Medicinal plants used against poultry diseases in Zimbabwe: A systematic review

Abstract

The current study was aimed at documenting ethnoveterinary medicines (EVMs) used against poultry diseases in Zimbabwe and local ecological knowledge (LEK) associated with the docu¬mented plant species. Information related to EVMs used against poultry diseases in Zimbabwe was systematically collected using relevant keywords from online databases such as BioMed Central, Web of Science, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, Scielo, PubMed, Science Direct, ACS Publications, Scopus and JSTOR, books, dissertations, theses, and scientific reports. This study showed that 69 species are traditionally used to manage poultry diseases in Zimbabwe. Most of the plant species (79.01%) that are used in poultry treatment and management are wild and 29.0% are exotic, cultivated, or naturalized. These species are used against 22 medical conditions, mainly in the treatment and management of coccidiosis, Newcastle, cough, diarrhea, wounds, and ectopar¬asites. Adenia gummifera, Aloe arborescens, Aloe chabaudii, Aloe greatheadii, Actaea spicata, Bobgunnia madagascariensis, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens, Cynanchum viminale, and Erythrina abyssinica have the highest number of EVM uses. This review highlights the importance of EVMs for the healthcare of poultry in Zimbabwe. Therefore, detailed ethnopharmacological evaluations of the species focusing on their phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, toxico¬logical evaluations, in vivo and clinical research investigations are recommended.