Ethnobotanical plants used in the management of symptoms of tuberculosis in rural Uganda
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tropical Medicine and Health
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide.
The emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) poses a major health security threat. Plants have traditionally been
used as a source of medicine, since olden days and 80% of the communities in Africa still rely on herbal medicines for
their healthcare. In many parts of Uganda, some plants have shown ethno-pharmacological prospects for the treatment
of TB, and yet they have not been fully researched.
Aim: This study aimed to document plant species used traditionally by the herbalists and non-herbalist communities
of Kitgum and Pader districts for managing symptoms of TB.
Methods: An ethnobotanical study was carried out in 42 randomly selected villages in Kitgum and Pader districts
between August 2020 and January 2021. Information was obtained by administering semi-structured questionnaires
to 176 respondents identified by snowball and random sampling methods. Data were analysed and presented using
descriptive statistics and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF).
Results: Overall, only 27% of the respondents were knowledgeable about plants used for managing symptoms
of TB. Nine plant species belonging to six families (Mimosaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Rutaceae, Loganiaceae and
Rubiaceae) were used to manage symptoms of TB. The most representative family was Rutaceae with three species,
followed by Rubiaceae (two species) and the rest of the families were represented by one species each. The most frequently
recorded species were Steganotaenia araliacea Hochst. (8.5%), Gardenia ternifolia Schumach. & Thonn (6.8%)
and Albizia adianthifolia (Schum.) W.Wight (6.8%). Most of the medicinal plants were trees, and roots (69%) were the
most frequently plant part used, followed by the bark (16%) and leaves (15%). The most common method of preparation
was by pounding and mixing concoction with water. The administration of the concoctions was mostly done
orally.
Conclusions: The results established the existence of few medicinal plants for managing symptoms of TB among the
Acholi communities which could be used in developing new, effective plant-based antimycobacterial drugs. The few
plants mentioned might face conservation threats due to exploitations of the roots. Phytochemical and toxicological
studies are recommended to identify active compounds responsible for antimycobacterial activity.
Description
Keywords
TB, Treatment, Traditional Medicine, Knowledge, Practitioners, Medicinal plants
Citation
Oryema, C., Rutaro, K., Oyet, S. W., & Malinga, G. M. (2021). Ethnobotanical plants used in the management of symptoms of tuberculosis in rural Uganda. Tropical Medicine and Health, 49(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-021-00384-2