title: Knowledge on plants used traditionally in the treatment of tuberculosis in Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. The disease is especially important because of increasing drug resistant strains and co infection with human immune virus (HIV) and acquired immune disease syndrome (AIDS). Because of this there is need to identify new leads that can be developed into new drugs. The objectives of this study were to (1) document plant species commonly used by traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) to treat TB, methods of preparation and administration of drugs (2) document disease recognition by TMPs and (3) document medicine preservation and packaging practices by TMPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 40 TMPs from Mpigi and Butambala districts using a guided questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 90 plant species, distributed within 44 families were documented. Priority plants identified include Zanthoxylum leprieurii, Piptadeniastrum africanum, Albizia coriaria and Rubia cordifolia which were most mentioned by TMPs. TMPs had knowledge of how TB is transmitted and they admitted that it is closely associated with HIV. Decoctions of multiple plant species were commonly used. Plant parts frequently used were leaves followed by the stem bark and root bark. The TMPs had insufficient knowledge about packaging and preservation techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plant based therapies for treating TB have been identified in this study and further investigation of these plants is appropriate as these, may be developed into new drugs to curb the resistant strains of TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: blydia@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bunalema
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obakiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: John R S
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Tabuti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waako
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014454:Uganda
keywords: Ethnobotany; Herbal medicine; Traditional knowledge; Tuberculosis