South Africa. There is increasing scientific evidence that supports the claims by the traditional healers. In this review, we compare the families of previously reported anti-diabetic plants in the Eastern Cape by rating the anti-diabetic activity, mode of action and also highlight their therapeutic potentials based on the available evidence on their pharmacology and toxicity. Forty-five plants mentioned in ethnobotanical surveys were subjected to a comprehensive literature search in the available electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Elsevier, by using “plant name” and “family” as the keywords for the primary searches to determine the plants that have been scientifically investigated for anti-diabetic activity. The search returned 25 families with Asteraceae highly reported, followed by Asphodelaceae and Alliaceae. Most of the plants have been studied for their anti-diabetic potentials in vivo and/or in vitro, with most of the plants having a higher percentage of insulin release and inhibition against carbohydrate digesting enzymes as compared with insulin mimetic and peripheral glucose uptake. Almost all the investigated plants also inhibit oxidative stress as part of their hypoglycemic activity with less toxicity. However, the isolation of their bioactive molecules is still lacking. This review provides a resource to enable thorough assessments of the therapeutic profiles of available medicinal plants used for the management of diabetes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Further studies such as the identification of the active ingredients of potent plants still need to be carried out; this may lead to new molecules in drug discovery and development.

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Algeria: A Multiregional Ethnobotanical Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadidja Belhouala ◽  
Bachir Benarba
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Zingiber Officinale ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Therapeutic Uses

Traditional medicine is the cornerstone that boosts scientific research to explore new therapeutic approaches. The study aimed to assess the traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments by Algerian traditional healers. Forty traditional healers were face-to-face interviewed in three different Algerian areas (West, Kabylia, and Sahara). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative indices such as fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (FIC). A total of 167 species belonging to 70 families were recorded. Lamiaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), Apiaceae (7%), and Rosaceae and Fabaceae (5% each) were the most cited families. The survey revealed that leaves were the most used parts of the plants (29%). Furthermore, decoction (35%), raw (24%), and infusion (19%) were the common modes for the remedies’ preparation. Here, 15% of the total species were newly reported as medicinal plants. Besides, it was reported for the first time a total of 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. Of 17 ailments categories, cancer was presented by 44 species, showing the highest FIC of 0.46. Marrubium vulgare L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Zingiber officinale Roscoe., and Juniperus phoenicea L. recorded the maximum fidelity value of 100%. Therefore, our study reveals strong ethnomedicinal knowledge shared by local populations living in the three regions studied. The medicinal species with a high FL could be promising candidates for identifying new bioactive molecules.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of cancer in Hammanskraal and Winterveld, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1746-53
Author(s):  
Idris O Raimi ◽  
Boikanyo G Kopaopa ◽  
Liziwe L Mugivhisa ◽  
Francis B Lewu ◽  
Stephen O Amoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Ethnobotanical Survey ◽  
Indigenous Plants ◽  
Citation Frequency ◽  
Traditional Practitioners

Background: Knowledge of medicinal plants used by the traditional healers are mostly confined among the locals and the adherents, hence, proper enquiry and documentation can help the ever dynamic scientific world to find permanent cure to the menace of such deadly diseases such as cancer. This study aimed at (1) specifically recording medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer in Hammanskraal and Winterveld, South Africa, and (2) documenting the different methods of preparation and administration of those medicinal plants as recorded during the study. Method: An open-ended semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 90 willing traditional healers in Hammanskraal and Winterveld area, Tshwane Municipality, South Africa to document plants used for cancer treatments. The study was conducted over a period of six months (July – December, 2018). Descriptive statistics was used to present the obtained data. Results: The study recorded twenty-eight plant species belonging to 18 families for the treatment of different types of cancer. Plant species in the Fabaceae family particularly Lessertia frutescens (L.) Goldblatt and J.C. Manning, Senna italica Mill and Trifolium pratense L. were the most prominently mentioned (highest citation frequency) by the traditional healers for lung, and skin cancer treatment. Based on the citation frequency, the most treated cancer by the traditional healers is in the order: skin cancer > lung cancer > breast cancer > prostate cancer > cervical cancer. The method of preparation included decoction(32.3%), infusion (29%), paste (16.1%) and maceration (22.6%). Conclusion: In addition to the documentation of indigenous knowledge related to the use of medicinal plants in the traditional management of cancer in South Africa, this study opens a vista for investigations into the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the documented plants. Keywords: Cancer; Indigenous plants; Medicinal plants; South Africa; Traditional practitioners.

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