Ethnobotanical Survey of Anti-Malarial Medicinal Plants Amongst the Tiv People of Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT An ethnobotanical survey of herbal medicines used for the treatment of malaria fever amongst the Tiv tribe of Central Nigeria was done using a questionnaire and oral interviews of practicing herbalists and patrons. Results indicated that 24 plant species belonging to seventeen families were featured in popular antimalarial recipes. Investigations on the plant part(s) used and the mode of preparation and administration indicated that irrespective of plant and part(s) or combinations used, water was the main medium for all medicinal preparations. Treatment regimes generally included drinking the aqueous preparations for five to ten days or until symptoms disappear. Although the anti-malarial efficacy of the recipes described by the respondents is not known with certainty, this survey adds to the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the search for natural antimalarials and provides a basis for future research on these plants.