title: Ethnobotanical survey of food and medicinal plants of the Ilkisonko Maasai community in Kenya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pastoralist communities such as the Maasai are heavily reliant on traditional foods and medicines. This survey sought to identify traditional foods and/or medicinal plants of the Ilkisonko Maasai community living in Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethnobotanical knowledge of traditional plants used as food and human/veterinary medicine was obtained using structured and semi-structured questionnaires administered through face to face interviews of key informants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 species from 21 families and 25 genera were reportedly used as food and/or medicine by 48 respondents. The most commonly encountered genus was the Fabaceae. The growth forms encountered were tree (47%), shrub (33%) and herb (20%). Plants that were commonly mentioned by respondents were Salvadora persica (85%), Grewia villosa (52%), Ximenia americana (52%), Albizia anthelmintica (50%), Acacia robusta (46%) and Acacia nilotica (42%). The root/root bark was the most commonly used plant part (35%), followed by the stem/stem bark (30%), fruit (15%), leaves (11%) and whole plant (9%). Common ailments treated were stomach aches, constipation, back aches, joint aches, body pains and sexually transmitted infections. The plants were also used as tonics, digestives, and restoratives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was evident that traditional medicine was the preferred health care system for the Ilkisonko Maasai community. It is important to document and use this knowledge in producing novel products that could improve nutrition and healthcare in rural communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: j_kimondo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kimondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00202, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: jacobmiaron@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miaron
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: pckemei@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peggoty
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mutai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: mbuguapn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Njogu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019448:Ethnobotany; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010945:Plants, Edible; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ethnobotanical survey; Kenya; Loitokitok; Maasai; Medicinal plants