Dioscorea bulbifera, a highly threatened African medicinal plant, a review
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
a review, Cogent Biology
Abstract
Dioscorea bulbifera bulbils are used in the treatment of Piles, dysentery, syphilis, ulcers, cough, leprosy, diabetes, asthma, and cancer. It is a raw material for contraceptives, and it is one of the most consumed yam species especially in West
Africa. Unfortunately, this plant is at the verge of extinction because of increased harvest for medicinal purpose. This review aims at providing up-to-date information about its photochemistry, clinical benefits, conservation status and best possible
way on how this plant can be conserved for future use. Literature database search was employed, and the findings indicate that much as Dioscorea bulbifera is of diverse clinical and ethnomedicinal benefits, it’s vulnerable to extinction. In order to
conserve Dioscorea bulbifera, there is a need to enlighten the local inhabitants on its clinical and commercial importance and uses. Also for the sustainable growth of the plant, the government and Non-governmental agencies have to distribute Dioscorea
bulbils to the farmers for planting and also encourage its planting back into the wild. In addition, micropropagation of the D. bulbifera will be the perfect tool for reestablishing the plant in the natural habitat with more advantages of improving
growth conditions of the plants.
Description
Keywords
Dioscorea bulbifera, medicinal plant
Citation
Hilda Ikiriza, Patrick Engeu Ogwang, Emanuel L. Peter, Okella Hedmon, Casim Umba Tolo, Muwonge Abubaker & Ali Abdalla Mai Abdalla | (2019) Dioscoreabulbifera, a highly threatened African medicinal plant, a review, Cogent Biology, 5:1, 1631561, DOI: 10.1080/23312025.2019.1631561