Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants commonly used by Eegun Tribe in Badagry Local Community of Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ethnobotanical studies are recognized as the most viable method of identifying and documenting new medicinal plants for pharmacological screenings. The objective of this study was to establish a regional profile of the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) for medicinal plants used in the treatment of various diseases in Badagry local community of Lagos State, Nigeria. An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to collect information from herb merchants, traditional healers and other people from different walks of life in the study area during March and October 2020. Sixty (60) medicinal plant species that belong to 35 families were identified in the community. The highest number of plants were mentioned for infections (15) followed by infertility (10) while internal heat (2) had the least number of plants. Leaves were the highest mentioned plant parts followed by fruits, bark and roots while using the whole plant was the least mentioned. Some of the plants identified were mentioned for the treatment of more than one disease/ailment; Allium sp (6) had the highest number of diseases being used for. This was followed by Carica papaya (3), Citrus medica (3), Aloe barbadensis (2), Jatropha gossypifolia (2), Morinda lucida (2), Mangifera indica (2), Persea americana (2) and Eugenia aromatica (2). Decoctions and infusions were the most popular modes of preparation. This study allows for identification and documentation of many high valued medicinal plant species, indicating high potential for economic development through sustainable collection of these medicinal plants.

Keywords

Ethnobotanical survey; Indigenous knowledge system; Medicinal plants; Eegun tribe; Badagry; Lagos

Introduction

The use of medicinal plants constitutes an important part of traditional medicine which is a part of African heritage [1]. Though, modern or orthodox medicine has improved the lot of many people worldwide, it is noteworthy that in many cultures, modern medicine complements traditional practices as is obtainable in industrialized societies such as China and India [2]. In these societies, herbal remedies have become more popular in the treatment of minor ailments and also as means of personal health maintenance. The use of plants for medicines is by far the biggest use of plants in term of the number of species specifically targeted. Plants provide the predominant ingredients of medicines in most traditional systems and have been the source of inspiration for several major researches [3]. Ethnobotanical studies are recognized as the most viable method of identifying new medicinal plants or refocusing on those earlier reported for bioactive constituents [4]. The practice of ethnomedicine is common globally, and it is an acceptable form of medicine, even recognized and promoted by the World health Organization. It is an important vehicle for understanding indigenous societies and their relationships with nature [5].

The use of plant for treating diseases is as old as human species. All over the world, especially in African countries, the use of medicinal plants has significantly supported primary health care [6]. The acceptance of herbals usage in Africa cuts across all strata of the society, though their use is more common amongst indigent peoples and those others who though not indigent, but still belief in their traditional values [7]. In Africa, herbalists keep no records and information was usually passed on orally, from generation to generation. Since oral information can never be as accurate as was told to the recipient, a whole library of herbal information was being buried gradually with every person that dies [8]. Ethnobotany is based on the knowledge of plants by the local people and their usefulness as understood by the people of a particular ethnic group, since information concerning a particular plant varies from one ethnic group to another [9,10]. The use of traditional medicine in various therapies by the indigenous population of the world cannot be overemphasized; due to poverty, ignorance and unavailability of modern health facilities, most people especially rural people are forced to practice traditional medicines for their common day ailments, most of these people form the poorest link in the trade of medicinal plants [11]. A vast knowledge of how to use the plants against different illnesses may be expected to have accumulated in areas where the use of plants is still of great importance [12]. In the developed countries, 25% of the medical drugs are based on plants and their derivatives [13].

The continuous search for natural plant products for use as medicines is encouraged by ethnobotanical survey. Recognized ethnobotanical survey as one of the major approaches for selecting plants for pharmacological screening. Several workers have conducted ethnobotanical surveys among various tribes of the African continent and the rest part of the world [14-17]. This study therefore, aims at documenting medicinal plants used by eegun people in Badagry local government area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods

Description of the study area

The survey was conducted in Badagry division of Lagos State. Badagry is a coastal town in Badagry Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located between the city of Lagos and Seme, the border town of Benin Republic. According to the 2006 census, the municipality had a total population of 237,731 and covered 442,993 km² area. The Badagry creek is located on latitude 2.42’ and 3.2’ E and between longitude 6.23’ and 6.28’ N, and forms part of the continuous lagoon that stretches from port Novo to Lagos. The climate is dominated by heavy rain season which last from April to October. The soil is lightly grey sandy type with vegetation over the low-lying plains and marshes near the lagoons and creeks. The vegetation is made up of woody plant, shrubs and oil palm trees in the sandy areas, while the marshy areas are covered by mangrove. The mean monthly temperature fluctuates around 30ºC. The relative humidity is high throughout the year and may not be less than 70%-80% as shown in Figure 1.

Ethnomedicinal data collection

Oral interview was used to collect information on the plants used for the treatment of various diseases and ailments in Badagry local community. The information was obtained from 300 people from all walks of life that gave their consent in granting the interviews in the study area. The age of the interviewees ranges from 18-71 years with 193 males and 107 females. The survey was conducted between March and October, 2020. Interviews were conducted in Yoruba (a local language) for easy communication with the local people. Preliminary interviews took place by appointment and a basic questionnaire was followed to gather information on plants that are used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases in the study area. Information gathered included plant parts used, methods of collection, storage, preparations, modes of administration as well as the dosage of the herbs.

Consultation with traditional herbalists

One of the main sources of the information was through direct consultation with the traditional herbalists. The approach was to consult herbalists about the usage of specific plants or to obtain directly the traditional recipes for treating specific ailments. Information like names of plants used for particular ailment, parts of plants use, mode of preparation and administration and how the plant materials are gotten and harvesting time were obtained from the herbalists. The names were given in the Eegun and Yoruba local names.

Enquiry from communities about the uses of plants growing near them: Another mode was visiting villages and inquiring about the medicinal usage of plants growing in their locality. Some of the plants have been undergoing domestication because of their medicinal uses and to avoid unnecessary extinctions. Some plants were domesticated for easy access when they are urgently needed for emergencies.

Consultation with herb merchants

Information about indigenous plants used in the study area was also obtained from the herb merchants. The markets visited were Badagry, Fibre and Ajara, markets in the study area. Some parts of these markets consisted of traditional medicines sections where components of traditional medicines are sold openly. The herb-sellers were interviewed on the medicinal plants used to treat various diseases in the study area. Some of the herb merchants sell both dry and fresh samples of the medicinal plants.

Plants identification and authentication

Fresh samples of plant parts were purchased during the survey from the herb merchants; some were gotten directly from the wild through the assistance of the herbalists while others were gotten from the Botanical Garden of Lagos State University. The plants were identified by their local names in Yoruba and Eegun languages and were further identified and authenticated by Dr. O.K Oluwa and Dr. O.J Sharaibi (Plant Taxonomists in Botany Department).

Data analysis

Frequency Citation (FC) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC): The Frequency of Citation (FC) is used to evaluate the most preferred used plant species and the RFC is calculated to determine the level of traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants in the study area.

Results

Demography of the respondents

The number of male respondents was 193 (64.4%) while the number female respondents were 107 (35.6%). Majority of the respondents were between 55 and 71 years old (38%) following by those aged 46–55 years (34%), while those aged below 25 year was the least category of the respondents (0.3%). Majority of the respondents lacked formal education (50.6%), this was followed by those with primary (29.4%) and secondary (16.3 %) level while only 3.7% of the respondents acquired tertiary level of education. Most of the respondents in the study area are fishermen (30.6%) followed by herb sellers that constituted 29% of the respondents. This was followed by farmers (22.7%) while the herbalists constituted only 8.3% of the respondents as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Showed the socioeconomic profile of the respondents in the study area.

Ethnomedicinal information

Sixty (60) plant species belonging to 35 botanical families were identified for the treatment of different diseases in the study area. Allium sativum (0.68) had the highest value for relative frequency of citations while Vateria indica (0.02) had the lowest frequency of citations. Some of the plants identified were mentioned for the treatment of more than one disease/ailment; Allium sp (6) had the highest number of diseases being used for. This was followed by Carica papaya (3), Citrus medica (3), Aloe barbadensis (2), Jatropha gossypifolia (2), Morinda lucida (2), Mangifera indica (2), Persea americana (2), Eugenia aromatica (2) while the remaining medicinal plants were mentioned for one disease each as shown in Tables 2-11.

Table 2. Plants used in the treatment of malaria and fever.

Table 3. Plants used in treatment of infections.

Table 4. Plants used in the treatment of diabetes.

Table 5. Plants used for anaemia.

Table 6. Plants used for the treatment of convulsion.

Table 7. Plants used for treatment of high blood pressure.

Table 8. Plants used for infertility.

Table 9. Plants used in the treatment of other various ailments.

Table 10. Botanical families with number of plant species.

Table 11. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) of some of the medicinal plants used in the study area.

Family Fabaceae (6) had the highest number of plant species followed by family Amaryllidaceae (5), Mennispermaceae (4) while other families like Araliaceae, Solananceae, Lythraceae, Apocynaceae etc had one of plant species each mentioned in the study area. The list of plants used for specific ailments, their local names, parts used and modes of preparations.

Discussion

The number of plants mentioned for the treatment of diseases that infections had the highest number of plants followed by infertility and malaria while internal heat had the least number of plants mention. The respondents in the study area possess rich ethno medicinal knowledge which allowed the identification of medicinal plants used for various diseases in the community. However, this knowledge needs to be documented for proper transfer from one generation to another, to prevent knowledge loss when the person dies as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 1: Map of Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State. Note:

Figure 2: Frequency of medicinal plants used for diseases in the study area.

Figure 3: Frequency of plant parts used in the study area.

Conclusion

The respondents in the study area possess rich ethnomedicinal knowledge which allowed the identification of medicinal plants used for various diseases in the community. However, this knowledge needs to be documented for proper transfer from one generation to another, to prevent knowledge loss when the person dies.

Badagry, the study area was discovered to be rich in plants biodiversity with therapeutic potentials for human’s diseases. However, there is the need to conserve the medicinal plants from extinction due to over exploitation. As many of the residents depend on the medicinal plants for their primary health care. Hence, government should regulate the excessive harvesting of medicinal plants. Also, cultivation of medicinal plants should be encouraged through the establishment of herbal gardens.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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