Ethnobotanical assessment of traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants for cough management in Ogun and Oyo states, Nigeria
TL;DR
Insight into indigenous knowledge of herbal cough remedies in southwestern Nigeria was provided, mainly traditional healers and herblists, selected from major markets in Ogun and Oyo states.
Abstract
Background: Many medicinal plants contain natural chemicals that have therapeutic effects for the management and treatment of coughs. In many rural communities in Nigeria, reliance on traditional medicine for the management of respiratory conditions is common. Objective: This study aimed to investigate locally available medicinal plants used by herbalists for the treatment of cough in Ogun and Oyo states, southwestern Nigeria. Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted among 200 participants, mainly traditional healers and herblists, selected from major markets in Ogun and Oyo states. Structured questionnaires were used to collect demographic data and plant characteristics. Demographic data were summarized using descriptive statistics, while relative frequency of citation (RFC), and use value (UV) indices were used to analyze plant characteristics. Results: The mean age of the 200 study participants was 46.0 ± 9 years of which 36.5 % (73) were male and 63.5 % (127) were female. A total of 25 plant species from 20 families were identified for cough treatment. The most commonly used species were Anacadium occidentale (RFC = 0.21), Garcinia kola (RFC = 0.18), and Cola acuminata (RFC = 0.18). Adansonia digitata recorded the highest UV of 0.04. Leaves (36 %), bark (17 %), and stem (17 %) were the most commonly used plant parts. Concoction (32 %), decoction (20 %) and maceration (20 %) were the main preparation methods, while oral administration (100 %) was the most common mode of consumption. Conclusion: This study provided insight into indigenous knowledge of herbal cough remedies in southwestern Nigeria.