title: Knowledge and demand for medicinal plants used in the treatment and management of diabetes in Nyeri County, Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non communicable diseases are currently a major health challenge facing humanity. Nyeri County has one of the highest diabetes prevalence in Kenya (12.6%), compared to the country's prevalence of 5.6%. The purpose of the study was to document; diabetes knowledge, medicinal plants and demand for the services of traditional medicine practitioners, in the management and treatment of diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in the six constituencies in Nyeri, using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Thirty practicing traditional medicine practitioners were purposively selected for the study. Field observation and identification was carried out on all plants that were cited during the interview. Plant samples were collected and voucher specimen deposited in the University of Nairobi Herbarium in the - School of Biological Sciences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study revealed 30 plant species in 28 genera and 23 families that are used by the traditional medicine practitioners to treat and manage diabetes. Demand for traditional medicine practitioners' services in the treatment of diabetes is low and often occurs when conventional drugs fail.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interaction with the TMPs unveiled significant diversity of potential anti diabetic medicinal plants and in-depth ethnobotanical knowledge that they possessed. Preference for traditional herbal medicine was low despite wide ethnobotanical knowledge in the face of high prevalence of diabetes in the locality. The findings form the basis of pharmacological studies for standardization of the documented ethnomedicine used in the treatment and management of diabetes in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: loicekam66@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Loice N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Kamau
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: mmbaabu@uonbi.ac.ke.
authors.forename: Mathiu P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mbaabu
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: mbaria.jm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mbaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: pgathumbi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gathumbi P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Karuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: kiama123@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kiama
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019448:Ethnobotany; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D057240:Patient Preference; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Demand; Diabetes; Knowledge; Medicinal plants; Nyeri County