Ethno-Botanical Survey And Floristic Study Of Medicinal Plant Taxa Used By Traditional Healers In Gbadolite City (Province Of Nord-Ubangi, Congo-Kinshasa)

Abstract

In Africa, more than 80% of the population resort to folk medicine to solve the primary health problem. In the present study, an ethno-botanical survey was carried out in Gbadolite city according to the principles laid out in the declaration of Helsinki. The results revealed that informants used 20 different plant species belonging to 14 families and 18 genera as medicines. Among 18 treated diseases, headaches and hemorrhoids have the maximum of consensus among informants. Cleome viscosa and Trema orientalis are the most used plants for this purpose . Although Gastritis and Anemia have a high consensus value (gastritis: 50%, anemia: 71%), these two diseases are much more well relieved for by the following plants: Alchornea cordifolia , Trema orientalis , Brillantaisia cicatricosa , Hibiscus sabdariffa , Portulaca oleracea . The value of use (VUs) index ranks first with six taxa out of the 20 listed species of which their value is greater than or equal to 1.5 namely: Alchornea cordifolia , Cola nitida , Brillantaisia lancifolia , Euphorbia hirta , Piper guineensis , Manihot glaziovii . For the confirmation index (CIs), only two taxa out of the 20 inventoried are classified in first position: Alchornea cordifolia and Hibiscus sabdariffa . At last, by combining the VUs and CIs indices, only Alchornea cordifolia has the highest value of agreement use amongst the 20 listed species. As a scientifically validated anti-sickling plant, there is therefore necessity to characterize chemical structure of derived organic acids extracts as epigenetic modulators drugs candidates for the management of Sickle Cell Disease in the future. According to the life form (morphological types), the inventoried medicinal plant flora is dominated by tree; Cespicious therophytes are the predominant biological types and the most listed medicinal plants are found in ruderal biotope; Pantropical plant species are the most represented. This is the first report involving ethno-botanical survey and floristic study on medicinal plants traditionally used in Gbadolite city (Province of Nord-Ubangi, Democratic Republic of the Congo).