Treatment of urinary tract infections with medicinal plants: Monographs of some plants species revealed by traditherapists

Abstract

Medicinal plants are a precious heritage for humanity and especially for the majority of poor communities in developing countries who depend on them for primary health care and livelihoods. They are used in traditional practices against urinary tract infections without any scientific evidence for most of the species used. This work aims to have a summary of the literature on some medicinal plants used in the treatment of urinary tract infections. To do this, this study was carried out based on the different medicinal plants cited by herbalists in southern Togo against urinary tract infections. The names of these different plants have each been the subject of research with keywords in search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, FreefullPdf, and others to bring out the traditional use of these plants in the world. From all of the above, it appears that the medicinal plant species cited by actors of the Togolese pharmacopoeia are used to treat several diseases in the world. The organs of these plants, such as leaves, bark, and roots are used in the treatment of common illnesses such as typhoid fever, diarrhea, malaria, bronchitis, and hypofertility. Coughs, colds, skin diseases, toothache, gonorrhoea, viral infections, and many other diseases are treated with these plants. The plants are often combined with other plants in traditional medicine. They are used in the form of decoction, fumigation, herbal tea, and others. The type of disease treated by the plants changes from region to region and is also dependent on the culture of the region in the world. The use of medicinal plants is a very ancient practice. It is a very suitable alternative to modern medicine. However, there is a need to have more detailed studies on these plants, such as their toxicological effects.