Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Integration of medicinal plants into the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of cancer in Sokoto State, Nigeria

2020; Elsevier BV; Volume: 6; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04830

2405-8440

Ibrahim Malami, Aliyu Muhammad, Ibrahim Babangida Abubakar, Aliyu Muhammad, Alhassan Muhammad Alhassan, Peter Maitama Waziri, Ibrahim Zakiyya Yakubu Yahaya, Halilu E. Mshelia, Sylvester Nefy Mathias,

Hibiscus Plant Research Studies

This study was designed to explore and record various medicinal plants integrated into the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of cancer. The traditional system of medicine is a routine practiced among the indigenous ethnic groups of Sokoto state. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed and used for data collection around the selected Local Government Areas. A substantial number of plant species were identified, recorded, and collected for preservation. Data collected for each specie was analysed to assess its frequent use among the medicinal plants. A total of 67 species belonging to 31 families have been identified and recorded. Out of the 473 frequency of citation (FC), Acacia nilotica was the most frequently cited specie (32 FC, 64% FC, 0.6 RFC), followed by Guiera senegalensis (27 FC, 54% FC, 0.5 RFC), Erythrina sigmoidea (17 FC, 34% FC, 0.3 RFC), and subsequently Combretum camporum (15 FC, 30% FC, 0.3 RFC). The most common parts of the plants used include the barks (55.2%), the roots (53.2%), and the leaves (41.8%). Additionally, decoction (74.6%), powdered form (49.3%), and maceration (46.3%) are the most frequently used mode of preparation. The historical knowledge of a traditional system of medicine practiced by the native traditional healers of Sokoto for the treatment of cancer has been documented. The present study further provides a baseline for future pharmacological investigations into the beneficial effects of such medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer.