Medicinal plants used in Malaria treatment by Prometra Herbalists in Uganda
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
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.
Description
Keywords
Malaria, Herbal Medicines, Prometra, Uganda, Traditional Medical Practioners, Uganda
Citation
Adia, M. M., Anywar, G., Byamukama, R., Kamatenesi-Mugisha, M., Sekagya, Y., Kakudidi, E. K., & Kiremire, B. T. (2014). Medicinal plants used in malaria treatment by Prometra herbalists in Uganda. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 155(1), 580-588.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.05.060