Cross-sectional ethnobotanical survey of plants used by traditional health practitioners for snakebite case management in two regions of Burkina Faso

Abstract

BackgroundOphidian envenomation is a public health problem mainly in sub-Saharan African countries. The high cost of antivenom and/or its frequent unavailability in primary health care centres forces most snakebite victims to consult traditional healers for medicinal plants as a first-line treatment. PurposeThis study aimed to identify medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the Hauts-Bassins and Southwest regions of Burkina Faso to manage snakebite cases and repel snakes. Study designA cross-sectional ethnobotanical survey was carried out from May to December 2022. We included 117 participants from the Hauts-Bassins and Southwest regions. The participants were traditional health practitioners. We used a questionnaire administered during interviews, and the responses of health practitioners were entered on an Excel sheet. Knowledge was assessed quantitatively using relative citation frequency. ResultsOf the total enrolled traditional health practitioners, 65 were recruited in the Hauts-Bassins region, and 52 were recruited in the Southwest region. The majority of participants were male (84.61%, 99/117). More than 80% (94/117) of the participants were illiterate, and 90% (105/117) stated that they had received their knowledge from their ancestors. A total of 31 plant families, subdivided into 58 species, were mentioned by the two groups of traditional healers. Polygalaceae (28.2%) was the most frequently mentioned family, followed by Annonaceae (14.52%) and Fabaceae (13.67%). Roots were the plant part most used by traditional healers for remedy preparation, with a percentage of 68.96% (40/58). The route of administration was mostly oral, with warm water, slurry and/or tamarind juice. For the repellent, the most common method of use was by spraying. ConclusionsOur results showed that plants belonging to the Polygalaceae family were most commonly used in the Southwest and Hauts-Bassins regions in snakebite case management by traditional practitioners. Comprehensive pharmacological and toxicological studies need to be carried out on the reported medicinal plants to contribute to the well-being of local communities in tropical and subtropical areas.