Ethnopharmacology and anthelmintic screening of some plants used in traditional medicine in the Far-North of Cameroon

Abstract

Background: The use of traditional medicinal plants in Cameroon for the treatment of intestinal helminthiasis is a common practice among traditional healers and livestock breeders. However, the use of ethnopharmaceutical products for their anthelmintic activities against Haemonchus contortus has been poorly addressed in the Far-North region of Cameroon, therefore justifying the need to bridge this gap. Methods: An ethno-pharmacological survey was conducted among livestock breeders and traditional healers in the Far-North region of Cameroon using a questionnaire to determine different plants used for the treatment of gastrointestinal helminths. Thereafter, aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of the most used plant (frequency >2%) were evaluated for their anthelmintic activity against the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus in vitro. Results: Seventy traditional healers and 36 livestock breeders were surveyed with 22 medicinal plants found to be involved in the treatment of intestinal helminthiasis in the Far-North Region of Cameroon. These plant species are distributed in 15 families with the Fabaceae being the most used (22.6%). The roots (39.6%) and leaves (36.8%) of the plants were the most frequently used parts mainly in the form of decoction (45.3%) and maceration (29.3%). Aristolochia baetica (20.8%) was the most used plant. Eleven plants were selected and all exhibited significant (p ˂ 0.001) anthelmintic activity on adult Haemonchus contortus. The highest anthelmintic activity was observed with the hydroethanolic extract irrespective of the plant species. The hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of Tephrosia pedicellata, Aristolochia baetica, and Abelmochus esculentus showed the highest anthelmintic activity with 100% mortality at 1 mg/mL after 24 hours of incubation. Conclusion: This study allowed us to list the anthelmintic plants used in traditional medicine in the Far North of Cameroon, with the anthelmintic screening sustaining the traditional use of these active plants for the control of helminthiasis in humans and animals.