Ethnobotanical Survey of Antimalarial Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Mbour, Senegal

Abstract

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to be a major public health problem, despite improvements in treatment strategies. In highly endemic areas, traditional medicine plays a central role in the management of febrile conditions, which justifies the need for scientific evaluation of the local pharmacopoeia through rigorous ethnobotanical surveys. Methods: A descriptive transversal ethnobotanical study was conducted in the municipality of Mbour (Senegal) among traditional practitioners and herbalists using a semi-structured questionnaire. It focused on the antimalarial plants used, the parts used, the methods of preparation and the frequency of citation of species, whose botanical identification followed the APG IV classification. Results: A field survey was conducted among thirty (30) interviewees (traditional practitioners, herbalists and traditional knowledge holders) selected for their recognition within their communities. Data were collected through structured interviews designed by the Pharmacognosy Laboratory of Cheikh Anta Diop University (Dakar). The results showed that Fabaceae was the most frequently cited (25.8%), followed by Combretaceae, Malvaceae (12.9%), Meliaceae (6.4%) and other families at 3.22%. Leaves (48.39%) and roots (25.81%) were the most commonly used parts, mainly prepared as decoctions (45.16%), infusions (25.81%), macerations (19.35%), fumigation (6.45%) and massage (3.22%). Conclusion: Antimalarial herbal medicine occupies an essential place in traditional healthcare practices in Mbour. The most frequently cited plants constitute a relevant basis for further pharmacological and toxicological studies, with a view to the rational and safe integration of traditional medicine into national malaria control strategies.