Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Malaria in the Plateau Region, Togo.
BACKGROUND
In Togo, malaria constitutes a major public health problem but, until now, the population still mostly relies on herbal medicine for healing. This study aimed to document medicinal plants used for malaria therapy in the Plateau region of the country.


METHODS
Semi-structured questionnaire interviews were used to gather ethnobotanical and sociodemographic data from traditional healers of the study area.


RESULTS
A total of 61 plants species belonging to 33 families were found to be in use for malaria therapy in the Plateau region. Caesalpiniaceae were the most represented family with 7 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae with 4 species each. According to the relative frequency of citation (RFC), Newbouldia laevis Seem. (RFC =0.52), Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) E.A. Bruce (RFC =0.48), Acanthospermum hispidum DC. (RFC =0.43), and Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S. Irwin and Barneby (RFC =0.40) were the most cited in the treatment of malaria in the traditional medicine in the Plateau region. The parts of plants used could either be the barks, roots, leaves, or whole plants. The recipes also could be a combination of various species of plants or plant parts.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the potential sources for the development of new antimalarial drugs from indigenous medicinal plants found in the Plateau region of Togo. Such results could be a starting point for in vitro antimalarial screenings.


CONCLUSIONS
61 plants species from 33 families are use for malaria therapy in the Plateau region of TogoThe main families are Caesalpiniaceae Euphorbiaceae and PoaceaeThe most used species are Newbouldia laevis Seem. (RFC = 0.52), Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) E.A. Bruce (RFC = 0.48), Acanthospermum hispidum DC. (RFC = 0.43), and Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S. Irwin and Barneby (RFC = 0.40) Abbreviations Used: RFC: Relative frequency of citation, FC: Frequency of citation, Dec: Decoction, Orl: Oral route, Mac: Maceration, Jui: Juice, Inf: Infusion, Sau: Sauce, Kne: Kneading, Le: Leaves, Rt: Roots, Wp: Whole plant, St: Stem, Stb: Stem bark, Rh: Rhizome, Fr: Fruits, Pf: Plasmodium falciparum, IC50: Concentration of extract killing 50% parasites.
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Kodjovi
K
Agbodeka
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Holaly E
HE
Gbekley
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo; Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Simplice D
SD
Karou
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Kokou
K
Anani
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Amegnona
A
Agbonon
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Tchadjobo
T
Tchacondo
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Komlan
K
Batawila
Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Jacques
J
Simpore
Centre de recherche et de Formation sur les Plantes Médicinales, Université de Lomé, Togo.
Messanvi
M
Gbeassor
Caesalpiniaceae; malaria; medicinal plants; relative frequency of citation