title: Management of diabetes in Guinean traditional medicine: an ethnobotanical investigation in the coastal lowlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This survey was carried out in the coastal lowlands of Guinea-Conakry in order to make an inventory of plants used by traditional healers, herbalists and diabetic patients for the management of diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequent ethnomedical and ethnobotanical investigations were conducted from June 2008 to December 2009 in Conakry, Kindia, Forécariah, Dubréka, Boke, Fria and Boffa. It is a cross-sectional survey and data collection is based on the interactive method. During this period a total of 112 people aged from 39 to 76 years old were interviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During this investigation 146 plant species belonging to 55 families were collected. The most cited plants were Anacardium occidentale L. and Ficus spp., while the Fabaceae family was the most represented, followed by the Euphorbiaceae and Rubiaceae. The most frequently plant parts used by the traditional healers and the herbalists were the stem-bark and decoctions the most common preparation mode.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is clear that a variety of plants is used in the management and treatment of diabetes. Due to the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, there is an urgent need for scientific investigations to rationalise the use of these traditional remedies, which could represent accessible alternative medicines for the Guinean populations.
authors.affiliation: Research and Valorization Center on Medicinal Plants, Dubreka, Guinea.
authors.forename: Abdoulaye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: Mohamed Sahar
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Traore
authors.forename: Sékou Moussa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Keita
authors.forename: Mamadou Aliou
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Balde
authors.forename: Abdoulaye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keita
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Miert
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.forename: Aliou Mamadou
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Balde
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005260:Female; D016701:Guinea; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations