Ethnopharmacological Study of Plants Used against Malaria by Traditional Healers in the District of Dikodougou, North Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Traditional medicine (TM) has been a cornerstone of healthcare in many cultures, particularly in Africa. TM has played an integral role in managing diseases such as malaria. In Côte d'Ivoire, limited access to medical facilities brought indigenous communities to use on herbal medicine to prevent and manage malaria. As part of the effort to discover new bioactive molecules from plants, a study was conducted on medicinal plants used to treat malaria in the Dikodougou district. The survey was based on questionnaires and interviews with fifteen traditional practitioners who had knowledge of antimalarial medicinal plants. A total of 24 species of medicinal plants were identified. The most representatives plants families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, Meliaceae, and Phyllanthaceae. Cassia sieberiana DC (Fabaceae) was much more species cited, at 35.29%. Pericopsis laxiflora (Benth. ex Baker) Meeuwen (Fabaceae) followed with 23.53%, followed by Sarcocephalus latifolius Sin (Rubiaceae), Tamarindus indica L (Fabaceae), and Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Royle (Phyllanthaceae). The parts of plants frequently used by traditional healers were leaves (51.11%), followed by roots (28.89%) and seeds (11.11%). The most preparation methods used by traditional healers was decoction (50%) and maceration (40%). Evaluating the antimalarial properties of the most commonly cited species would validate the knowledge and practices of traditional practitioners in the Dikodougou district.