Ethnobotanical Description and Anti-Salmonella Activity of Plants Used to Treat Gastrointestinal Infections at Bangourain in the Noun Division, West-Cameroon

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella represents a significant global risk to public health. The use of traditional medicine is a common practice in rural communities in Cameroon, especially in the Noun division where people use various plants to treat common gastrointestinal infections. This study aimed to conduct an ethnobotanical survey and evaluate the anti-Salmonella activity of medicinal plants used locally to treat gastrointestinal infections at Bangourain in the Noun Division (West-Cameroon). The ethnographic inquiry was conducted among traditional healers using a semi-structured questionnaire to identify plants that are used to treat gastro-intestinal ailments and their modes of ±preparation. Next, the most cited plants (11) were collected, dried, and subjected to extraction by maceration using water and water-ethanol solution. The anti-Salmonella activity of the as-prepared extracts was evaluated using the microdilution method. The statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and the means were separated using the Dunnett test. A total of ninety one (91) participants indicated forty (40) plants from 24 families as species used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. The majority of plant organs (leaves, bark, and fruits) are prepared by maceration, decoction, and infusion. The hydroalcoholic extract of Leucaena glauca (LGEHAlc) showed strong antibacterial activity against the Salmonella strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.625 to 1.25 mg/mL. The determination of the MBC allowed to conclude about the bactericidal trend of this extract at MIC, 2MIC and 4MIC. Overall, this study identifies and documents medicinal plants used to treat gastrointestinal infections at Bangourain. Among these plants, Leucaena glauca showed significant antibacterial activity and could be used for the formulation of herbal medicines against Salmonella-causing digestive infections. However, additional in vitro experiments are desired to validate the traditional use of the identifed plants in treating gastrointestinal infections.