Traditional plants used for medicinal purposes by local communities around the Northern sector of Kibale National Park, Uganda

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Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The study was done to establish medicinal plants used in the treatment of various diseases by the people in the Northern sector of Kibale National Park in western Uganda. It was also aimed at establishing the plant parts used and the mode of preparation of remedies. These plants create a basis for phytochemical evaluation which can lead to the discovery of biologically active compounds that can be used as starting materials in the development of new drugs targeting selected diseases such as malaria.

Materials and methods

The required information was obtained using open interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and transect walks.

Results

Different medicinal plants (131 species) distributed over 55 families were observed to be used by the local communities around the Northern sector of Kibale National Park. The plants as reported in this paper are used to treat 43 physical illnesses/diseases. The most used parts of the plants are the leaves. Water is the main medium used for the preparation of the remedies which are mostly administered orally.

Conclusion

The people in the study area have a rich heritage of traditional plants that are used in the health care system to treat diseases. These medicinal plants have contributed significantly to several disease therapies. The most common diseases treated are malaria and cough, which are mostly treated by Vernonia amygdalina Del. and Albizia coriaria Welw. respectively. The main sources of medicinal plants include bush land, home gardens, grasslands, and the forest.

Graphical abstract

The study documented 131 plant species used by the people in the northern sector of Kibale National Park to treat different diseases. The most used plants were Vernonia amygdalina, Albizia coriaria and Bidens pilosa. There is also need to validate the use and effectiveness of plants like Albizia coriaria.

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Introduction

Today, millions of people around the world consume plant-based medicines as part of traditional medicine for a range of medical disorders. The use of traditional medicine in developing countries contributes directly to the socio-economic status and well being of the rural communities (Tabuti et al., 2003a, Chiranjibi et al., 2006). People especially herbalists and traditional healers generate income from medicinal plants. Uganda is one of the developing countries where about 80% of the population largely depend on herbal medicine for treating various diseases (WHO, 1995, Tabuti et al., 2003b). The use of medicinal plants especially in primary health care has become prominent (WHO, 1978, Shrestha and Dhillion, 2003). This has led to the increasing search for plants with medicinal use. The search for plants with medicinal use has led to some ethnobotanical studies that have documented traditional medicinal plant species, the mode of preparation and uses by local communities in some parts of the country (Oryem-Origa et al., 1997, Kakudidi et al., 2000, Tabuti et al., 2010, Lamorde et al., 2010). In Uganda, most parts of the country remain unsurveyed for medicinal plants despite the rich plant biodiversity that the country has (UNEP-WCMC, 2002). The identification of these plants and in a later stage the investigation of the quality and toxicity is of the utmost importance. Besides, a lot of valuable indigenous information about the use of medicinal plants is being lost from one generation to another and with the increasing rate of habitat destruction, plant resources including medicinal plants are getting depleted or are threatened. For instance, the cultivation of tea and the high population growth around Kibale National Park has led to habitat destruction and over exploitation (Oryem-Origa et al., 1997, Sheldon et al., 1997, Dhillion and Amundsen, 2000, Tabuti et al., 2003b). Kibale National Park is one of the areas that have been encroached by the local communities for commercial timber and tea plantation.

In this paper therefore, we report on the contribution to knowledge of medicinal plants use by residents in the Northern part of Kibale National Park. This work adds value to the wild flora diversity and the findings may serve as a platform for the development of conservation and management interventions of plant resources in the National park and immediate surrounding areas. The work will also provide baseline information for scientific studies leading to isolation of bioactive compounds that can serve as starting materials in the discovery of new plant based drugs or standardised extracts as improved traditional medicines.

Section snippets

Study area

The study was undertaken in four parishes adjacent to the northern part of Kibale National Park. The parishes were; Hiima (three villages: Nyabusenyi, Kyansimbi, Nyakabingo), Kahangi (Kiburara village), Kaswa (Kabegira village) and Sebitoli (Sebitoli village). All these parishes/villages belong to Hakibale Sub County in Kabarole District (Fig. 1). The villages were used as sampling areas because of their closeness to the forest.

Kibale National Park (0°13′ to 0°41′N and 30°19′ to 30°32′E) is

Medicinal plant species

In the study, 131 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 55 families have been established to treat different diseases in the northern part of Kibale National Park (Table 1). The families, genera and species names of the medicinal plants have been determined in comparison with specimen of the Makerere University Herbarium and names given according to the International Plant Names Index (www.ipni.org). Voucher specimens have been deposited at the Makerere University Herbarium. The habitat,

Conclusions

From this study, several medicinal plant species have been found to be used by the local communities in the northern sector of Kibale National Park for the treatment of a number of diseases/ailments. It has been established that traditional medicinal plants contribute significantly in the treatment of several diseases in this area. For instance the use of Vernonia amygdalina and Albizia coriaria in the treatment of malaria and cough respectively is significant. The therapeutic claims over some

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge RISE-AFNNET (Regional Initiative in Science and Education-African Natural Products Network), Belgium Technical Cooperation is highly acknowledged for financial support. The field work was conducted, thanks to the Uganda – France Cooperation support through the MoU signed between Uganda Wildlife Authority, Makerere University, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche scientifique. Appreciation also goes to the local communities and herbalists

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