Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used By the Marakwet Community in Cherangani Forest, Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Mutai, Mourine
Njeru, Ezekiel Mugendi
Ntabo, Regina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Medicinal and Chemical Sciences
Abstract
Since long time ago, humans have used medicinal plants. Currently, many of
the contemporary drugs can be traced to plant origins. Human activities such
as deforestation and farming risk the availability of medicinal plants of
medical importance; therefore, there is a need to document knowledge and
information on these plants. Structured questionnaires, which involved oral
interviews and discussions, were used to gather information from the 35
selected herbalists. The information on every medicinal plant used in the
treatment of human diseases was documented. A total of 26 medicinal plants
were recorded with trees (38.5%), herbs (30.8%), shrubs (26.9%), and
climbers (3.8%). The plant parts were either used singly or in combination.
The mixture of leaves, roots, and barks were the most preferred combination
by 77.1%, followed by barks and roots by 57.1%, and leaves and barks by
11.4%. The diseases treated were gastrointestinal ailments by 97.1%, while
skin and respiratory were 80% each. Boiling was the most preferred method
of preparation (58%), followed by burning to ashes (28%), boiling (12%), and
raw (2%). Oral administration was the most preferred method (63%),
followed by swabs (24%), and inhalation (13%). The medicinal plant's
primary source was Cherangani forest (91.4%), although some herbalists had
also domesticated some medicinal plants (8.6%). The study provides
information on medicinal plants used by herbalists in the Marakwet
community, which be used in investigating potential active compounds in the
documented medicinal plants for the development of crude drugs
Description
An Article Published in Journal of Medicinal and Chemical Sciences
Keywords
Cherangani forest, Herbalists, Medicinal plants