Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants used by the Populations of the Plateaux Department (Republic of Congo)

Abstract

This study was carried out in the Plateaux Department. It consisted in improving the knowledge of the use of medicinal plants by the populations of the said Department. A series of ethnobotanical surveys were conducted using a questionnaire and 300 informants were interviewed. The results show that 98 medicinal species divided into 84 genera and 56 families were inventoried. Rubiaceae (8.91%) followed by Asteraceae (7.80%), Fabaceae (7.05%) and Zingiberaceae (4%) are the most representative families. Among these species, spontaneous species are widely used. Leaves (46.53%) followed by barks (13.56%) and roots (13.32%) are the most commonly used parts and decoction (47.79%) is the most common method of preparation. Concerning the diseases treated, malaria (16.39%), stomach ache (8.47%), cough (8.44%), fever (6.57%), haemorrhoids (6.31%) and diarrhoea (5.80%) are the most treated diseases. Nauclea latifolia Sm., Morinda morindoides (Baker) Milne-Redh, Mangifera indica L., Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & H. Rob. are the plants most involved in the constitution of the recipes. This study will allow the establishment of a Congolese pharmacopoeia in the future and will constitute a source of information for scientific research in the fields of phytochemistry and pharmacology.