Abstract
IntroductionDiabetes is becoming a public health burden for sub-Saharan countries due to its prevalence which is growing rapidly. Traditional medicine is more and more used to treat diabetes in RD Congo as well as in other African countries. This study was undertaken in order to list plants used in the management of diabetes by traditional healers in four agglomerations of southern area of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo.MethodsForty-nine traditional healers were randomly met and interviewed about diabetes treatment in traditional medicine. The survey concerned the plant identification, their part used, method of preparation and the route of administration. The inquest concerned also traditional medicine users.ResultsNinety-five plants from 47 families were indicated as antidiabetic. Fabaceae (24.2%), Euphorbiaceae (7.4%), Apocynaceae and Strychnaceae (4.2 each) are the more representative families. This inventory showed that the root is the most used part of the cited plants, the decoction with water as the main preparation method and the oral administration as the principal way to give antidiabetic traditional formulations.ConclusionIn Lubumbashi region, many plant species are used to treat diabetes either through traditional praticians or by anyone from well-known ancestral knowledge.
Highlights
Diabetes is becoming a public health burden for sub-Saharan countries due to its prevalence which is growing rapidly
The data obtained from different traditional healers on their knowledge and on vegetable species used in the management of diabetes are given in Table 1 and Annex 1
We think that three reasons would explain that: (i) the will of advertising that is more remarkable to men than to women; (ii) the fact that during the inquest time, more women than men are absent for field work would explain why there are more men traditional healers known than women; and (iii) it is possible that the practice of traditional medecine is guided by socio-cultural characteristics such as kinship system as observed in the Mafa tribe of Cameroun [10]
Summary
Diabetes is becoming a public health burden for sub-Saharan countries due to its prevalence which is growing rapidly. Traditional medicine is more and more used to treat diabetes in RD Congo as well as in other African countries. This study was undertaken in order to list plants used in the management of diabetes by traditional healers in four agglomerations of southern area of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fabaceae (24.2%), Euphorbiaceae (7.4%), Apocynaceae and Strychnaceae (4.2 each) are the more representative families This inventory showed that the root is the most used part of the cited plants, the decoction with water as the main preparation method and the oral administration as the principal way to give antidiabetic traditional formulations. On one side the limited access to conventional drugs and health care system, the faith on ancestral culture healing practices on the other hand, bring more people to traditional medicine where herbal drugs are widely used. We decided to collect information about the plants used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in southern Katanga area, DRC
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
