An inventory of medicinal plants used for treatment of cancer in Kwara and Lagos state, Nigeria

Abstract

IntroductionThe southwestern and northcentral parts of Nigeria are highly endowed with medicinal plants that have been used for decades to treat cancer. However, these herbal recipes and traditional medicinal practices have been scarcely investigated and documented. New uninvestigated plants could serve as potential sources for novel cytotoxic agents. This study was aimed at documenting the traditional medicinal practices used for treating cancers in Ilorin and Lagos metropolis. MethodsInformation on herbal practices, medicinal plants and personal information form herbal practitioners was collected using questionnaires and oral interviews. Plants cited were collected, identified and assigned voucher numbers. The names of plants were further authenticated using the plant list (www.theplantlist.org) and the world flora (www.worldfloraonline.org). ResultsA total of 41 plants were identified via oral interviews and questionnaires from 65 willing respondents within Ilorin and Lagos metropolis, respectively. Pistia stratiotes was the most frequently cited plant with a citation frequency of 57.1 % whereas, Mangifera indica Linn was the least cited plant with a citation frequency of 2.9 %. Plants parts including leaf, bark, root, and seed were prepared as concoctions, decoctions or powders and administered topically or orally to treat breast, prostate, cervical, skin and ovarian cancer. ConclusionThe study revealed that medicinal plants previously shown to have cytotoxicity in vitro are currently used for cancers in traditional medicine practice. Twenty six medicinal plants are mentioned here for the first time as anticancer plants and could serve as sources for novel cytotoxic agents against cancers.