Medicinal plants used in Malaria treatment by Prometra Herbalists in Uganda
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance: The aimofthesurveywastodocumentmedicinalplantsusedin
malaria treatmentbyPrometra(Promociondelamedicinatradicionalamazonica)TraditionalMedical
Practitioners (TMPs)ofUgandaandforsearchofnewantiplasmodialherbalmedicines(HMs)forfurther
phytochemicalanalysis.
Materials andmethods: In thisstudy,semistructuredguidedopenandcloseendedquestionnaireswere
used. FocusgroupdiscussionswereconductedandkeyinformantswerechosenwithintheTMPswho
helped infurtherdiscussionsofhowtheherbalremedieswherecollected,preparedandadministered.
Results: A samplesizeof51respondentswasrandomlyselectedamongtheTMPswiththehelpoftheir
leader.86speciesdistributedover81generaand39familieswerereportedlybeingusedasherbal
remedies inmalariatreatment.TheTMPsusesymptomslikehightemperature,shivering,amongothers
in malariadiagnosisanindicationthattheyunderstandmalaria.Theyemphasizedtheuseofleavesand
bark intreatmentbecausetheycanregenerateandthereforeensuresustainableuseofplantsratherthan
the useofrootswhichwouldbedestructive.TheseTMPStreatandalsoadvisetheirpatientson
preventivemeasuresagainstmalariaattackslikesleepingundermosquitonets,clearingbushesnear
homesteads, amongotherswhichisanindicationthattheyhelpinthepreventionandmitigationof
malaria incidencesandprevalenceintheareaswheretheylive.TheInformantConsensusFactor(FIC)
valueof0.8demonstratedthattheTMPsofPrometra-Ugandatendtoagreewitheachotherintermsof
the plantspeciestheyuseinmalariatreatmentanindicationofqualitycontrolinasfarasadministration
of theherbalremedies. Vernoniaamygdalina Delile, Bidens pilosa L., Justicia betonica L. werehighlycited
as beingusedinmalariatreatmentwithfrequenciesofmentionof38,28and25,respectively.
Conclusion: TMPs ofPrometra-Ugandaunderstandandtreatmalariausingtheavailableplantdiversity
from theirhugeforestandtheherbalgardenswithinBuyijaforest.Thehealersareverykeenatplant
conservationwhichisagoodpractice.Specieslike Justica betonica may beinvestigatedfurtherfor
antiplasmodial assaystojustifyitsefficacy.