Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used for Management of Cancer in Karonga District, Northern Malawi.
Cancer management
Karonga district
ethnobotanical survey
herbal medicine
medicinal plants
traditional herbal practitioners
Journal
Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
ISSN: 1875-5992
Titre abrégé: Anticancer Agents Med Chem
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 101265649
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2022
2022
Historique:
received:
07
11
2020
revised:
10
04
2021
accepted:
18
04
2021
pubmed:
10
7
2021
medline:
18
5
2022
entrez:
9
7
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In Malawi, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. This has led to increased use of herbal medicines for cancer management. This study aimed at identifying medicinal plants that are used for the management of cancer in the southern area of Karonga district, Northern Malawi. Semi-structured individual questionnaire interviews were used to collect ethnobotanical data from traditional herbal practitioners in the study area. A total of twenty six (26) plant species from seventeen (17) botanical families were reported by Traditional Herbal Practitioners to be effective in the management of cancer. The botanical families with representation of more than one plant species were Fabaceae with five species, followed by Combretaceae and the Anacardiaceae with three species each, and Meliaceaewith with two species. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) showed that Senna singueana (RFC = 0.833), Lannea discolour (RFC = 0.833), Melia azedarach (RFC = 0.667), and Moringa oleifera (RFC = 0.667) were the medicinal plant species which were frequently mentioned and used in the study. The recipes could be a mixture of plant species or plant parts such as the leaves, barks, roots, rhizomes, seeds, flowers, and fruits. The study showed that a potential cancer management drug could be developed from the medicinal plant species found in the area. The results of this study could provide baseline information on medicinal plant species for further phytochemical studies and other studies to validate their use.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
In Malawi, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. This has led to increased use of herbal medicines for cancer management.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at identifying medicinal plants that are used for the management of cancer in the southern area of Karonga district, Northern Malawi.
METHODS
Semi-structured individual questionnaire interviews were used to collect ethnobotanical data from traditional herbal practitioners in the study area.
RESULTS
A total of twenty six (26) plant species from seventeen (17) botanical families were reported by Traditional Herbal Practitioners to be effective in the management of cancer. The botanical families with representation of more than one plant species were Fabaceae with five species, followed by Combretaceae and the Anacardiaceae with three species each, and Meliaceaewith with two species. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) showed that Senna singueana (RFC = 0.833), Lannea discolour (RFC = 0.833), Melia azedarach (RFC = 0.667), and Moringa oleifera (RFC = 0.667) were the medicinal plant species which were frequently mentioned and used in the study. The recipes could be a mixture of plant species or plant parts such as the leaves, barks, roots, rhizomes, seeds, flowers, and fruits.
CONCLUSION
The study showed that a potential cancer management drug could be developed from the medicinal plant species found in the area. The results of this study could provide baseline information on medicinal plant species for further phytochemical studies and other studies to validate their use.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34238201
pii: ACAMC-EPUB-116568
doi: 10.2174/1871520621666210708122037
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1622-1631Informations de copyright
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