Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for traditional maternal healthcare in Katsina state, Nigeria

Abstract

Women in Katsina State, Nigeria have been using medicinal plants to cure various ailments associated with maternal health since time immemorial; however the use of such plants was never documented. In this study an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to document medicinal plants used for traditional maternal healthcare in Katsina State, Nigeria. Semi structured questionnaire method was used to interview 300 respondents (50 from 2 Local Government Areas of each of the 3 Senatorial Districts) comprising of herbalists, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs), House Wives, Farmers and others. Medicinal plants belonging to 101 genera distributed among 50 families were documented. Most of the reported plants belong to the Fabaceae (22.52%), Asteraceae (7.21%) Malvaceae (5.41%) and Anacardiaceae (4.51%) families. Acacia nilotica (L) Delile and Gueira senegalensis J.F. Gmel had the highest Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Fidelity Level (FL) of 0.93; 100% and 0.92; 100%, respectively. Among the 18 categories of ailments, headache, navel pain, postpartum hemorrhage, and postpartum wound healing had the highest Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) of 1.00 each. Most of the reported plants (68.47%) were herbs and shrubs and about 84.68% of the surveyed plants were wild. Leaves were the most frequently used (32.14%) plant's part. Most of the medications (32%) were prepared as decoctions and preparations are mostly administered orally (84.68%). Scientific validation of the biological properties of the surveyed plants is highly advocated and cultivation of medicinal plants to minimize the pressure on wild species is also recommended.